JOHN: THE MISSION TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS EXTENDS TO OUR NATION'S SCHOOLS.

THAT'S WHERE EDUCATORS ARE HOPING TO EMPOWER STUDENTS WITH KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRE THEM TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO ENSURE A BETTER CLIMATE FUTURE.

LEE GAINES FROM MEMBER STATION WFYI IN INDIANAPOLIS VISITED A CLASSROOM IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, THIS PAST SPRING, WHERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE PITCHING THEIR IDEAS TO SCIENTISTS.

LEE: IT'S MID-MAY AND HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN DUANE MURPHY -- DEWAYNE MURPHY IS PITCHING A BIG IDEA TO CLIMATE SCIENTIST BEN KRAVITZ.

>> THERE'S GONNA BE A TANK, AND IT'S JUST GONNA BE LIKE A BIG GIANT METAL TANK.

YOU FILL IT UP WITH WATER, AND THE TANK IS JUST GOING TO HEAT UP, I GUESS.

LEE: THAT HYPOTHETICAL TANK WILL FEED A STEAM AND SOLAR POWERED CAR.

BUT DEWAYNE SAYS IT COULD HAVE SOME DRAWBACKS.

>> IT'S NOT REALLY DESIGNED TO TAKE ANY DAMAGE LIKE AT ALL SO YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE REALLY GENTLE WITH THAT USUALLY.

LEE: THIS CONVERSATION IS PART OF A LARGER LESSON ABOUT DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGIES THAT REDUCE PLANET-HEATING POLLUTION.

KIRSTIN MILKS IS DEWAYNE'S TEACHER AT BLOOMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH.

SHE'S BEEN REFINING THIS LESSON OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WITH HELP FROM BEN KRAVITZ AND OTHER SCIENTISTS AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY.

>> THE FACT IS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE STORY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES.

IT IS ALREADY THE STORY OF WHERE WE LIVE, IT IS THE STORY OF A STATE LARGELY SUPPORTED BY AGRICULTURE.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS HERE AND NOW AND STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW NOT JUST THE STUFF ABOUT IT THAT IS CHALLENGING AND DIFFICULT, BUT ALSO, THEY NEED TO SEE HOW CHANGE CAN HAPPEN.

THEY NEED TO FEEL LIKE THEY UNDERSTAND AND CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR SHARED FUTURE.

LEE: INDIANA RECENTLY APPROVED NEW STANDARDS THAT NOW REQUIRE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE TO LEARN ABOUT HUMAN-CAUSED CLIMATE CHANGE.

MANY EDUCATORS REPORT THEY FEEL UNPREPARED TO TEACH CLIMATE CHANGE.

A NATIONAL SURVEY IN 2022 FOUND THAT 56% OF TEACHERS ONLY HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES SOME OF THE TIME OR NEVER.

>> IN A HIGH WATER AREA -- LEE: MILKS AND CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY DEVELOPED A CLIMATE CHANGE LESSON PLAN TO HELP FILL THAT GAP.

>> CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING.

WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH TO STOP IT.

LEE: EXPERTS SAY THE ONLY PERMANENT SOLUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IS TO STOP USING FOSSIL FUELS LIKE OIL, COAL AND GAS.

SCIENTISTS ALREADY KNOW TECHNOLOGIES THAT COULD DO THIS, LIKE USING BATTERIES WITH SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY.

BUT KRAVITZ SAYS THE WORLD ISN'T MOVING FAST ENOUGH.

SO HE AND OTHER SCIENTISTS ARE STUDYING STRATEGIES TO TEMPORARILY ALTER THE EARTH'S CLIMATE TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

IT'S KNOWN AS CLIMATE ENGINEERING, OR GEOENGINEERING.

AND THAT'S WHAT STUDENTS IN MILKS' CLASSROOM ARE LEARNING ABOUT.

>> THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE VOTING ON WHETHER TO DO IT, OR EVEN LEADING THE CHARGE, ARE SITTING IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS RIGHT NOW.

SO IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS TOPIC IS, THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM.

LEE: SO TODAY IS THE DAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REALLY WORK ON CREATING YOUR ENGINEERING DESIGN.

LEE: MILKS SAYS CREATIVITY IS THE CORE OF THIS EXERCISE.

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO THINK OF OUT-THE-BOX IDEAS TO REDUCE PLANET-WARMING POLLUTION.

>> SO YOU'RE GONNA FIND PLACES WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD SPECIFICALLY TARGET PLANTING TREES.

THAT'S SO COOL.

>> A VENT IN THE FRONT AND BACK AND A FILTER IN BETWEEN.

LEE: JUNIOR CAMPBELL BROWN CAME UP WITH AN IDEA FOR A FLYING AIR FILTER THAT SUCKS UP CARBON DIOXIDE AND TURNS IT INTO A HARMLESS BY-PRODUCT.

>> SO YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING?

IT DOES WORK.

>> HECK YEAH.

LEE: OTHER IDEAS INCLUDED ARTIFICIAL TREES FILLED WITH WATER THAT COULD HELP FIGHT WILDFIRES, SOLAR-POWERED HELICOPTERS, AND LOTS OF WAYS TO REFLECT LIGHT BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

MILKS ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES.

>> WHAT OTHER CHALLENGES WILL YOU NEED TO FACE, DO YOU THINK?

>> THE NEAT THING ABOUT SEEING ALL THESE IDEAS COME OUT OF THE CLASSROOM, IT'S NOT I CAN'T DO IT.

IT'S WE CAN DO IT.

HUMANS, WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER , CAN DO AMAZING THINGS.

AND THAT'S WHAT GIVES ME HOPE.

LEE: CAMPBELL, THE JUNIOR WHO CAME UP WITH THE FLYING AIR FILTER IDEA, SAYS SHE KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE BEFORE THIS LESSON.

>> I'VE REALLY ENJOYED THIS CLASS, BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED THINGS.

AND THOSE THINGS HAVE ACTUALLY ALLOWED ME TO, LIKE, THINK ABOUT WHAT I'M DOING TO OUR EARTH.

AND I'M GLAD THAT IT'S ACTUALLY BECOME A REQUIREMENT, SO THAT OTHERS CAN ACTUALLY TAKE STEPS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL.

LEE: FOR PBS NEWS WEEKEND, I'M LEE GAINES IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA.

♪