Bridging Science and Storytelling: Strengthening Educator Engagement in Coastal Resilience Education

Abstract

Resilience education has become a critical component of K-12 learning as climate change intensifies environmental distributions and community vulnerability. Programs such as Ready, Set, Resilience (RSR) reflect growing efforts to integrate place-based learning, resilience, and community engagement into classrooms. While there is research that emphasizes student outcomes, there is less attention that has been given to educators responsible for implementing these programs. In this study, I examine how resilience education can be designed to sustain educator engagement while mitigating burnout, drawing from literature on educator burnout and resilience education design. From the literature, a list of “best practices" are identified and applied through a case study of Gulf Sea Grant coastal education programs, which demonstrate an alignment in experiential learning and institutional support but limited attention to educator well-being. RSR is then evaluated within this framework and is shown to demonstrate strengths in community engagement and place-based learning; however, greater attention to educator sustainability and program structure is needed for long-term success. This study emphasizes the importance of designing resilience education programs that support educator engagement as a foundation for sustained impact.