Meeting Abstract
Pacific islands, countries, and territories (PICTs) are particularly vulnerable to sociocultural, economic and environmental impacts of climate change. Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, experiences internal climate variability, severe droughts during El Niño, and externally forced variability due to climate change, both affecting water quality, public health, agriculture and resource management. Here, we present the outcomes of a collaboration between graduate students and a PICTs-focused non-profit organization to facilitate a climate-related knowledge network that addresses adaptation to climate-related vulnerabilities in Pohnpei. Through a series of workshop forums targeting elementary school science teachers, this network established lines of communication between educators, resource managers, stakeholders and environmental leaders, providing a forum for ongoing information exchange to encourage adaptation to climate change in island communities. Teacher participation in the workshop forums developed here further resulted in a marked increase in community engagement in other local and regional educational venues. The network serves as an interdisciplinary exportable model of a sustainable educational partnership and continues to work with local community members, recognizing the importance of relationships in maintaining a thriving knowledge network.
