Success Stories | Bringing Climate into the Classroom with Victor Parkinson

Victor Parkinson, a physics PhD and climate educator based in Massachusetts, helped redesign how climate change is taught within high school physics.

In the courses he taught, a standard thermodynamics unit typically focused on abstract principles is now taught as a unit on climate change, covering the greenhouse effect, energy systems, and potential solutions. The shift didn’t come from a curriculum mandate. It came from a decision to change how the subject was taught.

Seeing the Opportunity

Victor had long understood that the principles of thermodynamics underpin how the climate system works. At the same time, he saw a disconnect in how physics was taught. Students were learning the mechanics, but not how those concepts applied to one of the most pressing issues they were already aware of.

“The students already know climate change is real,” he explained. “What they need is a way to understand it  and to see that there are solutions.”

What held the topic back, in his view, was not relevance but perception. Climate science was often treated as too complex for high school students, with most available materials designed for college-level courses. Victor believed it could be made accessible by simplifying without losing the core ideas.

The students already know climate change is real. What they need is a way to understand it  and to see that there are solutions.

Taking the Initiative

His first step was to build the material himself.

He immersed himself in climate physics, working through free online college courses, taking notes, and completing exercises. From there, he developed a full curriculum: defining the topics, designing assessments, and creating lessons, exercises, and assignments from scratch.

He first introduced the material as a standalone summer course during COVID, when students were learning remotely and the school invited teachers to run special-topic classes. That pilot gave him a way to test and refine the content.

After that, he worked to integrate it into the standard curriculum.

Building Influence

At his first school, Victor introduced the new unit in a course where he had full ownership, ensuring that core physics concepts were still covered while changing the context.

At his second school, he took a more direct approach. During the hiring process, he made it a condition of his return that climate change would be included in the curriculum. Leadership agreed, and he implemented the unit there as well.

In both cases, he focused on aligning the change with existing expectations. The content still met physics requirements; it was the framing and application that changed. Support also grew through collaboration. Other teachers contributed to refining the material, helping iterate on the curriculum over time.

What changed

In both schools, the thermodynamics unit was taught through the lens of climate change.

Students learned the same underlying physics principles, but in a context that connects directly to real-world systems from the greenhouse effect to energy solutions.

The result was not just a change in content, but in how students engage with the subject: applying core concepts to understand a problem they already care about,  and seeing pathways toward addressing it.

Staying With It

What sustained the effort was a sense of urgency and responsibility. Climate change was already part of students’ reality. The question was whether the classroom would help them understand it.

Developing a new curriculum came with uncertainty. There was no guarantee it would work as intended until it was taught, revised, and taught again.

Victor approached this through iteration, refining the material over time and incorporating feedback from both students and colleagues. What sustained the effort was a sense of urgency and responsibility. Climate change was already part of students’ reality. The question was whether the classroom would help them understand it.

What Made It Work

A few things were critical: Starting with a pilot made it possible to test the idea before integrating it more broadly. Aligning the material with existing curriculum requirements made it easier to gain approval. Collaboration with other educators helped strengthen the final result.

Just as important was trust in the students’ ability to engage with complex material, and in the idea that making the content more relevant would deepen learning rather than dilute it.

A Different Way to Lead

Victor’s work shows that change within a system does not always require new structures. It can begin by rethinking how existing material is framed and delivered. By using the same foundational content but applying it to real-world problems, he was able to shift both what students learn and how they relate to it. For educators and professionals more broadly, his approach offers a practical path: start with what already exists, identify where it can be made more relevant, and build from there.

Small changes in structure can lead to meaningful shifts in understanding.