HEART Force
Engaging rural Colorado middle and high school students, teachers, and communities to take proactive steps in preparing for and responding to natural hazards.
Water, critical and scarce in the Four Corners Region, connects local communities through our shared place and unique stories.
We are Water brings a traveling exhibit and interactive programs to rural communities in the Four Corners Region of the U.S. and engages community members in conversations about their personal and community connections to local water topics. Libraries in rural areas, which often function as the local science center, will host the exhibit, programs, and STEM experiences in their communities.
Visit our website at WeareWater.Colorado.edu to view activities and hear recorded stories about water from people across the Four Corners Region.
Pathway to Seal of Climate Literacy
HEART Force curriculum aligns with NOAA's climate literacy principles and is a great pathway for students to earn a seal of climate literacy by meeting coursework and experiential learning project requirements. Learn more about the Seal of Climate Literacy here.
Program Team
Publications
Littrell, M. K., Boyd, K. J., Schloesser, K., Christensen, A., Gold, A. U., & Alam, I. (2025). Place and community engagement in a youth natural hazards and community resilience education program. Journal of Geoscience Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2025.2489709
Schloesser, K., Davis, R., Ruffin, T., Gold, A. U., Christensen, A., Littrell, M. K., & Boyd, K. J. (2024). Centering and uplifting youth voice in planning for a more resilient climate future in rural Colorado: A case study of a student resilience team asking for change. Frontiers in Climate, 6(1), Article 1408872. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1408872
Schloesser, K., Kurz, J., Gold, A.U. (2021): Too much or too little: Empowering students to plan for resiliency to flooding and drought. The Earth Scientist, Vol. XXXVIII, 3, 24-18.
Boyd, K. J., Gold, A. U., & Littrell, M. K. (2021). Teaching practices around natural hazards and community resilience in Colorado. Journal of Geoscience Education, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2021.1964319.
