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.

Environmental hazards—such as wildfire, flood, and drought—are increasingly affecting communities in Colorado. With this rise in hazardous events, there is a pressing need for communities to become more resilient through education, preparation, and planning.

The Hazard Education, Awareness, and Resilience Task Force (HEART Force) is an award-winning collaborative project implemented by the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and Climate Adaptation Partnership (CAP) partner Western Water Assessment. Recognized for its commitment to excellence and innovation in environmental education, HEART Force was awarded the Innovative EE Program Award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education in 2022.

Interested? Please contact our team at: ceee@colorado.edu

All HEART Force Curriculum

Curriculum

Wildfire on a mountain range with lots of smoke

Middle School Wildfire Unit

Flooding plains covered in green vegetation and red, clay stained water

Middle School Flood Unit

River that has been dried up, there are lots of rocks and cracks in the land

Middle School Drought Unit

Dark mountain range illuminated by red and orange wildfire

High School Wildfire Unit

Aerial view of homes being flooded by brown water

High School Flood Unit

Cracked sediment with dying plants in a drought.

High School Drought Unit

All HEART Force Curriculum
HEART Force Scenario-Based Role Play Games

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.