Sustainability, climate change, and environmental issues are urgent and complex topics—yet inspiring curiosity and raising awareness across diverse audiences remains a challenge. Science centers, educational institutions, and cultural organizations must often take creative steps to serve as trusted, influential voices that invite communities into the conversation in meaningful and accessible ways.

Welt der Wissenschaft, a science center based in Vancouver, B.C., is doing just that. Through its Change Reaction platform, Science World has created an interactive, online educational hub that engages learners of all ages across British Columbia in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, art & design, and math—with a focus on solutions for a regenerative planet. The portal is organized into digestible themes such as air, land, nature, energy, technology, and more, making it easy for visitors to explore topics most relevant to them. Through articles and resources, the platform features insights from researchers, scientists, and community organizations across B.C., fostering an inclusive and collaborative space. This has created multiple points of entry for public engagement while strengthening local community and professional ties.

Creative Language and Interactive Website Design

What sets Change Reaction apart is its thoughtful, playful design and clear, engaging language. Article headlines like “How Do Hamburgers Make Summers Hotter?” use everyday references to grab attention—especially from audiences who might shy away from scientific or climate-focused content due to technical jargon.

Articles are often paired with interactive elements such as polls, images with responsive labels, fun facts, and reflection questions. For example, in the end of some articles, readers might encounter a question like, “How do you feel about the current rate of climate change … on the planet’s ecosystems and species?” Response options range from humorous to serious, and once submitted, readers can see how others responded—fostering curiosity, reflection, and a sense of shared dialogue.

Blending Science with History and Indigenous Knowledge

The platform also weaves in local history, Indigenous language, and regional geography to root climate education in lived experience and cultural context.

In the article “Did Dinosaurs Get Cold in the Winter?”, the platform taps into people’s imagination and fascination with prehistoric life to explore long-term climate change. It compares today’s winter cycles—shaped by glacial ice and seasonal photosynthesis affecting CO₂ levels—to the much warmer, ice-free climate of the dinosaur era. It also illustrates that during the last Ice Age, sea levels were 125 meters lower—“as tall as most of the buildings in downtown Vancouver”—making abstract data more tangible through local landmarks.

In another article, “Will the Fraser River Dry Up in My Lifetime?”, ethnographic geoscientist Shandin Pete discusses how Indigenous oral traditions and language offer valuable insights into past climate conditions. Pete explains that Indigenous languages—spoken for over 18,000 years—encode environmental knowledge. For example, the article mentions: “In one language, the month of February used to be called ‘so cold it would freeze your hair,’ but then the name changed, suggesting that winter months became warmer.”

Embedding Equity in Climate Solution and Planning

Beyond raising awareness and deepening understanding of climate science, Change Reaction empowers readers with practical knowledge to support informed decision-making—especially when it comes to their local environment and personal safety. For example, the article “What If My Home Is in a Flood Zone?” encourages individuals to think critically about how climate risks—like flooding—affect not only where we live but how we plan for the future. It also highlights broader policy concerns, emphasizing that effective climate adaptation must account for social inequities and the disproportionate impacts on marginalized populations. These considerations are essential when developing strategies that prioritize preparedness, equity, and long-term resilience in climate action planning.

Climate action plans in B.C. are evolving to address not just emissions, but community resilience and equity. In the article, “How Are Climate Action Plans Designed?“, as Dave Aharonian from the B.C. Climate Action Secretariat notes, climate change affects every aspect of life—from infrastructure to public health. Cities like Victoria use hazard maps to educate residents, while Vancouver’s Resilient Neighborhoods Program supports grassroots preparedness. To protect vulnerable populations during extreme heat, the province offers free air conditioners, updated building codes, and even a taxi pilot to access cooling centers—showing that climate solutions must be inclusive and community-driven.

Engagement as the Key to Climate Education

Science World’s core values—curiosity, playfulness, relevance, inclusivity, and collaboration—shine through every aspect of Change Reaction. By combining accessible science communication with user-centered design, the platform doesn’t just inform; it invites visitors to reflect, participate, and act.

This is precisely the type of initiative supported by The Climate Toolkit: encouraging museums, gardens, zoos, and other institutions to integrate climate education and engagement into their everyday interpretation and programming. Science World offers a compelling model of how digital platforms can cultivate climate leadership—one question, one story, and one curious visitor at a time. 

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