The Weather & Climate Science Institute

Forecast the weather, explore how climate change will affect Vermont communities, and learn how to effectively communicate the science of weather and climate to others!

July 6 - July 12, 2025
@ Vermont State University Lyndon Campus

About the Weather & Climate Science Institute

Are you ready to predict the weather and investigate climate change?

At the Weather and Climate Science Institute you get to learn about weather, our environment, and climate change in an immersive and active way. The experience centers around specialized software and hands-on tools to forecast extreme weather events, learn what it means to be a meteorologist, launch a weather balloon to collect data, and learn about the impacts of climate change on local communities. Guest speakers and interactive lessons will expose you to a variety of career paths in the atmospheric sciences beyond what you see on television, opening a world of opportunities in the world of weather and climate science!

Sunday, July 6th – Saturday, July 12th, 2025
@ Vermont State University Lyndon Campus
Lyndon, VT

For information regarding this Institute’s sliding-scale tuition support, please click here.

Weather & Climate Science
Weather & Climate Science

At This Institute You Will...

  • Forecast extreme weather events, including a storm chasing simulation and historical flood threats.
  • Work with professional weather tools and modern computing technology. 
  • Present the weather in front of a green screen.
  • Chat with locals about the impacts of climate change on their businesses. 
  • Become familiar with academic and professional career paths after college.
  • Build relationships and meet with professionals in the field of weather and climate.
  • Connect with peers who share your interests. 
  • Have the time of your life!

Attending this Institute can earn you credit and proficiencies!

How To Get High School Credit

We encourage all students who participate in an Institute to use the experience to earn high school credit.

Awarding high school credit is at the discretion of the student’s sending school, so we recommend students make a plan with their high school guidance counselor before attending GIV to earn their credit.

Each school has unique requirements around proficiencies, credits, and PLPs, so there are multiple pathways to awarding credit based on your school's system of assessments.

However, we recommend that high schools award credit by having students produce one or more of the following...
- A presentation to reflect on the overall experience to present for counselors and/or teachers in the fall after their participation.
- A learning journal for submission about areas of learning, activities, reflections.
- Work examples to share with sending school teachers (physical or digital products, writing, videos of presentations, learning journal, etc.) to be reviewed and assessed.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] if we can directly help or support you or your school in determining credit opportunities for your experience at GIV.

Institute Format

1-week intensive
2 activities each day
Students work independently and in teams on projects
Workshops, presentations, and activities that cover different areas of weather & climate science
Hands-on exploration
Dormitories and roommates
12:1 student-to-staff ratio

Curriculum Topics

Digital painting and illustration
Microcontrollers and robotics
Python programming
Digital image manipulation
Adobe Creative Cloud software
Game & interactive media design, prototyping, & storytelling
Printmaking
Cybersecurity
Immersive data
and more!

Hours and Opportunities

36+ hours of academic content
Connections/collaborations with professionals and professors
Career pathways to metereorlogy and climate/weather-based career pathways

High School Credit Recommendations

Equivalent to one semester of high school credit in 1 or more of the following:

Science - Physical Sciences
Science - Life Sciences
Science - Engineering and Technology

VT Proficiency Indicators

This Institute’s curriculum has been aligned with the following Vermont proficiency-based graduation requirements at the high school level.

Science
- Physical Sciences: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1j, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g
- Life Sciences: 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4d, 4e
- Earth & Space Sciences: 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g, 7i, 7j
- Engineering Technology & Applied Science: 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h, 8i, 8j

Transferable Skills
- Communication: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g
- Self-Direction: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i
- Problem Solving: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h
- Citizenship: 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f
- Informed Thinking: 5a, 5b, 5f

College Credit Opportunities

Eligible for 3 college credits through Vermont State University.
Dual Enrollment voucher eligible.
See our Academic Guide for the latest information about how to get this credit by going to giv.org/academicguide.

So how does it all work?

Every day is a unique experience filled with expert-led instruction, hands-on investigation, field trips, and immersive learning. We work to build a community around our experiences and share in our passion for everything we explore.

**The schedule is slightly different each year and announced when you arrive!

GIV’s supportive Institute structure is endlessly enriching, empowering, and engaging.

An Example of a Day at the Weather & Climate Science Institute… coming soon!

Weather & Climate Science Faculty

Ari Preston

Dr. Preston teaches at Vermont State University and is a leading member of the Atmospheric Sciences faculty. He earned his Ph.D. in Meteorology from Florida State University in 2017. As a professor, he has enjoyed engaging students to understand the most exciting weather-based technologies through applications of Python, GRLevel2 Analyst, and AWIPS, allowing students to model simulations of severe weather phenomena using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model on one of the largest supercomputers in the world.

Dr. Preston’s specific research interests are based around the physical processes within convective systems that are critically important for both short-term weather forecasting and long-term climate impacts. Dr. Preston’s research goals are to better understand the impacts of deep convection on climate, the structure and evolution of convective systems, and the relationship between convection and lightning. He combines observations and numerical modeling to better understand these phenomena and involves students in the process.

Forecast the weather, explore climate change, and learn how to effectively communicate the science of weather and climate!

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