Research presented at a climate and education conference at Brown University’s SustainableED program reported preliminary evidence connecting school proximity to data centers with declining math performance. Attendees heard findings suggesting students in schools within about a mile of data centers experienced larger math-score declines than those farther away. The conference also highlighted other research tied to learning and environment: math lessons incorporating renewable energy information were associated with higher student self-reported climate knowledge and hope, while arts lessons on air pollution in India improved understanding of environmental problems. Organizers and researchers emphasized the policy relevance of linking climate content to health, school success, and student belonging—framing climate learning as connected to operational decisions affecting schools.
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