Texas K-12 students are about to delve into the world of carbon capture and storage (CCS) through an educational initiative supported by a $2.5 million US Department of Energy grant. Spearheaded by the Gulf Coast Carbon Center at The University of Texas at Austin and in collaboration with regional universities, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, University of Houston, Lamar University, and Louisiana State University, the program integrates CCS education into the existing science curriculum.
This effort aligns with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards, ensuring the lessons are both educational and accessible. Teachers in Houston and Corpus Christi have helped develop materials, which include hands-on activities and comic book-style visuals to engage students and simplify complex concepts.
The initiative focuses on the carbon cycle, greenhouse gas emissions, and how CCS can mitigate climate change by trapping CO2 and storing it underground. With over 50 CCS projects underway or planned along the Gulf Coast, the program aims to demystify the technology, address safety concerns, and inspire students to explore emerging career paths in the energy sector. The Gulf Coast’s prominent role as an energy hub makes this education both timely and regionally significant.
Challenges include skepticism about CCS, viewed by some as a costly technology or a means to perpetuate fossil fuel use. There is also political resistance to teaching climate change in some school districts. To navigate these obstacles, the program focuses on the scientific principles of the carbon cycle and engineering applications rather than emphasizing climate change directly.
Educators like Julia Dolive in Houston and Cynthia Hopkins in Corpus Christi have already introduced CCS lessons, reporting enthusiastic student engagement through hands-on activities, such as building CO2 molecules. “I know that may not sound like a lot, but those things can really add up for teachers,” Hopkins said. “My kids were so excited because they got to do it hands-on. The fact that I was supported by these materials, it really engaged my kids.”
The program aims to inspire the next generation of energy professionals while equipping students with knowledge to address environmental challenges.
“Things are coming to Corpus, and I want our kids to understand that there are opportunities for them,” Hopkins said. “The only way they can understand is to know what (carbon capture and storage) is.”
The initiative’s long-term goal is to build awareness and prepare a skilled workforce for the rapidly expanding CCS industry, which could capture up to 50 million tons of CO2 annually by 2050. Teachers are also working to create extracurricular projects, such as National Junior Honors Society activities, to further integrate CCS concepts. The program’s success could pave the way for broader adoption across Texas schools, fostering a new generation of environmentally conscious and energy-savvy students.
Students at Dulles Middle School near Houston will begin learning about CCS through Dolive, an eighth-grade teacher who is one of three middle school educators in the Houston and Corpus Christi areas set to begin teaching about CCS technology as part of their existing state-required curriculum about the carbon cycle and how it's impacted by humans.
Students in Dolive’s class are eager to begin the CCS curriculum planned for this spring with one student remarking, "If we don't change now, the world, it isn't going to be a very bright place anymore. If this generation learns about it, then we can actually do something about it."