The session encourages reflection on educational approaches that have been used in the past but were later abandoned or forgotten – not necessarily due to a lack of scientific or pedagogical value, but because they were introduced at an unfavourable time, without adequate context, or before suitable technologies and audiences were ready. With today’s evolving educational environments, digital tools, and increased awareness of climate-related issues, some of these methods may deserve renewed attention. Revisiting and reassessing earlier practices can therefore offer valuable lessons for present and future education.
Contributions may address formal and informal education, including schools, universities, workshops, and lifelong learning. The session explicitly welcomes innovative educational tools such as games, simulations, interactive materials, and data-driven learning resources that foster active engagement and critical thinking.
The session also includes discussions on how meteorology and climate science are presented to prospective students, for example through study programme descriptions, course outlines, and educational materials. The attractiveness, clarity, and relevance of these descriptions play an important role in students’ study choices and long-term engagement with the field.
In addition, the session invites contributions that consider education within the scientific and policy-making communities, recognising the importance of continuous learning among scientists, decision-makers, and professionals working with weather and climate information.
Overall, the session aims to provide a platform for sharing experiences, lessons learned, and innovative ideas that enhance education and public integration in meteorology and climate science, while acknowledging the importance of timing, context, and audience diversity.
Citizen science has considerable potential not only for science communication, but also for supporting domain-specific knowledge development. Although it has increasingly entered formal education, its role in school practice could still be expanded. This study presents the national-scale citizen science project IgaILMaga, implemented as a pilot in Estonia with third-grade students from schools across the country.
Approximately 500 students participated in structured weather observations during a two-month period in autumn 2019. They observed local weather conditions and reported their observations through a mobile application developed by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The observations included phenomena such as the presence and intensity of precipitation, snow depth, fog, and visibility. The project achieved broad geographical coverage, involving schools from 13 of Estonia’s 15 counties and representing both urban and rural contexts. To support participation and understanding, specially designed instructional materials were integrated into classroom teaching.
To evaluate the educational impact of the activity, students completed identical pre- and post-tests based on a previously developed assessment tool for measuring meteorological knowledge in educational settings. The assessment included tasks related to temperature, wind, clouds, precipitation, and combined weather elements. In the present analysis, the available datasets were linked to compare the results of 272 students whose test data could be connected with their app-based observation activity.
The first-stage analysis showed that not all tasks with statistically significant positive change were equally associated with the intensity of data collection, measured as the number of observations submitted per student. The clearest activity-related gains appeared in tasks connected with the recognition of weather-related concepts and symbols, suggesting growth in disciplinary literacy. By contrast, no equally clear relationship emerged between the amount of collected data and tasks requiring explanation, reasoning, or decision-making.
An additional finding was that precipitation and its occurrence were the most frequently observed phenomena, which is understandable as these forms of weather observation are among the easiest for students to carry out. At the same time, although most submissions focused on one dominant type of observation, greater knowledge growth appeared to be associated with more diverse or cognitively demanding observation practices. Students with stronger knowledge gains more often submitted data on less frequent or more complex phenomena, such as slippery conditions, snow depth, and weather phenomena causing disruption.
These findings suggest that the educational value of citizen science may depend not only on the number of submitted observations, but also on the diversity and complexity of the observational tasks involved. The results highlight the potential of school-based citizen science to support the development of weather literacy and disciplinary knowledge, while also indicating the importance of programme design in maximising educational benefit for students.
How to cite: Uiboupin, K., Uibu, K., Karjalainen, I., and Post, P.: Weather Literacy Through Citizen Science: Evidence from a Primary School Pilot in Estonia, EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-718, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-718, 2026.
In meteorological research, numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, and field observations are widely used as complementary approaches to investigate natural phenomena. Understanding their roles, advantages, and interconnections is essential in meteorology and science education.
This study presents the development and implementation of a lesson plan focusing on snow crystal formation. Snow is a familiar and visually engaging phenomenon, making it an effective entry point for learning meteorology. In regions where snowfall occurs, natural snow crystals can be directly observed outdoors; however, such observations are limited to specific geographical regions and seasons and are not always accessible in classroom settings. As a result, connecting observation with theoretical understanding remains challenging.
The formation of snow crystals involves diffusion of water vapor, phase change, and anisotropic growth. While these processes can be explained theoretically, students often struggle to relate abstract concepts to observable phenomena. Laboratory experiments using diffusion cloud chambers allow artificial growth and observation of snow crystals under controlled conditions, but they typically require waiting times of one to two hours and provide only limited crystal types with simple equipment.
To address these challenges, this study proposes a classroom design that integrates laboratory experiments with a simple numerical simulation to support conceptual understanding and foster computational thinking. This lesson plan was implemented in an undergraduate meteorology course. During the waiting time required for crystal growth in a dry-ice diffusion chamber, students engage in active learning using an Excel-based simulation developed in VBA.
The simulation represents snow crystal growth using a simplified diffusion field in which water vapor diffuses across a grid and is consumed at the ice interface. Additional rules incorporate local growth, instability-driven tip enhancement, and anisotropy reflecting hexagonal symmetry. A worksheet-based user interface allows students to modify parameters—such as diffusion intensity, growth rate, noise, and anisotropy—without interacting directly with the code. By systematically adjusting these parameters and observing the resulting structures, students explore how local rules and environmental conditions produce emergent patterns.
The lesson follows a structured sequence: (1) posing questions about snow crystal morphology, (2) setting up the experiment, (3) exploring the simulation through parameter experiments, (4) introducing theoretical concepts, and (5) comparing simulated results with observations. This design promotes active learning and supports the transition from descriptive observation to mechanistic understanding.
Furthermore, the model serves as a transparent “toy model,” illustrating key elements of numerical modeling such as discretization, iterative processes, and parameter sensitivity. This helps bridge the gap between simple rule-based models and more complex simulations.
This approach is not limited to snow crystal growth but can be extended to other experimental topics in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, such as rotating tank experiments.
This study contributes to innovative and practical approaches to meteorology education.
How to cite: Tsubota, Y.: Bridging Observation and Modeling: Classroom Design Using Snow Crystal Growth Experiments and Excel-Based Simulations, EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-214, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-214, 2026.
Among the general public, meteorology is often associated solely with the weather. People are frequently unaware that the field encompasses much more. Changing this perception is no easy task. The resources of individual universities are insufficient for this purpose, which is why UPAS (Universities Partnership of Atmospheric Sciences) was established. The purpose of UPAS is both to consolidate and strengthen meteorology as a degree subject at German universities through more coordinated research and teaching with new cross-university concepts and modules, and to enhance the visibility of meteorology, both at the home universities and in the public eye, as well as to promote it as a challenging and interesting degree subject with a significant impact on society.
This is to be achieved through several objectives:
1. Supporting student networks in meteorology. Several events such as film nights, karaoke or science slams have already been organised, taking place simultaneously at the respective locations and broadcast via online meetings, so that an exchange could take place.
2. Attracting suitable pupils to study meteorology. An interest in research can be sparked as early as at school through experiments on climate or weather, whether through a visit to the university or to the school. Newly developed games and teaching materials free of charge will enhance the understanding of atmospheric processes among students as well as pupils.
3. Expanding excellent training in meteorology through inter-university teaching and the involvement of relevant employers in the introduction of applied course content.
4. Promoting collaboration and the exchange of resources and staff. When developing teaching materials, field trips or public outreach materials, networking among staff is encouraged to exchange knowledge and experience, thereby identifying and implementing opportunities for new projects and ideas.
5. Improving public awareness through public relations and citizen science projects. Citizen science projects have already been implemented at a few universities, which have met with great interest from the public, but are associated with increased and limited resources for the unsiversities. Social media and podcasts play an important role in today’s science communication. UPAS produces the podcast ‘Konvergenzzone’ to cover the broad field of meteorology and to present the degree programme, research and future career prospects. In the long term, collaboration with groups already involved in weather-related activities, such as sailors in training, is also to be strengthened, thereby enhancing knowledge of meteorological processes and sparking interest in studying meteorology.
Many of these activities require, in particular, human resources that individual sites do not all have at their disposal. Whilst they serve as hubs for local activities, shared goals are achieved more efficiently through networking and collaboration.
How to cite: Schoster, D., Thiele-Eich, I., Uebachs, A., and Rust, H.: How collaborative work between students, researchers and lecturers leads to greater output in science communication and teaching, EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-569, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-569, 2026.
Operational Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) remains a central yet fragile component of early warning systems in many National Meteorological Services (NMSs) of Sub-Saharan Africa. Although access to global models, regional configurations and cloud-based computing has expanded, the effective use of these tools in routine operations is often inconsistent. This situation highlights a critical gap between acquiring knowledge and technical skills in NWP, and developing operational competence in configuring and running models, parameterising model physics, and interpreting, verifying and integrating forecasts into warning processes. While knowledge and skills can be transferred through short technical courses, competence—according to the World Meteorological Organization competency framework—requires demonstrated performance in real operational settings, under institutional constraints and accountability conditions.
This contribution presents and critically analyses a competency-oriented training model in operational NWP for flood early warning developed by the WMO Regional Training Centre in Italy, held by the Institute for Bioeconomy of the National Research Council, in partnership with the NMSs of Niger and Burkina Faso. The initiative reinterprets competency-based education not as a sequence of discrete courses, but as a co-produced institutional transformation process in which bottlenecks along the forecast chain were jointly analysed and learning priorities collectively defined. Model configuration challenges, verification procedures, and forecast interpretation and comparison practices were iteratively refined through shared experimentation. Training content therefore emerged directly from real service-delivery constraints.
The long-term embedding of West African forecasters within the operational team of the Tuscany Regional Meteorological Service represented the core mechanism of this approach. By participating in daily operations—model runs, post-processing, verification analysis and warning formulation—trainees developed competence through accountable practice rather than simulated exercises. A training-of-trainers logic enabled returning forecasters to adapt and replicate these co-developed practices within their home institutions, strengthening institutional autonomy and internal mentoring capacity.
Co-production also reshaped the collaborative dynamic. Continuous exchanges supported the emergence of a transnational community of practice in operational forecasting, within which complementary expertise was recognised and mobilised: the Italian service contributed experience in model configuration and verification, while West African forecasters brought essential knowledge of tropical dynamics, local observational constraints and impact contexts. This mutual recognition reduced dependency patterns and fostered shared ownership of operational solutions. Monitoring and stakeholder feedback indicate improved forecasting autonomy and greater stability in NWP-based early warning services.
The study argues that sustainable NWP implementation in resource-constrained environments depends on systemic and relational processes rather than on isolated individual learning or tool transfer. Co-production—through shared problem framing, iterative feedback and mutual accountability—can bridge the gap between knowledge and skill acquisition and the long-term transformation of operational early warning services.
How to cite: Tarchiani, V., Pasi, F., Bere, R. T., Adamou Sayri, Y., Gozzini, B., and Capecchi, V.: From Knowledge Transfer to Operational Competence: A Co-Produced Training Model for Early Warning in West Africa , EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-4, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-4, 2026.
Bridging the gap between academic education and operational practice remains challenge in meteorology and climate science. In this contribution, I reflect on my experience working at this interface through several roles: teaching computational skills to undergraduate geophysics students, supervising graduate theses, mentoring student internships, coordinating internship programmes within the institution, and leading a research and development sector within a national meteorological service.
The need for flexible and context-aware educational approaches is widely recognized and clearly reflected in my own experience. As a guest lecturer at the university, I often provide students with insights into real-world expectations, including emerging skill demands such as machine learning and AI, which are increasingly shaping the field. These students are future colleagues, collaborators, or informed users of our services and play an important role in shaping the long-term relevance and impact of meteorological and climate information. Moreover, interactions with students can also act as a driver for new research topics.
However, both in teaching and in internship programmes, a recurring challenge remains: how to design learning experiences that are both meaningful for students and aligned with ongoing work, while accounting for differences in student background and expectations. Students arrive with diverse levels of preparation, and these experiences offer them a valuable opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge with its practical application.
At the same time, this diversity presents challenges for mentors, as varying levels of readiness limit the extent to which students can meaningfully contribute to ongoing tasks. Mentoring therefore requires careful balancing: while providing educational value, it must also remain aligned with operational priorities, as education is not the primary function of these roles. As a result, these activities place a non-negligible demand on practitioners who integrate them alongside substantial operational responsibilities and without formal pedagogical roles.
Rather than proposing a fixed model, this presentation shares reflections from practice on this fluid and evolving space between science and application. It also highlights how sustained collaboration with the academic community not only supports knowledge transfer, but helps us shape future professionals.
How to cite: Odak, I.: Balancing Education and Operational Demands in Meteorology: Insights from Practice, EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-766, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-766, 2026.
Feed the Feed: Student Internship at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service
At the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ), in the Information and Client Department, students are offered the opportunity to learn scientific communication in operational practice as part of the professional practice program.
The program is intended for 3rd and 5th-year students of the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb and offers a structured approach to connecting academic learning with application in a real environment.
The practice is organized in two phases. In the first one, students are introduced to the organizational structure of the DHMZ and the duties of the professional services. The aim is to provide an understanding of the institutional processes and diverse scientific competencies required to maintain national meteorological and hydrological standards.
In the second phase, students have a practical assignment where they are challenged with a real communication challenge. The assignment is an opportunity for the application of their academic knowledge and information from phase one in solving a task. Students can choose different parts of the institutional communication, from official websites and social networks to public events.
At the end of the internship, students submit a report on their activities and insights.
The goal of the program is to educate future STEM experts – who can become teachers, researchers (not necessarily in DHMZ), or decision-makers – about the benefits to the community of meteorological and hydrological services. By gaining insight into the complexity and responsibility of operational work, participants learn how to effectively use meteorological and hydrological data and services in their future careers.
How to cite: Špoler Čanić, K.: Feed the Feed: Student Internship at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service, EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-789, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-789, 2026.
How to cite: Marsico, N., Sundstroem, A.-M., Leskow-Czyzewska, D., Fazzini, N., Gkikas, A., Vecoli, A., Logothetis, S.-A., Bojinski, S., and Skujina, R.: EUMETSAT Training Resources for Atmosphere Fires and Dust, EMS Annual Meeting 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EMS2026-380, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2026-380, 2026.
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