Elgin High students host their annual National Biodiversity Teach-In in February
Hour-long webinars on biodiversity offered on Fridays in February
Scientists from around the world will participate in this year’s National Biodiversity Teach-In, organized annually by environmental science students at Elgin High School. Featuring a series of webinars in February, the event is designed to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and inspire participants to take part in environmental protection.
The National Biodiversity Teach-In will feature 21 webinars, all of which are free and open to the public, during the school on three consecutive Fridays, Feb. 7-21. Subjects to be addressed during this year’s Teach-In include shark superpowers, the world of orcas, bobcats in Illinois, plastic in our aquatic ecosystems, and polar bears in a changing Arctic.
As in previous years, the 2025 Teach-In is expected to draw environmental science enthusiasts, as well as whole classrooms of students, from around the globe.
Over the years, it has registered more than 124,000 participants from more than 41 countries.
Environmental students at Elgin High, guided by several teachers, have been working on the 2025 Teach-In since the beginning of January. Student organizers delegate the event responsibilities by committees. They troubleshoot technology issues, register participants, respond to media requests, advertise, and create promotional materials.
One of this year’s presenters is Jocelyn Wagner, an Elgin High graduate who is now a teaching assistant at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Wagner teaches about earth, energy, the environment and sustainability studies. Her presentation on Friday, Feb. 14, is entitled “Rock Solid Basics: An Introduction to Geology and Environmental Studies.”
“It’s very easy to have feelings of hopelessness when discussing environmental issues, especially nowadays, however, it’s people who can look past those feelings that will go on to truly improve our world,” Wagner said.
Another former EHS student, Hadley Copeland, will also be a part of the National Biodiversity Teach-In on Friday, Feb. 21. She currently works in a veterinary diagnostic lab focusing on reptilians. Copeland is excited to be able to share her knowledge and answer questions.
“It’s truly amazing to see how much NBTI has grown since my high school days. The expansion in outreach, education, and the variety of knowledgeable presenters has been remarkable,” Copeland said. “I can only imagine the countless individuals this event has impacted, inspiring and nurturing young minds along the way.”
Student organizers of the Teach-In made an effort this year to add programming on topics that have mass appeal.
For instance, Dr. Cassandra Debets is an ecologist who works with Polar Bear International, an organization that encourages others to protect the Arctic region. In her presentation, scheduled Friday, Feb. 7, she will focus on informing about the warming Arctic and how this has impacted polar bears.
The webinars first began at Elgin High School in 2013 to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity. The 100th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon in 2014 and the story of Martha, the last known living passenger pigeon, increased the students’ interest and desire to discuss biodiversity with some of the best experts in the field.
Deb McMullen, now U-46’s coordinator of K-12 Science and Planetarium, was a science teacher at Elgin High when the project launched.
“If you had told me back then that the virtual program envisioned by our environmental science students to connect with peers across the United States would not only still exist in 2025 but also attract thousands of participants from around the world, I would not have believed you,” she said.
“At the time, very few people were using technology platforms to connect virtually. Fast forward to today, and we’re witnessing organizations adopting the NBTI model to host their own conferences and seminars, which is exciting in itself,” McMullen said. “Even more remarkable is the growing number of NBTI/EHS alumni who return each year as presenters. Together, these milestones paint a vivid picture of the lasting legacy we now proudly call the National Biodiversity Teach-In.”
The Teach-In website at www.nationalbiodiversityteachin.com has a full schedule and details on the speakers and topics being discussed. Those who register to attend a webinar will receive a personalized Zoom link.
Webinars will also be livestreamed on the Teach-In’s YouTube channel the day of the event at youtube.com/@nationalbiodiversityteachin or www.facebook.com/natbioteachin.