​One of my favorite parts of working as a meteorologist is teaching people about the weather. I get to do so every day on television and sometimes I get to do so in person, too.

The Erie County Fair is one example of where I get to meet viewers and talk about weather, but school visits are another way to meet little listeners and inspire them.

What You Need To Know

  • 'Project Weather' is an initiative through Spectrum that allows children the opportunity to learn about weather and science from our team of meteorologists

  • Most recently, the Great Lakes were a topic of discussion for the students with LE3 Academic Program

  • Following a lesson plan, students tried their hand at being a meteorologist on TV

  • This helped them gain confidence in themselves and helped them with public speaking skills

On Friday July 1, 2022, I traveled to four different summer camps for an initiative called ‘Project Weather School.’ At these visits, I spoke with over 100 different children about what it means to be a meteorologist and teach them all about the Great Lakes.

Some fun facts about the Great Lakes that I shared are:

  1. The largest supply of freshwater in the world lies within the Great Lakes.
  2. Glaciers scraped across the land and as temperatures warmed, then melted, leaving behind what we now know as the Great Lakes.
  3. Using the acronym HOMES can help you remember all 5 of the Great Lakes, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

After we went over multiple distinct features of the Great Lakes, we dove into how I do my job on TV. Some tips I gave the students on how to be a good presenter were ones they can also use in day-to-day life to ensure good communication.

For example, I always start every forecast by introducing myself. I had the kids do this too in front of their peers. This allowed them to practice public speaking and gain confidence within themselves.

Next I had the students talk about what the weather will be like, then talk about how the weather will affect day-to-day plans for yourself and the viewers. After practicing a bit, the students could stand in front of a screen with the 7-day forecast on it and test out their skills as a meteorologist.

While many of us don’t like rainy days, it seemed like a lot of the kids did. The reason? They could stay inside and play video games! That gave me a good laugh.

Here’s a look at some pictures from the day.

 
 

If you’re interested in having me or another meteorologist come to a summer camp, school, or event near you, feel free to reach out. There are a ton of great lesson plans and opportunities that we can bring to the students. Not only does it make my job fun, it makes science a little less intimidating for the little ones.

For more on all things weather follow Meteorologist Kaylee Wendt on Faceb​ook, Instagram and Twitter!