A Day in the Life of a CAVU Educator: Inside a Classroom Full of Climate Innovators

By the time CAVU Program and Operations Director Rebecca VanArnam arrived at Fieldstone Middle School in New Jersey on Friday, December 19, the energy was already buzzing. It was one of those winter days where snow was in the forecast, weekend ahead, tight Friday schedules, with five different class periods of students—spanning grades 5 through 8—and all of them deep into their CAVU Climate Innovation Challenge (CIC) projects. With paper and pencils out, ideas flying, Rebecca prepared for a slew of questions from student groups about how to make their projects CIC winners!

For Rebecca, this is what a good day looks like.

Walking into the Work

Asked to visit her classroom, teacher Janice Raimondi, listened as her student teams explained to Rebeccca the CIC projects that they’d been developing for weeks. Some students were confident in their projects. Others were still figuring out how to explain their solutions. A few openly admitted they weren’t sure they were “doing it right.”

That uncertainty is exactly why CAVU shows up in classrooms.

One student summed it up best: hearing feedback directly from someone involved in the competition, like Rebeccca, made them feel “much more confident” in their project. For others, the visit was a chance to pause, recalibrate, and realize they were closer than they thought, or that a small shift could make their idea much stronger.

It was improtant to Rebecca that she not only provided students answers, but asked them questions herself.

From Creativity to Strong Solutions

Last year, Janice explained, many of her students’ projects were creative but lacked the data to show real-world impact. This year, she wanted to change that. Rebecca’s visit helped students understand what CAVU judges look for and why strong projects balance creativity, storytelling, and evidence.

And the impact was immediate.

After Rebeccca talked about using data to show why a climate solution is needed and how it would make a difference, Janice noticed a shift. Students started pulling numbers, revising ideas, and tightening their focus. One group shared that they had realized their idea didn’t align with the Challenge’s guidelines, and Rebecca helped them rebuild a solid foundation instead of scrapping the project entirely.

That kind of clarity matters, especially in a class that only meets once a week.

Real Ideas, Real Ownership

Throughout the day, students shared projects that reflected both local concerns and global thinking: bamboo toothbrushes to reduce plastic waste, new approaches to rice farming that lower methan emissions, reusable coffee filters, planting saplings worldwide, and creative solutions on air pollution and plant health.

What stood out wasn’t just the range of ideas—it was how personally students spoke about them.

When asked what they enjoy most about CAVU’s Climate Innovation Challenge, students talked about collaborating with friends, exploring issues beyond traditional subjects, and seeing solutions from students from around the world. One student shared that the challenge let’s them “show their true colors” and use their strengths to help their group succeed.

Rebecca reminded them that CAVU judges aren’t looking for project videos with polished edits. They’re looking for authentic stories, creative thinking, and students who care about their solutions.

In other words: be yourselves.

Why These Days Matter

By the end of the visit, students were laughing, asking sharper questions, and thinking more intentionally about how to tell their stories. They left with clearer direction—and a lot of momentum.

For Rebecca, that’s the goal.

A day in the life of a CAVU educator isn’t about delivering a lesson and leaving. It’s about listening, encouraging, challenging, and helping students see that their ideas are worth refining—and sharing with the world.

As video submission season approaches, the students at Fieldstone Middle School are moving forward with stronger projects, greater confidence, and a deeper understanding of what climate innovation really looks like.

And that’s exactly why CAVU shows up—one classroom at a time.