Morning edition · October 27, 2026
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A Brooklyn science teacher is helping students investigate environmental questions close to home while supporting educators across New York City. In a Chalkbeat interview published October 26, Sean McFadden described lessons that turn familiar surroundings into places to collect and examine evidence.
McFadden teaches AP Environmental Science and a climate-change elective at Eagle Academy for Young Men II. He also co-chairs the city Education Department’s Climate Education Leadership Team, which brings together about 40 educators.
Starting with the neighborhood
One investigation he described uses infrared thermometers to compare grass, concrete and asphalt around the school. Students propose explanations and help choose measurement locations. The approach lets them investigate urban heat through observations rather than treating the subject only as a distant global issue.
He also described classroom discussions about whether a vacant Brooklyn lot should become a park, housing or businesses. Students are asked to support their positions and hear other perspectives. That is an exercise in examining tradeoffs, rather than a classroom vote that establishes one correct redevelopment plan.
Recognition beyond one classroom
The Julian Robertson Award’s official winner profile identifies McFadden as a 2026 honoree. The award recognizes his teaching and his broader work on climate education. The honor predates this week’s interview; it should not be read as a new overnight award announcement.
The profile describes an educator with more than a decade in New York City public schools who also serves as his school’s sustainability coordinator and peer collaborative teacher. His responsibilities include supporting colleagues’ professional learning, building community partnerships and creating opportunities for student leadership.
It also identifies access to environmental education and pathways toward green careers as priorities of his work. Those are stated educational goals, not independently measured outcomes for every student.
For Brooklyn families, the story offers a concrete view of what climate education can look like: students asking questions about the places they know, collecting information and discussing what that evidence can support. The interview and award profile document the teaching approach; neither provides a controlled evaluation of its effect on test scores or long-term employment.