We have 40 years of experience working with teachers, community members, and scientists to monitor challenges to accurate science education, foster connections, and provide guidance.

A recent example is our work on "Making the Grade?"—a review of all 50 states' treatment of climate change in their science standards. Download the report to see how your state measures up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NCSE’s Catalyzing Action program?

Through its Catalyzing Action program NCSE helps people who are facing ideologically motivated challenges to the integrity of science education—particularly with regard to evolution and climate change—in their schools, communities, and states. Though the name for the program is new, catalyzing action was NCSE’s primary concern from the beginning, and it remains a central focus of NCSE’s work.

What does the Catalyzing Action program do for individuals?

The program provides advice, resources, and connections to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and concerned citizens facing challenges to science education in their classrooms, schools, and districts as well as in informal learning environments. Such challenges might include teachers refusing to teach evolution, administrators directing teachers not to teach climate change, or activists objecting to the content of science textbooks.

What does the Catalyzing Action program do for communities?

At the district and state level, the program rallies support for scientifically accurate and pedagogically appropriate textbooks, curricula, and state science standards, especially when their treatment of evolution and climate change is under attack. Similarly, the program organizes opposition to legislative attempts to compromise the quality of public school science instruction, especially with regard to evolution and climate change.

I have a problem. How can the Catalyzing Action program help me?

Every challenge to the integrity of science education is unique and requires a unique response, but NCSE staff has a lot of experience with helping people facing a broad range of such challenges. Please feel free to report the challenge you’re facing, and we will do what we can to assist you. We understand that these situations are often sensitive; we’ll keep your report confidential to the fullest extent possible.

How can I help?

If there’s a current problem in your school, district, or state, please get in touch with NCSE so we can connect you with fellow activists. If there isn’t a current problem, you can still help by supporting evolution and climate change education in your area, by signing up for NCSE’s newsletters, by engaging with NCSE’s outreach efforts , and of course by donating to support NCSE’s work.

How can I learn about the Catalyzing Action program’s successes?

NCSE was instrumental in Kitzmiller v. Dover, the 2005 case establishing the unconstitutionality of teaching “intelligent design” creationism in the public schools, and more recently in rebuffing attempts to downplay evolution and climate change in the state science standards of New Mexico in 2017 and Arizona in 2018. Press and researchers are welcome to get in touch for the details of other successes.