Things can get heated when the topic of climate change comes up. It often inspires passionate discussions over the science, policies and social ramifications surrounding this “hot-button” issue. So, when the U.S. Academic Decathlon chose “Our Changing Climate” as the 2024-25 theme for their prestigious academic competition, the news was met with mixed reactions from students and parents.

One of Alaska’s most successful Academic Decathlon teams comes out of the IDEA homeschool program. Some people associated with this team expressed concern about this year’s theme, and one Mat-Su mom relayed her criticism in a widely circulated opinion piece.

As student leaders and coaches prepared to initially view the study materials, however, they determined to embrace a chance to research for themselves and formulate well-reasoned opinions on the topics related to environmental and climate science and the far-reaching implications to academic disciplines and public life.

The more we understand what others think, and where their opinions come from, the better we can engage them in reasoned discourse.

Alaska parents began searching out a wide variety of resources to consider various interpretations of current data, and local student captains began discussing resources and opinions and planning for great discussions and debates.

These students have been trained to learn from various sources, and to critically analyze material from a young age. Their parents tend to discuss current events and the underlying universal truths that impact how we understand this information. AcaDeca students are young adults who have practiced identifying bias and worldviews for many years. Few people are better able to discuss opposing viewpoints in such a calm, cool and collected manner.

These students learn to think, write and speak on their feet through competitions at both state and national levels. They must write timed essays from prompts they have not seen, compete in interview competitions and deliver impromptu and prepared speeches.

Along the way, they build excellent study skills by engaging with intense college-level materials. Additionally, they regularly engage in intense discussion with their peers, and read supplemental resources from various perspectives on the official themes.

These students exemplify maturity and reasoned dialogue amid an increasingly reactionary culture.

As a mother of students who have benefitted from both Academic Decathlon and Academic Pentathlon over the years, I have enjoyed studying other resources with my students.

When the 2019-2020 official theme was “In Sickness and Health,” we began our summer book club with “Love Thy Body” by Nancy Pearcey to understand the human body from a perspective rarely seen in mainstream material. When the 2023-2024 theme was “Technology and Humanity,” we began by reading CS Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength” and John Lennox’s “2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity.” This year, our supplemental resources are far-ranging, but include scientific thinkers such as Bjorn Lomborg, Judith Curry and Steven Koonin as well as titles such as “Climate Change for Kids,” by Masterbooks.

The utilization of outside resources – beyond the Academic Decathlon Study Guide – has a long history that goes all the way back to the beginning of Academic Decathlon, when study topics only were provided, and students researched on their own to prepare for competition.

I was honored to help coach our IDEA team to a national fourth-place finish in their division at the USAD National Competition in Pittsburgh this past April.

This coming year, I look forward to learning from these future leaders as they model a willingness to learn from those they disagree with, sharpen those they agree with, and critically wrestle with uncomfortable issues for the good of society.

May we immerse ourselves in the refreshing depths of reasonable discourse and stop fanning the flames that feed destructive polarization. That is a climate change we can get behind!

The views expressed here are those of the author.