FIELD NOTES BLOG

Science Literacy In the Rockford Region

Emma Zimmerman
May 19, 2026

Science literacy may not be a term you hear every day, but it is something that shapes your life and the community around you in more ways than you might realize. Science literacy is the ability to understand, evaluate, and apply scientific concepts to make informed decisions regarding the world around us. Science is intertwined in nearly every part of our lives, but it can still feel intimidating and inaccessible at times, and that is largely because our society has a science literacy gap. Science can be complicated and challenging to understand, and this feeling is more common than we often admit. By making science more accessible through environmental education, we work to break down these barriers and build a more scientifically literate society. A scientifically literate society is a resilient society that is better prepared to solve climate problems, advocate for change, and build a more sustainable future.

Why do we need science literacy?

Scientific literacy becomes especially important when we talk about our changing climate. Today, in our very own city of Rockford, we are experiencing issues that are a direct result of global rising temperatures. Our city continues to experience hotter summers, worsening air quality, more severe storms, increased flooding, and growing public health concerns tied to warmer weather. 


In the Rockford region, extreme heat days are expected to increase dramatically by 2050, with more than 10x the amount of extreme heat days predicted than we see today. Severe storms and flooding events are becoming more common, and nearly a quarter of our region's population already lives in areas susceptible to flooding. 


Additionally, warmer average temperatures are expanding the habitat range of mosquitoes and ticks that carry vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile virus. In Illinois, Lyme cases are 5x higher in 2021 than they were in 2008. 


Smoke from increasingly severe Canadian wildfires continues to worsen air quality across Northern Illinois, and these wildfires are predicted to increase 25% by 2030, and 75% by 2100. 


These growing concerns are not just environmental issues, but also public health issues, economic issues, and community resilience issues. If we want to create a community that is adaptable in the face of these growing challenges, it is up to us to provide the next generation with the science literacy required to combat this problem.

Why aren’t we already science literate?

Science education, unfortunately, is often under-supplemented and underfunded throughout our city. Many students in Rockford do not receive the resources or opportunities needed to build confidence and literacy in science, and according to the Illinois Report Card, only 25.7% of students in Rockford Public Schools meet science proficiency standards. 


This statistic is even more jarring when compared to the Illinois state average of 44.6% of students meeting these standards. This lack of literacy in our community perpetuates a cycle that continues to widen gaps in environmental awareness, understanding, public health knowledge, and community preparedness in the face of a warming world.


Though these statistics are concerning, there is hope! In 2024, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation requiring Illinois public schools to educate students on climate change starting in the fall of 2026. The law requires that students learn about the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities, while also studying solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. We are the fifth state in the country to require education on climate change.

What are we doing about it?

This literacy gap is why environmental education is so critical to our mission at Severson Dells Nature Center. Young people today will experience the effects of climate instability more directly than previous generations, and the education they receive now will shape how prepared they are to adapt and problem solve. Starting at a young age, if we foster curiosity, promote critical thinking, and inspire a connection to the natural world, we are planting the seeds for a science and climate literate next generation. By creating accessible opportunities for children to connect with science, whether it be through field trips, in school lessons, or public programming, we are helping build a community that is better prepared to face these environmental challenges. The more people understand the environment around them, the better equipped they are to care for it, advocate for it, and adapt alongside it. 


You can grow your science literacy at free events like Science Saturday, or by reading our blog! There are barriers to science literacy in our region, but we are continually striving to break them down by providing accessible science education for all.

Sources:

What Happens if We Do Nothing? Climate Action Plan: Community Impact Report - Region 1 Planning Council

Science Literacy- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

Illinois Becomes Fifth State to Require Climate Change Education in Public Schools- Illinois Environmental Council

Lyme Disease Surveillance Data- Center for Disease Control

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