The Hidden Link Between The Environment, Health, And Learning

I’ve spent much of my life thinking about how to help people reach their fullest potential. As a heart and lung transplant surgeon, as a policymaker focused on health and education, and now as chair of both The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and SCORE (the State Collaborative on Reforming Education), one question connects all of these experiences: how can our children learn and thrive in a world that keeps getting hotter, with weather that’s less predictable than ever?

That question got me thinking about organizing a symposium earlier this year called Connecting the Dots: The Environment’s Impact on Student Success. We brought together nearly 150 educators, researchers, and community and business leaders from across Tennessee and beyond to explore how environmental conditions—rising heat, flooding, changing weather patterns—are affecting student learning, health, and opportunity, and what communities can actually do about it.

For me, this is personal. I have nine grandchildren under the age of twelve. I think about the classrooms where they sit, the playgrounds where they play, and the air they breathe. I want them and their generation to spend their days in a world that gives them every chance to learn and grow. And I think about the world they’ll inherit if we don’t act.

Now, a month out from our symposium, we’re reflecting on the key takeaways at the intersection of education and the environment, and the opportunities this changing world is providing our next generation. Indeed, the public hasn’t paid enough attention to this connection between environment and education. We want to change that.

When Classrooms Feel the Heat

The data were alarming. Tennessee, like much of the country, is breaking temperature records year after year. In 2024, Nashville recorded its hottest year ever. Across the Southeast, rainfall during the heaviest storms has increased by 37 percent since 1958, bringing more floods and more school disruptions. In Memphis, several schools had to delay opening last year because of extreme heat and dated HVAC systems that were overwhelmed by the high temperatures.

Dr. Lisa Patel, a friend and pediatrician at Stanford who runs the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, put it plainly:

“When children have already lost so much time, we need to understand what these closures—from things like extreme heat or poor air quality—are going to mean for their lifetime of learning and achievement.”

Research shows that for every one degree rise in classroom temperature, the amount students learn during the school year drops measurably. Each week of closure can set students back two to three weeks in progress. Unfortunately, these aren’t isolated incidents. With one in four U.S. public schools located in high-risk zones for extreme weather, the changing environment is contributing to a pattern that demands different thinking.

The effects go beyond academics. Prolonged heat exposure contributes to anxiety and depression among adolescents. Students in urban areas, especially those from communities already facing economic challenges, often go to schools surrounded by asphalt and concrete that make their neighborhoods seven degrees hotter than greener areas. That temperature difference in these “heat islands” translates into a real difference in opportunity.

Schools as Solutions

The good news is that schools can lead in creating solutions. Jonathan Klein of UndauntedK12 reminded us that smart infrastructure choices create lasting value:

“Schools that are modernizing HVAC systems with ground-source heat pumps are saving $4 million over 25 years. That’s the salary of two people serving children for a generation, or every adult in the building getting a raise.”

Clean energy upgrades like geothermal HVAC systems and electric bus fleets improve air quality, keep classrooms comfortable, and reduce operating costs—all while modeling environmental responsibility for students. Thanks to new federal incentives, these improvements are now financially achievable for many districts.

Learning itself can also happen outdoors. As Ximena Marquez of The Nature Conservancy said,

“When students are in nature, they’re exposed to a dynamic environment—ripe for developing perseverance, teamwork, and critical thinking. We know this is good for kids.” Even a short time outside each day—as little as ten to fifty minutes—improves focus, emotional balance, and collaboration. At Tennessee Nature Academy, outdoor classrooms have helped engage and empower students who once struggled, especially those with different learning needs. Nature isn’t just nice to have. It’s essential to education.

Education and the Future Workforce

One of the most interesting parts of the symposium was seeing how education connects to Tennessee’s economic future. Preparing students for a green economy makes sense both environmentally and financially.

Jobs in clean energy and sustainable manufacturing are growing twice as fast as the number of qualified workers. Tennessee now ranks first in the nation for growth in clean energy jobs, adding more than eleven thousand new positions related to electric vehicles since 2019. Taj Eldridge of Jobs for the Future expressed it well:

“When I think about climate, I think about energy independence, onshore manufacturing, and—most importantly—jobs. It all ties back to student success beyond education.”

From the Oak Ridge STEM Accelerator’s Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap to the hands-on fire science and prescribed burn programs at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, young Tennesseans are already preparing for careers that strengthen both our economy and our environment. Investing in clean energy education means investing in stability, opportunity, and the next generation of leaders.

Finding Common Ground

Maybe the most inspiring message came from Laurel Creech, Tennessee’s state director for The Nature Conservancy:

“Nature is nonpartisan—we all care about it. When you find common ground that resonates across perspectives, it’s much easier to come together, identify a solution, and work toward it.”

That spirit of unity is Tennessee at its best. Whether through statewide collaborations like the Tennessee Outdoor Partnership or through projects like BlueCross Healthy Places, which rebuild parks and playgrounds after floods, progress happens when people unite around shared values.

When I closed the symposium, I said:

“We’ve taken it from zero to ten yards, but we’ve got ninety yards to go. It’s going to depend on all of us coming together, being as smart as we can, to move those next ninety yards.”

As a physician, I know that health and learning are deeply connected. When students are healthy—physically, mentally, and environmentally—they learn better, dream bigger, and contribute more to their communities.

Our job now is to create schools and policies that reflect that truth. We need to invest in buildings that are efficient and resilient, design curricula that connect students to nature, and build partnerships that bring together business, education, and conservation leaders. Every child in every community deserves a healthy environment to learn and grow in.

Connecting the dots isn’t just about recognizing how these challenges relate to each other. It’s about acting on them. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us to get this right.

For more on learnings from Connecting the Dots: The Environment’s Impact on Student Success, read SCORE’s new memo here. You can also view the symposium in full here.