Jeff Grant has spent years teaching Downers Grove North High School students about biology, anatomy, and climate science. Now the National Center for Science Education has made him the first person in the country to receive its Friend of the Planet Excellence in Climate Education Award.

"I'm honored to receive this amazing recognition from the NCSE," Grant said in a District 99 announcement published Monday, July 21. "I'm thankful to my colleagues, my students, and the collective Downers Grove family for making my work so meaningful."

The NCSE, an Oakland, California-based organization that works to strengthen science education in public schools, created the award in 2026 to recognize K-12 teachers whose classroom work advances accurate climate science instruction. The award includes an honorarium and travel support to attend the National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference, where Grant will present his work.

Principal Courtney Dement said Grant's reach extends well beyond the hallways of Downers Grove North. She praised his ability to make science meaningful and relevant for students and noted his national leadership in climate education.

Grant's resume backs that up. He earned the Golden Apple for Excellence in Teaching and Leadership in 2016, the Outstanding Biology Teacher of Illinois award from the National Association of Biology Teachers in 2020, and was named DuPage County Teacher of the Year in 2026. He also served as an NCSE Teacher Ambassador.

Beyond his own classroom, Grant and science department chair Mike Heinz have organized the Climate of HOPE conference twice at Downers Grove North, drawing hundreds of Illinois educators. The most recent session, on Friday, February 27, 2026, was capped at 600 teachers and offered a full day of hands-on activities and research presentations. Sponsors included the NCSE, the DuPage County Regional Office of Education, and the Illinois Science Teachers Association.

Speaking to ABC7 Chicago in March 2024 after the conference's inaugural run, Grant described the mission simply: "Sometimes climate change seems gloom and doom and we don't want that to be the case because oftentimes people just shut down."

Grant said he hopes the national recognition helps continue conversations about high-quality science education and "becoming better stewards of this planet we all call home."