Administrators

Teaching Environmental Science with Social Justice at the Center

By Suzanne Pierre, PhD  |  September 10, 2020

Science gives us critical clues to understanding the complex web of the natural world, how it works, and how we can embrace our role in it. That’s why Dr. Suzanne Pierre, a member of CAELI’s leadership council and environmental science educator at San Francisco’s Exploratorium Teacher Institute, believes curiosity and connection are the basis for understanding and action, especially on climate issues. In this Q&A, Sue shares her background as a microbial ecology researcher and woman of color, and how that informs her work to support teachers as they incorporate hands-on, inquiry-rich experiences into their classrooms.

The Green Return to School: California Administrators Find a New Lens for Teaching Environmental Literacy

By Cuauhtémoc Avila, PhD, Faris Sabbah, PhD  |  August 13, 2020

The new school year is approaching, and educators are having to adapt to a new educational reality amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As California administrators think outside the box with new solutions to keep environmental literacy at the forefront as students return to school, outdoor education is emerging as an opportunity to pair social distancing with the benefits of giving students access to nature and equitable educational opportunities.

Educators Using Biomimicry to Teach Nature-Based Problem Solving

By Kirk Anne Taylor  |  June 15, 2020

Educators are drawing from the emerging field of biomimicry to engage young people in the STEAM fields through real-life connections. This short film features a December 2019 professional development training for educators—hosted by CAELI members Inside the Outdoors and Ten Strands, in partnership with the Biomimicry Institute and Bioneers—and how biomimicry serves as a powerful component of environmental literacy.

The California History–Social Science Project’s 2019 Environmental Literacy Teacher Institutes: Hawks, History, and California’s EP&Cs

By Shelley Brooks, PhD  |  March 4, 2020

Shelley Brooks, PhD, is a program coordinator for the California History–Social Science Project, developing professional learning and teaching resources for K–12 teachers. In this article, she reflects on coordinating environmental literacy summer institutes, which promoted environmental education for both teachers and students.

Environmental Literacy: A TK–12 Experience

By Michele Whiteaker  |  March 4, 2020

Parent Michele Whiteaker reflects on the importance of ecoliteracy as part of her son’s K-12 education. She explains how outdoor experiences can be integrated into every subject of every grade, with students exploring and problem-solving along the way, so that environmental literacy can impact students in a lasting way.

Environmental Literacy and Social Justice

By Kim Moon  |  March 4, 2020

Environmental literacy and social justice are inextricably linked, and recent changes in California’s curricula fully encourage pedagogical exploration of this linkage. A school district representative, a teacher, and a student share their perspectives about the intersection of environmental literacy and social justice.