This fall marks the launch of a new season of CAELI-supported Communities of Practice (COPs), where county office of education leaders, district innovators, and community-based partners come together to advance environmental literacy in every region. With support from CAELI Project Leaders and Ten Strands, these COP gatherings are spaces for collective visioning, practical problem-solving, and peer-to-peer support. Each convening brings together leaders who are committed to embedding environmental literacy into school systems in ways that are both equitable and sustainable.
As the 2025-26 season begins, we look forward to lifting up participant voices, lessons learned, and the innovations that will carry this work forward into the next chapter.
Why Communities of Practice?
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) was built on the belief that system-level change requires shared leadership. That’s why Communities of Practice exist: to give county, district, and community leaders the space to learn from one another, align strategies, and co-design solutions that make sense for their local contexts.
County Offices Leading the Way
County offices of education (COEs) play a critical role in scaling environmental literacy across entire regions. Through the CAELI COE Community of Practice (COP), county leaders come together to exchange ideas on how to integrate environmental sustainability principles into the core operations of their offices and build capacity to serve as regional backbones for environmental and climate literacy efforts. Launched in 2021, the COE COP meets every other month and provides a space for collaboration, strategy sharing, and collective problem-solving. Leaders use this time to explore ways to support multiple districts simultaneously in integrating environmental literacy and sustainability into the campus, curriculum, community, and culture of their school communities, always with an eye toward equity across diverse student populations. Since its inception, 39 counties have participated in the COE COP, demonstrating a growing statewide commitment to environmental literacy and regional collaboration across California. As one participant from the September COE COP shared, one of the most valuable takeaways was the “connection to others who are further on this journey to bringing Environmental Literacy to the forefront in our county.” This sense of shared purpose and learning is at the heart of what makes the Community of Practice so impactful.
“Environmental literacy is mandated to be included in most curricular subject areas, but school districts need support to make that happen,” said Julie Hilborn, director of Environmental Literacy and Sustainability at the San Mateo County Office of Education. The CAELI COE COP has been invaluable for county office leaders in sharing best practices and learning how best to support districts in their environmental literacy efforts, ensuring that all students have the capacity to analyze environmental issues and make informed decisions that create a just and sustainable world.”
Innovation at the District Level
The CAELI District Environmental Leaders Community of Practice (COP) gathers district-level individuals and teams who are piloting and scaling the integration of environmental sustainability principles and practices into their district’s operational, instructional, and cultural frameworks. Launched this year, the District COP meets every other month, creating an ongoing space for collaboration and shared learning. In this forum, district leaders, educators, and support staff foster cross-district connections that recognize and respond to the diverse needs of California’s school districts.
“For our small, rural district, the District Community of Practice has been a lifeline, helping us to move our environmental literacy goals forward. It provides space to build relationships, learn from what’s working around the state, and find support through shared challenges.” Said Edward Hilton from Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District.
By bringing together representatives from districts with varying demographics, geographies, and resources, the District COP provides a platform for sharing best practices, troubleshooting challenges, adapting successful models, and identifying scalable strategies.
Strengthening the Role of Community-Based Partners
Community-based partners (CBPs) bring something essential to California’s TK–12 students:direct connections to the natural world. They provide environmental field experiences, expertise, and resources that schools often cannot deliver alone. The CBP Community of Practice unites these organizations to share resources and best practices with organizations of similar size, scope, and function area, and work together to surface and solve common problems. Additionally, the CBP Community of Practice helps strengthen the connections between practitioners, and supports the development of a network of resources and opportunities to grow the sphere of influence and impact by CBPs in the field.
Together, these three Communities of Practice anchor CAELI’s collective action work, creating ripple effects that reach classrooms, communities, and beyond.
Looking Ahead
The 2025–26 season of CAELI’s Communities of Practice will continue with upcoming gatherings that dive deeper into equity-informed practices, district- and county-level innovations, and shared accountability for impact. Together, participants will reflect on progress, set new goals, and align efforts to ensure every California student has access to high-quality environment-based learning.
Call to Action
We invite you to follow along with the work of CAELI’s Communities of Practice and celebrate the leadership of the counties, districts, and community-based partners who are shaping California’s environmental literacy future. Join a community of practice this fall by exploring and registering with the links below.
- County Office of Education COP on Thursday, October 23, 9–10:30 AM | Register Here
- Community-Based Partners COP on Tuesday, November 18, 4–5:30 PM | Register Here
- District Environmental Leaders COP on Friday December 5, 11 AM–12:30 PM | Register Here
