Get Involved
At the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), we see the system of public education as capable of serving students, communities, and our society.
- We focus on work at the district level to support administrators, teachers, staff, and students because that’s where change happens.
- We believe the school district holds space at the heart of the community and is entrusted with our most valuable resource: our young people.
- We celebrate the victories of our partners and recognize the strength of a network working together.
In doing this work, we provide multiple constituents with the tools they need to catalyze long-lasting change.
Stay in Touch
- Sign up for our newsletter.
- Contact us at info@ca-eli.org.
- Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
Membership Levels
Learn more about the different ways to become a Member of CAELI! Being a CAELI Member means you can be a(n):
- PARTICIPANT: CAELI Participants are Members who come to CAELI quarterly meetings for information sharing and networking. They bring back what they learn to their community and catalyze change within their sphere of influence for their job. They commit to reflecting on an annual basis how CAELI has impacted their work.
- ACTIVATOR: In addition to information sharing, networking, and catalyzing change within their own sphere of influence, CAELI Activators are Members who commit to regular attendance at the CAELI Quarterly Meetings, CAELI Innovation Hubs, and/or CAELI-Wide Working Groups with the intention of contributing to statewide efforts to take environmental literacy to scale through collective action working group projects.
- LEADER: CAELI Leaders are Members who are committed to leading information sharing and networking within CAELI Innovation Hubs and/or lead statewide efforts to take environmental literacy to scale through collective action CAELI working group projects (either through an innovation hub working group or CAELI-Wide Working Groups).
- ADVISOR: CAELI Advisors are Members who have made significant contributions to CAELI having served as a co-chair or former project director. They are invited to participate in CAELI quarterly meetings, CAELI Executive Committee monthly meetings, and CAELI’s annual retreat.
- GUEST: CAELI Guests are Members who are invited to participate in or present at focused conversations by CAELI Innovation Hubs, CAELI-Wide Working Groups, or CAELI quarterly meetings.
- SUPPORT: Ten Strands backbone support includes providing strategic and project direction, fund development support, fiscal sponsorship, project management, administration, equity technical assistance, and support for CAELI Innovation Hubs and Working Groups.
Join an Innovation Hub or CAELI-Wide Working Group
Looking to get more involved? Check out our innovation hubs page and our CAELI-wide working groups page, and find a hub or working group project that aligns best with your interests and experience.
COMPLETE THE CAELI MEMBERSHIP INTEREST FORM
- +Administrators and Staff: Administrators and staff at all different levels—county, district, and site—have a lot on their plate, and our goal is to make it easier to lead environmental and climate action within your school communities.
- Get inspired by changemakers on our stories page.
- Utilize the resources page to find programs, webinars, videos, and toolkits that help build your capacity to drive change within your schools. Also, take action by signing on to our advocacy efforts and/or joining a community of practice to network and learn alongside other leaders.
- Looking to get more involved? Check out our innovation hubs page and CAELI-wide working groups page, and consider what hubs, groups, and projects are the right fit for you. Administrators might be a good fit for the District Innovation Hub.
- +Teachers: Teachers are passionate professionals who are committed to the growth and continued development of burgeoning young thinkers, artists, scientists, and leaders. We collaborate with teachers like you who work every day to give students the skills they need to deal with critical issues and prepare them for success in school, life, and career. Together we can support a new generation of environmentally conscious leaders who are excited about learning, innovating, and working within their communities to co-create solutions for a healthier world.
- Get inspired by changemakers on our stories page.
- Utilize the resources page to find toolkits to empower change in your classroom and the greater school community. And take action by signing on to our advocacy efforts.
- Looking to get more involved? Check out our innovation hubs page and CAELI-wide working groups page, and consider which hubs, groups, and projects are the right fit for you. Teachers might be a good fit for the District Innovation Hub or Professional Learning Hub.
- +Community-Based Partners: Throughout California, community leaders have built the knowledge, experience, and expertise that can translate into meaningful, hands-on education for our TK–12 students. We work collaboratively and inclusively with partners to create positive change, build thriving communities, and co-create opportunities that empower young people and support them in fulfilling their potential to imagine and realize a better world.
- Get inspired by changemakers on our stories page.
- Utilize the resources page to find programs, webinars, videos, and toolkits for leading change. And take action by signing on to our advocacy efforts and/or joining a community of practice to network and learn alongside other leaders.
- Explore the CAELI Partner Portal, a central directory for community-based organizations that offer environmental education programs throughout the state.
- Looking to get more involved? Check out our innovation hubs page and CAELI-wide working groups page, and consider which hubs, groups, and projects are the right fit for you. Community-Based Partners are a good fit for the Community-Based Partner Innovation Hub.
- +Students: Students across the world are proposing solutions and demanding change. Our goal is to elevate the critical and valuable role that students play in co-creating the world we inhabit. Student voices and ideas need to be heard and respected, and we seek to meet the challenges we face together.
- Get inspired by changemakers on our stories page.
- Utilize the resources page to find toolkits and videos that you can use to lead action and advocacy within your school community. And take action by signing on to our advocacy efforts.
- Looking to get more involved? Check out our innovation hubs page and CAELI-wide working groups page, and consider which hubs, groups, and projects are the right fit for you. CAELI Members are exploring the possibility of a Student Innovation Hub, so please reach out if you are interested.
- +Families: We believe that parents and guardians have a powerful calling to nurture and guide the children in their care while shifting the systems in our society that support their survival and success. Across California, CAELI is collaborating with administrators, teachers, community organizations, and families that are committed to the growth and development of young thinkers, scientists, artists, and visionaries.
- Get inspired by changemakers on our stories page.
- Utilize the resources page to find toolkits and videos that you can use to lead action and advocacy within your school community. And take action by signing on to our advocacy efforts.
In Their Own Words
“I am a product of outdoor education, and I need to pay it forward as an agent of change in the educational community so that the next generation can benefit from our environment.”
— Nathan Inouye, Moorpark Unified School District, District Innovation Hub
“The work I am most excited to do as a member of the Equity Innovation Hub is to cultivate a level of accountability in middle school environmental programs in communities closest to the impact of harmful environmental issues. By pairing that accountability with a comprehensive environmental curriculum and project-based sustainable skills, I hope to nurture programs that teach responsibility to generations of California students that rival “The Lorax!”
— Tashanda Giles-Jones, Environmental Charter Schools; Equity Innovation Hub
“All students need daily opportunities to understand the connection between humans and the natural world. This supports student inquiry and environmental literacy by helping students understand and apply the Environmental Principles and Concepts in their local communities and beyond while building on students’ interests and existing experience to learn about and solve real-world problems.”
— Will Franzell, Monterey County Office of Education; County Office of Education Innovation Hub
“The natural environment connects us all. It impacts every part of our lives, and our everyday actions impact our natural environment. Starting with every child, every person should have access to and knowledge about our natural environment to help improve it and everyone’s quality of life.” — Julia Gowin, CalFire; Policy Innovation Hub
“The work of the CAELI County of Education Innovation Hub allows me to collaborate with others who are doing groundbreaking work to support student environmental literacy learning. Having colleagues to lean on, learn from, and mentor means that each County Office of Education has a better chance of successfully partnering with school districts to provide students with environmental literacy experiences that are culturally relevant and accessible to ALL.” — Lori Kiesser, Inside the Outdoors; County Office of Education Innovation Hub
