March 14, 2024 Newsletter
As we transition from winter to spring we know that many folks across the state have been impacted by extremely wet and snowy weather, and many viruses and sicknesses. Despite all these challenges, our CAELI community has been busy with activities and making progress on a variety of projects and initiatives! In our March update, we share reflections on the CISC Leadership Symposium and are excited to reveal some upcoming resources for CAELI members! Learn more about the upcoming Equity Guidebook, the Green Career Call to Action report, and sign up for our upcoming events.
🌲 What to expect this month:
▸ Reflections on the CISC Leadership Symposium
▸ Green Career Buzz
▸ Updates on CAELI Equity Work
▸ CA Budget Deficit – District Budgets
▸ Upcoming CAELI Events
▸ Innovation Hub Spotlight
▸ Other Opportunities, Events, and News
CAELI March Update: Our Innovation Hub Projects are Thriving!
As we edge closer to the final quarter of the 2023-24 school year, we’re thrilled to bring you a quick update on the many Innovation Hub projects.
- First, we had fun at the CAELI COE Innovation Hub meet-up during the annual CISC Leadership Symposium. It was a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas and insights with fellow innovators. Stay tuned for a more detailed update on this soon!
- Then there’s the Equity Innovation Hub, which has been leading the charge on some fantastic equity work within CAELI. We’ll be sharing an update on how this work is coming to fruition starting at the CAELI quarterly meeting.
- Finally, we are providing a sneak peek preview of a a new special report that the Green Career Innovation Hub is wrapping up, called the Green Career Call to Action.
Learn more about each project and stay tuned for the rollout of more exciting resources!
March 28 – Funding Strategies for Environmental Literacy
This month’s District Innovation Hub Webinar focuses on a critical yet often challenging aspect: funding strategies. Thoughtful funding strategies are essential for scaling environmental learning for all students in California. Join us on Thursday, March 28th, where we will hear from districts who have achieved success in their fundraising strategies, followed by informal discussions to collectively learn and develop new strategies to build your fundraising capacity.
Check out our website for more information and register for the full webinar series.
March 26 – Building Meaningful Partnerships
The Community-Based Partner (CBP) Innovation Hub and The Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) are returning with ‘Building a Strong and Resilient Organization,’ a webinar series for CBP program leaders. Join us on the last Tuesday of each month this spring to learn actionable strategies to help your organization grow and thrive.
Join us for our first spring webinar on Tuesday, March 26th where we will share insights into developing innovative and meaningful school and community-based partnerships that strengthen organizational capacity and increase access to environmental education.
Register for the full series to attend each month’s event.
- March 26 – Partnerships
- April 23 – Funding
- May 28 – Risk Management and Compliance
Innovation Hub Spotlight
CAELI’s innovation hubs represent a growing community of people dedicated to environmental literacy and outdoor education for youth. Here, we introduce one of our innovation hub members! 
Opportunities, Events, and News
- Prepare for Earth Day 2024 (annually on April 22nd) with helpful lesson plans from the Center for Sustainable and Climate. The resources include lesson ideas for all subject areas and grade levels, a student leaders toolkit, and many more resources to feel prepared for Earth Day.
- Are you Team Planet or Team Plastics? For Earth Day on April 22nd this year, the focus will be putting an end to plastics for the sake of human and planetary health. Prepare for the day with a deeper understanding of the harms of plastics to our planet’s wellbeing.
- Have you listened to The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast? Candice Dickens-Russell, a leader in sustainability, education, environmental literacy, and environmental justice, has played an instrumental role in building CAELI. She hosts a heartfelt and hopeful take on the climate crisis. Listen on your favorite podcast app.
- Join us May 3–5, 2024 at Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center for a weekend of learning, networking, and connection. Learn more and register at aeoe.org/conference-2024.
