Students visiting the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve embark on a transformative journey as they experience one of the last places along the California coast that hasn’t been disrupted by commercial development. Along the way, they are greeted by the watchful eye of an osprey soaring overhead, a sentinel of this untouched wilderness. In 2017, … READ MORE
For today’s young people, sustainability and climate are a top priority. For students, the environment holds the key to their futures, although schools are often ill-equipped to cultivate that connection. Environmental education and fostering a meaningful connection with nature are crucial pieces of preparing the next generation of young people for a resilient future. Marie … READ MORE
Change and transition are integral parts of growth and progress, offering initiatives an opportunity to welcome fresh ideas, perspectives, and innovation. For CAELI, change is a catalyst for renewed purpose and additional impact. In the wake of a recent executive committee retreat, the newly elected co-chair, Estrella Risinger (she/her), and current co-chair Juanita Chan-Roden (she/her), … READ MORE
Craig Strang, lifelong environmental educator and activist, is stepping down as CAELI’s co-chair after nearly eight years of service. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Craig for his exceptional leadership, visionary thinking, unwavering dedication, and remarkable contributions to CAELI. Although he will be stepping down as co-chair at the end of June 2023, Craig will … READ MORE
The California Green Ribbon Schools Award Program (CA-GRS) recognizes schools and districts making sustainability improvements and acts as a guide to drive meaningful actions to improve school districts’ environmental impact. In this article, California Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program lead, George Garcia, along with educators—and CAELI members—from CA-GRS schools and districts, celebrate the … READ MORE
Photo by Peter Bennett, taken at Glendale Narrows With headwaters in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, the Los Angeles River runs forty-eight miles to Long Beach, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. During the early years of Los Angeles, the river was the primary source of water that helped the nascent town become a … READ MORE
Time and again, school gardens have proven to offer an abundance of benefits for students. Schools in the Val Verde Unified School District (VVUSD) have taken action in recent years to ensure their students have access to experiential learning in the garden with a focus on topics that go beyond nutrition and food systems and … READ MORE
The Climate-Resilient California Schools – A Call to Action report, released last week by the Climate Ready Schools Coalition, shows school communities have a critical role to play in addressing climate change. Greening our career education system is a crucial step in this transformation, and members of CAELI’s Green Career Education Innovation Hub set out … READ MORE
Congratulations to the first graduating cohort of CAELI’s County Office of Education (COE) Innovation Hub Fellowship! Sixteen fellows representing twelve COEs recently completed their capstone presentations outlining plans for environmental literacy and sustainability initiatives in their regions. This was the culmination of an in-depth capacity-building experience that kicked off with an in-person retreat in August … READ MORE
The change of a calendar year offers a great opportunity to take stock of where we have been and to look forward to where we are headed next. In that spirit, CAELI’s new project director, Andra Yeghoian, captures a reflection on the first half of the 2022-23 CAELI season and looks forward to hopes and … READ MORE
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