Peaks and Valleys: A Landscape Study of Environmental Literacy in California’s TK–12 Classrooms

The recently released report, Peaks and Valleys: A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK–12 classrooms, offers an in-depth look at the state of environmental education in California. This yearlong study, conducted by the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), Ten Strands, and The Lawrence Hall of Science, examines how environmental … READ MORE

Momentum Continues with the Opening of the CAELI 2024–25 Season

Authored by: Andra Yeghoian, CAELI Project Director As the 2024–25 CAELI season gets underway, the CAELI leadership team looks forward to building on the momentum and successes of 2023–24 as well as bringing new ideas, members, and projects into the mix. In late June Ten Strands supported the second annual CAELI Leadership Retreat, which solidified … READ MORE

Dispatches from the Bay Area Climate Literacy Exchange

Authored by: District Innovation Hub Members: Ellen Mc Clure and Nate Ivy On Sunday, February 4th, 2024 as representatives from Berkeley, Fremont, and Oakland Unified school districts began setting up for the inaugural Bay Area Climate Exchange scheduled to take place on Monday, February 5th, the National Weather Service Bay Area issued its first ever … READ MORE

Announcing CAELI’s “Call to Action: Educating for a Green Economy”

CAELI is proud to announce the publication of its “Call to Action: Educating for a Green Economy.” Green Career Innovation Hub co-lead Dana Richards, explains, “The Call is meant to outline the first major steps needed to align the ambitious policy and economic commitments that flow from the governor’s office, the legislature, and sub-regional economies, … READ MORE

ELA Superheroes Podcast: Empowering Environmental Literacy Through English-Language Arts

Environmental literacy and justice belong in every California classroom, especially the core subject area of English Language Arts. With this fundamental idea in mind, members of the CAELI Professional Learning Hub have centered one of their 2023-24 working groups on developing a set of resources that feature Environmental Superheroes of the English Language Classroom. Over … READ MORE

Green Horizons: Celebrating the Second COE Fellowship Cohort Graduation

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the second CAELI COE Fellowship cohort, comprising fourteen fellows from six county offices of education. This year marks another milestone in the journey of CAELI’s County Office of Education Innovation Hub to establish an environmental literacy coordinator in all fifty-eight county offices of education. At this … READ MORE

Championing DEI in Environmental Learning with STEM4Real

As our planet has warmed and new technologies are needed to combat human-made climate change, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has become more intertwined with environmental learning. This interdisciplinary learning approach focuses on critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration, which are critical to expanding new and old technologies to help in the climate fight … READ MORE

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 … READ MORE

Designing for the Margins | Reflecting on CAELI’s Equity Journey

Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that CAELI’s focus on equity was not always inevitable. When CAELI emerged as a statewide project rooted in a 2015 Blueprint for Environmental Literacy, equity was not a core tenet. In a recent interview, Candice Dickens-Russell, currently the CEO of Friends of the Los Angeles River, reflected on … READ MORE

Getting Off the Concrete: Sacramento Splash Connects Kids to Nature

What was your formative memory of nature when you were a child? For Mackenzie Wieser, CEO of Sacramento Splash, a camping road trip to Bodie, California with her great aunt and uncle was all it took for her to know the transformative power of nature. “I remember being in a tent and enjoying exploring as … READ MORE