An Equitable Response: How Environmental Charter Schools Responded to the LA Wildfires

On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, a fast-spreading blaze in the Los Angeles area left Angelenos in shock and disbelief. As the unprecedented Palisades Fire spread faster and farther than ever expected, the Eaton Fire ignited and became a contender for the fastest-spreading blaze in the Los Angeles area. While entire neighborhoods were engulfed in flames, … READ MORE

A Look Into Career Technical Education: Energy, Environment, and Utilities Through the Lens of Industry, Partners, and Formal Education

The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) Green Career Education Initiative (GCI) facilitates the development of an environmentally literate workforce by fostering the integration of career and environmental education into TK—14 Career Technical Education (CTE) and other academic coursework and finding new ways to provide all students with equitable access to high-wage careers, jobs, and trades … READ MORE

Mid-Year Reflections: Celebrating Progress and Looking Ahead to 2025 in Environmental Literacy

The start of a new calendar year offers a great time for reflection and renewal. 2025 feels especially momentous as it marks the 10th anniversary of the Blueprint for Environmental Literacy, a foundational document for CAELI’s Theory of Action. Humanity is also halfway through the United Nations’ Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals … READ MORE

CAELI’s Fourth Annual District Meet-Up Sparks Learning, Collaboration, and Action

In November, CAELI’s District Innovation Hub convened in Pasadena for its fourth annual meet-up at the Green California Schools and Higher Education Summit (GCSHE). This event brings together education leaders from across the state who have similar goals to incorporate environmental action and climate literacy into their campus, curriculum, community, and culture. Organized by District … READ MORE

What Can We Do Right Here, Right Now? Bringing Climate and Environmental Literacy into the Classroom: Insights from Tara Kajtaniak

For Tara Kajtaniak, educator at Alder Grove Charter School in Eureka and university supervisor at Cal Poly Humboldt, being deeply connected to the environment is rooted in her background. Growing up with a Sámi-Norwegian father from a small fishing village in the Arctic Circle of Norway, she was introduced to the importance of nature and … READ MORE

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