Crossword | Friday, April 30th, 2021
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
Environmental literacy, community action
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
This week, we wanted to make environmental literacy activities accessible to all who wish to promote environmental education at home and throughout their communities!
This week, we wanted to make environmental literacy activities accessible to all who wish to promote environmental education at home and throughout their communities!
The easiest way to advance environmental literacy at home is by simply going outside! By exploring the outdoors and encouraging green practices at home, families can spark conversations that advance environmental literacy and help families better understand their connection to the natural world around them – one of the core goals of environmental literacy!
If you are looking to incorporate environmentally literate activities at home in your community, look no further! Read this week’s article to get started today!
Calculate your Carbon Footprint with Global Footprint Network
Humans use as many ecological resources as if we lived on 1.6 Earths. The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against Earth’s capacity for biological regeneration. Calculate your Carbon Footprint today!
Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.
Online Activity Guides | National Parks Service
With scavenger hunts, word games, matching pictures, and more, you can find Junior Ranger activities online. The National Park Service is building this page with more fun stuff, so check back often to see which parks add more activities to this page.
Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall.
Find a National Park in Your Community
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
California parks include California State Parks, National Parks, and local community-operated city and community parks. There’s lots of “parking” going on at these natural assets that locals need for healthy living and tourists come to see their amazing attractions such as the world’s tallest trees, the world’s oldest tree, the world’s biggest tree, and much more.
TerraCycle® is a social enterprise Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. In 21 countries, they tackle the issue from many angles. They have found that nearly everything we touch can be recycled and collect typically non-recyclable items through national, first-of-their-kind recycling platforms.
Environmental Education Webinars – Deepening Sense of Place: First People
May 12, 2021 Humboldt County Office of Education
This series of monthly PD webinars for teachers combine presentations from expert scientists conducting research in our own “backyards” with grade-level teaching resources to help students better understand WHERE they live — to Deepen their Sense of Place.
The Environmental Justice Exchange: Planning the Future of Little Village.
May 14, 2021 Chicago Sun-Times
Join us for an in-depth look at the planning and development of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side following the recent one-year anniversary of the Crawford smokestack implosion debacle.
Annual Spring Statewide Conference 2021
May 14-15, 2021 AEOE
The spring statewide 2021 conference includes workshops on a wide variety of topics, keynote address, evening entertainment, plenary session, presentations by our Environmental Educator Certification Program participants, and an awards ceremony celebrating the Environmental Education Organization of the Year and the Howard Bell lifetime award.
The Recycling Industry in America Is Broken
Apr. 20, 2021 EcoWatch
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. According to The National Museum of American History, this popular slogan, with its iconic three arrows forming a triangle, embodied a national call to action to save the environment in the 1970s.
Environmental Racism Is Everybody’s Problem — Here Are 5 Ways to Fight It Right Now
Apr. 22, 2021 Apartment Therapy
Natural resources, such as water and even the very air we breathe in this country are a matter of inequality — and this has become a matter of life and death.
Brenda Mallory to take environmental policy in a new direction
Apr. 22, 2021 Roll Call
The former general counsel of the White House Council on Environmental Quality becomes the first African American to lead the agency.
For young climate activists, the pandemic is the defining moment for action
Apr. 23, 2021 National Geographic
Can the urgent global response to COVID-19 be repeated to address climate change? Youth activists think it can.
The Leaders’ Summit on Climate 2021: A Summary
Apr. 26, 2021 Earth.org
On April 22 and 23, US President Joe Biden brought together 40 world leaders in a virtual Leaders’ Summit on Climate to rally the world in tackling the climate crisis. The US announced that it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by the end of the decade.
Brazil’s President Bolsonaro Pledges to End Deforestation — Then Cuts Environmental Budget
Apr. 26, 2021 Green Matters
On Earth Day (April 22, 2021), President Joe Biden held a historical climate summit, where he vowed to cut the country’s emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030. This inspired a handful of leaders from other countries…
Two Cheers for California’s Fracking Ban
Apr. 28, 2021 Sierra
Last Friday, when California governor Gavin Newsom directed state regulators to begin a process of ending new permits for hydrofracturing in 2024, it seemed like a reason for environmentalists to celebrate.
When we think about environmental literacy, we think of classroom lessons and outdoor field trips. But environmental literacy can be practiced outside of educational settings, specifically at home in your community! According to Jason Morris, the Senior Program Officer for Environmental Education at Pisces Foundation…
When we think about environmental literacy, we think of classroom lessons and outdoor field trips. But environmental literacy can be practiced outside of educational settings, specifically at home in your community! According to Jason Morris, the Senior Program Officer for Environmental Education at Pisces Foundation, the 3 key components of a strong environmental education ecosystem are experiences at school, experiences in programs, and experiences at home and in local communities. By implementing green practices at home, families can spark conversations that advance environmental literacy and help them better understand their connection to the natural world around them – one of the core goals of environmental literacy! If you are looking to incorporate environmentally literate activities at home in your community, look no further.
One of the easiest ways to advance environmental literacy at home in your local community is to get outside! Exploring your neighborhood is a great way to discover the positive environmental practices already occurring within your community. Keep an eye out for community gardens, monarch butterfly waystations, and local trails and parks – these sustainable living locations can become the catalyst for your neighborhood to transition into a greener community.
As you explore your neighborhood, take note of the natural flora and fauna you witness. Encourage children or other family members to carry a nature notebook – capturing their thoughts about the butterflies they see, what flowers they land on, the colors of their wings – taking notes about experiences in your community is a great way for children to relate to the natural world around them. Apps such as iNaturalist, allow explorers to act as citizen scientists, capturing images of the plants and animals they see in their communities to help naturalists identify and protect the many plant species we have on our planet. Joining a network like iNaturalist is an easy and exciting way to get involved in your community, learn about your surroundings, and continue conversations about the environment outside the classroom.
Another way to encourage environmentally literate members of your community is through utilizing public transportation or taking a bike ride to the grocery store! When taking these alternative forms of transportation, you can start a conversation with your family about how you have lowered your carbon footprint and how the environment benefits from these small acts. Bike riding and using public transportation is also a great way to explore new areas of your community that you may usually avoid due to busy parking lots, fares for parking garages, or ease of accessibility. Creating a neighborhood carpool group is also a great way to lower your carbon footprint while also bringing environmental literacy practices to more families in your community.
A fun and tangible way to introduce environmental practices into everyday home life is to introduce recycling processes into everyday actions. Take a look at your community’s recycling policies: Do they separate plastics? Do they accept glass? If you start a conversation at home about how you can improve your community’s recycling policies, families and neighbors can come together to write a letter to local governments to update policies in a way that best fits the needs of your community. You can also introduce programs such as Terracycle, which utilizes school recycling centers and encourage recycling through a school rewards program!
There are many ways to incorporate environmental literacy activities at home in your community. Creating exciting conversations surrounding actions and observations in your neighborhood is a great way for children to actualize the way their experiences are a part of the natural world. Children are more likely to connect with the natural elements around them when they are introduced to practices at home and in their local community, as well as in the classroom. Learn more about how you can take action and support the advancement of environmental literacy among children in your community through the links below.
Calculate your Carbon Footprint with Global Footprint Network
Humans use as many ecological resources as if we lived on 1.6 Earths. The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against Earth’s capacity for biological regeneration. Calculate your Carbon Footprint today!
Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.
Online Activity Guides | National Parks Service
With scavenger hunts, word games, matching pictures, and more, you can find Junior Ranger activities online. The National Park Service is building this page with more fun stuff, so check back often to see which parks add more activities to this page.
Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall.
Find a National Park in Your Community
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
California parks include California State Parks, National Parks, and local community-operated city and community parks. There’s lots of “parking” going on at these natural assets that locals need for healthy living and tourists come to see their amazing attractions such as the world’s tallest trees, the world’s oldest tree, the world’s biggest tree, and much more.
TerraCycle® is a social enterprise Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. In 21 countries, they tackle the issue from many angles. They have found that nearly everything we touch can be recycled and collect typically non-recyclable items through national, first-of-their-kind recycling platforms.
This week kicks off the first of our California Association of Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE) Member features on our blog with Exploring New Horizons! AEOE’s mission is “to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California.”
This week kicks off the first of our California Association of Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE) Member features on our blog with Exploring New Horizons! AEOE’s mission is “to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California.”
Exploring New Horizons is an outdoor education program that was founded as a nonprofit in 1979. Its mission is to empower students, build environmental literacy, and strengthen school communities through residential and environmental education.
As an organizational member of AEOE, and a partner on the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) Community-Based Partner Hub, Exploring New Horizons has been a leader in providing environmental literacy and education programs to students throughout the Monterey Bay and San Francisco areas. Nonprofit organizations such as Exploring New Horizons rely on the support of their community to provide high-quality and affordable educational programs that meet NGSS and common core standards.
Read more about Exploring New Horizons here!
Watch the interview highlight with Jacob Sackin, Executive Director of Exploring New Horizon’s below:
If you are a teacher, parent, or guardian looking to get involved with an outdoor education program like Exploring New Horizons, visit the CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub and find partners and programs near you: CAELI Community Based Partner Hub
Philanthropic support is also a great way to get involved with nonprofits like ENH, so if you are an individual donor or a local foundation or corporation interested in funding opportunities, please visit: Support Exploring New Horizons!
Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education | California AEOE
As the professional association for environmental and outdoor education in California, AEOE provides programs and practitioners with the tools, resources, and expertise to ensure that future generations are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary to develop lifelong connections to the natural world and the commitment to sustain it.
California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)
CAELI, led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.
Environmental Education Equity | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons seeks support to serve more lower-income schools, to continue providing affordable rates and scholarships to participating schools, and to provide professional learning for our staff on equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
Loma Mar Program | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Loma Mar takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science education, and focuses on adventure, self-discovery, and environmental stewardship. Located in the Pescadero Creek watershed near Memorial and Pescadero Creek County Parks, students learn about how they are connected to the natural world while exploring the Oak and Redwood Forest. Each evening activity finishes with songs and stories around the campfire.
Pigeon Point Program | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Pigeon Point is based at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historic Park with accommodations provided by Hostelling International. Pigeon Point is located on the Pacific Ocean, 50 miles south of San Francisco, and 20 miles north of Santa Cruz. The Pigeon Point program offers a unique opportunity for students to learn more about themselves as well as the natural world that surrounds them.
Sempervirens Program | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Sempervirens takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science education, and focuses on adventure, self-discovery, and environmental stewardship. Students explore the coastal ecosystems, the Oak, Madrone, and Redwood Forest, and each evening activity finishes with songs and stories around the campfire.
Ten Strands weaves stakeholders and strategies together into strong, focused education partnerships, with the goal of raising environmental literacy by providing high-quality environment-based learning and hands-on education to all California K–12 students. Ten Strands acts as an incubator and a catalyst to create collaborations, build capacity, and transform systems to increase their impact and sustainability.
CLIC Project-Climate Change & History
Apr. 28, 2021 SF Bay Area
Join to access resources for in-person and remote teaching and learning, network with grade-level teachers from in the Bay Area and earn a CEU for attendance at all 4 sessions. Free for educators.
Supporting Student Resilience by Using Outdoor Spaces for Learning and Play
Apr. 28, 2021 California Department of Education
In this two-part webinar series, the founding partners of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative will share resources and ideas related to the benefits of using the abundant fresh air and access to nature to reduce virus transmission and improve students’ physical and mental health and well-being, learning, and play during the pandemic and beyond.
Assessing Connecting to Nature
Apr. 29, 2021 AEOE
Join for a 2-hour workshop diving into the Practitioner’s Guide to Assessing Connection to Nature, a new guidebook for helping you measure this elusive concept with young children, teenagers, or adults.
For girls, learning science outside linked to better grades, knowledge
Apr. 06, 2021 Science X
In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers found that an outdoor science program was linked to higher average science grades and an increase in a measure of science knowledge for a group of fifth grade girls in North Carolina.
Passing the Clean School Bus Act can help protect our children’s health and our planet
Apr. 16, 2021 The Hill
Every day, 26 million children ride on school buses. The central promise of our busing system is simple: Your children will have a free and safe ride to school. But that promise comes with a significant caveat.
Whatever Climate Change Does to the World, Cities Will Be Hit Hardest
Apr. 19, 2021 Bloomberg Green
More than half of humanity is crowded together in cities. That’s about 4 billion people living on top of one another, working, commuting, polluting, and figuring out how to survive. And that proportion will only rise…
It’s time to collaborate on climate and economic justice solutions
Apr. 19, 2021 GreenBiz
Air pollution has grave consequences — the World Health Organization estimates it kills 7 million people a year. Indeed, recent research suggests closer to 9 million people died from exposure to air pollution…
Humans haven’t always wrecked the environment
Apr. 19, 2021 Popular Science
It’s only been in the last few hundred years that we’ve started destroying land.
Why Schools Should Be the Center of a Green New Deal
Apr. 19, 2021 Gizmodo
One of the main things Terriq Thompson remembers about Benjamin Franklin High School, where he graduated in 2019, is that it was hot…
Earth Day 2021: Moms become climate activists as they worry about the Earth their kids will inherit
Apr. 20, 2021 GMA
Brooke Petry is a self-described introvert who says she never imagined herself on the front lines of tackling the global crisis of climate change.
Exploring New Horizons is an outdoor education program that was founded as a nonprofit in 1979. Its mission is to empower students, build environmental literacy, and strengthen school communities through residential and environmental education. Each year, Exploring New Horizons’ experienced naturalists serve 7,000 students throughout the greater San Francisco and Monterey Bay area in their outdoor education programs that are aligned with NGSS and Common Core standards. Their goal is to provide high-quality and affordable programs to create positive associations between learning and the outdoors.
Currently, Exploring New Horizons is offering outdoor school programs for students in Santa Cruz County, as well as a virtual science camp to accommodate current mandates. We recently spoke with Jacob Sackin, Executive Director of Exploring New Horizons, and he provided some insight on the importance of outdoor education programs, noting “In CA less than 10% of 4-6th grade students attend outdoor school.” Through experience and research, Jacob has highlighted the benefits when students participate in 3 to 5-day residential outdoor education programs, including:
Exploring New Horizons takes a “Whole Child Approach” with the creation of their programs, focusing on environmental stewardship, social-emotional learning, and the arts. They offer two program types:
At the core of Exploring New Horizon’s mission is environmental literacy, and Jacob believes that environmental literacy starts with equity of access to environmental education programs. If environmental education and literacy programs were implemented at the state level, funding could be more easily accessible for students across California. Students that were offered free preschool and outdoor learning programs throughout the years could better understand their connection to the world and the ecosystems around them.
“Environmental Literacy involves building on environmental education experiences before and after attending an outdoor school program.”
As noted by Jacob in a survey conducted by Exploring New Horizons in the last 5 years, 96% of 700 participating classroom teachers agreed that after participating in an outdoor education program, students:
Overall, teachers mentioned that they noticed more respect and appreciation for the environment, stronger community, and cooperation, more independence, sense of responsibility, confidence, and self-esteem from student participants.
Exploring New Horizons and many other nonprofit organizations rely on the support of their community to provide high-quality and affordable educational programs. Through the support of local schools, individual donors, and grant-funding, Exploring New Horizons works hard to curate a wide breadth of outdoor educational programs and help provide scholarships for schools with students who are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals.
During this past year, Exploring New Horizons has had to reduce the number of programs offered due to the pandemic and lack of support for outdoor education. ENH has taken the time to prepare lessons and programs that are educational and safe for children to participate in outdoor/open-air spaces and hopes to continue doing so as we look forward to the year ahead.
If you are a teacher, parent, or guardian looking to get involved with an outdoor education program like Exploring New Horizons, visit the CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub and find partners and programs near you: CAELI Community Based Partner Hub
Philanthropic support is also a great way to get involved with nonprofits like ENH, so if you are an individual donor or a local foundation or corporation interested in funding opportunities, please visit: Support Exploring New Horizons!
Exploring New Horizons is an organizational member of the California Association of Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE). AEOE is a network of dedicated individuals and organizations in California that are committed to using environmental and outdoor education as a tool to create lasting environmental change. Their mission is “to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California.” AEOE, led by Estrella Risinger, has 3 core goals: 1) Convene program providers to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive network of skilled practitioners. 2) Provide learning opportunities that are aligned with best practices and content relevant to the field 3) Promote high-quality environmental education and advocate for all young people to experience meaningful learning opportunities outdoors.
Become an AEOE organizational member and get access to resources, conferences, and events!
AEOE is the California affiliate for the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE).
Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education | California AEOE
As the professional association for environmental and outdoor education in California, AEOE provides programs and practitioners with the tools, resources, and expertise to ensure that future generations are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary to develop lifelong connections to the natural world and the commitment to sustain it.
California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)
CAELI, led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.
Environmental Education Equity | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons seeks support to serve more lower-income schools, to continue providing affordable rates and scholarships to participating schools, and to provide professional learning for our staff on equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
Loma Mar Program | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Loma Mar takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science education, and focuses on adventure, self-discovery, and environmental stewardship. Located in the Pescadero Creek watershed near Memorial and Pescadero Creek County Parks, students learn about how they are connected to the natural world while exploring the Oak and Redwood Forest. Each evening activity finishes with songs and stories around the campfire.
Pigeon Point Program | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Pigeon Point is based at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historic Park with accommodations provided by Hostelling International. Pigeon Point is located on the Pacific Ocean, 50 miles south of San Francisco, and 20 miles north of Santa Cruz. The Pigeon Point program offers a unique opportunity for students to learn more about themselves as well as the natural world that surrounds them.
Sempervirens Program | Exploring New Horizons
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Sempervirens takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science education, and focuses on adventure, self-discovery, and environmental stewardship. Students explore the coastal ecosystems, the Oak, Madrone, and Redwood Forest, and each evening activity finishes with songs and stories around the campfire.
Ten Strands weaves stakeholders and strategies together into strong, focused education partnerships, with the goal of raising environmental literacy by providing high-quality environment-based learning and hands-on education to all California K–12 students. Ten Strands acts as an incubator and a catalyst to create collaborations, build capacity, and transform systems to increase their impact and sustainability.
Exploring New Horizons (ENH) empowers students, builds environmental literacy, and strengthens school communities through residential environmental education programs. Founded as a non-profit in 1979, ENH partners with over 100 schools from Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Monterey, and other Northern California counties, empowering students to better succeed in college and career and to work together to create a healthier and more sustainable world. ENH has two program models operating from September to June at its Loma Mar and Pigeon Point sites, and over its 40-year history, it has served over 200,000 students.
Listen to Jacob Sackin, Executive Director of Exploring New Horizons, highlight some of the great features of their programs, and discuss what environmental literacy means to him.
Exploring New Horizons is an organizational member of the California Association of Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE).
Become an AEOE organizational member and get access to resources, conferences, and events!
If you are a teacher, parent, or guardian looking to get involved with an outdoor education program like Exploring New Horizons, visit the CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub and find partners and programs near you: CAELI Community Based Partner Hub.
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
This week we wanted to take a look at the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on combating climate change. The order identifies specific actions and goals that include net-zero emissions, ecosystem conservation, and environmental justice. One area that wasn’t mentioned in the order is an approach to climate action through the education system.
This week we wanted to take a look at the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on combating climate change. The order identifies specific actions and goals that include net-zero emissions, ecosystem conservation, and environmental justice. One area that wasn’t mentioned in the order is an approach to climate action through the education system.
We looked at the ways in which the Biden Administration’s $1.5 Trillion Budget Request can utilize both the education budget and the allocation for tackling climate change in this week’s article: read here.
At Green Guardians, our motto is “environmental literacy, community action”, which directly correlates with the community-focused approach to environmental education. Our goal is to provide educators and students with the tools and connections needed to create an education system with environmental literacy as the foundation across all subjects and grade levels.
Are you looking to join us as we champion for a sustainable and equitable future for all?
ACE National Strategy Framework for the United States
Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) —climate education, training, public awareness, public participation, access to information, and international cooperation— as embedded in the UNFCCC Article 6 and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, can accelerate climate action and advance people-centered climate policies through increasing public awareness, building local capability, enhancing information sharing, encouraging innovation and beneficial behavioral norms, and promoting ongoing engagement.
Biden Proposes $1.5 Trillion Federal Spending Plan | NPR.org
The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a $1.5 trillion partial budget request for the next fiscal year, calling for increases across a range of domestic programs aimed at fighting poverty and climate change while keeping defense spending relatively flat.
Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
The United States and the world face a profound climate crisis. We have a narrow moment to pursue action at home and abroad in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and to seize the opportunity that tackling climate change presents. Domestic action must go hand in hand with United States international leadership, aimed at significantly enhancing global action.
Their mission is to unlock the power of the education sector to be a force toward climate action, solutions, and environmental justice to help prepare children and youth to advance a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable society.
Letter to Biden-Harris Administration | ACE Framework
ACE Framework writes in support of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement: Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), which seeks to inform, engage, and empower the public to join in finding and implementing solutions to the climate crisis.
President Biden Takes Executive Actions to Tackle the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Create Jobs, and Restore Scientific Integrity Across Federal Government.
Sustainability & STEM Virtual Earth Day Summit
Apr. 22-24, 2021 Backyard Basecamp
From hands-on science activities and engineering challenges for children of all ages, story-times for preschoolers, discussion forums on intersectional environmentalism, workshops to guide you on going zero waste with kids, and composting 101, our program of events is filled with informative, interactive workshops.
2021 Virtual Earth Week Celebration
Apr. 18-24, 2021 Inland Empire Utilities Agency and the City of Chino
Take part in educational activities – including activities from Project WET – learn about our environmental resources and how to protect them and participate in opportunities to receive free giveaways!
Live Webinar: Getting Your Citizen Science Project Off the Ground
Apr. 19, 2021 NEEF
NEEF will teach educators about citizen science through a webinar co-hosted with SciStarter, an online citizen science hub. The webinar will walk viewers through the process of creating, developing, and implementing a citizen science project.
Apr. 15, 2021 EcoWatch
Google Earth’s latest feature allows you to watch the climate change in four dimensions.
Why we’re optimistic we can save our oceans
Apr. 15, 2021 National Geographic
For all the threats to the ocean—warming, overfishing, pollution—a veteran undersea photographer sees ways to help and reasons for hope.
California enlists surveillance satellites to sniff out greenhouse gas ‘super-emitters’
Apr. 15, 2021 Los Angeles Times
Years after former Gov. Jerry Brown pledged California would launch its “own damn satellite” to track planet-warming pollutants, the state plans to put not one, but two satellites in orbit to help it hunt for hard-to-find “super-emitters” of methane and carbon dioxide.
Biden’s EPA gets serious about funding environmental justice
Apr. 15, 2021 The Hill
The Biden administration signaled its commitment to environmental justice in its Jan. 27 executive order on Tackling the Climate Crisis. Now the administration has taken two big steps toward funding that commitment.
97% of Earth’s land area may no longer be ecologically intact
Apr. 15, 2021 Frontiers Science News
Only between 2% and 3% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface can be considered ecologically intact, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. This percentage is drastically lower than past assessments.
‘Failure is not an option’: after a lost decade on climate action, the 2020s offer one last chance
Apr. 15, 2021 The Conversation
In May 2011, almost precisely a decade ago, the government-appointed Climate Commission released its inaugural report. Titled The Critical Decade, the report’s final section warned that to keep global temperature rises to 2℃ this century.
How Biodiversity Can Prevent Pandemics
Apr. 12, 2021 Sierra
For years, some scientists have argued that despite its benefits, biodiversity poses a major risk to human health, because the sheer variety of species in biodiverse landscapes creates greater opportunities for new pathogens to develop.
Creating Meaningful Professional Development For New Staff Members
Apr. 5, 2021 TeacherCast
In this episode of “Ask the Tech Coach,” Jeff and Susan welcome educator and Green Guardians advisor Scott Bedley onto the program to discuss his school district’s professional development program that supports new teachers.
President Biden promised that his administration would take an aggressive role in combating climate change. Although still early in his presidency, there is evidence to suggest that it will be at the forefront of this administration’s agenda. He has committed to rejoining the Paris Agreement and is reviewing the standards protecting communities, water sources, and air quality. The Biden Administration has set a goal to have a net-zero emission economy by 2050. But the question is: How do we get there?
The Executive Order to combat climate change includes the following bold claims:
• The United States government will exercise its leadership to make climate considerations an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security
• Both significant short-term global emission reductions and net-zero global emissions by mid-century – or before – are required to avoid setting the world on a dangerous, potentially catastrophic, climate trajectory.
• Commit to conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030 and launches a process for stakeholder engagement from agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, Tribes, States, Territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that will result in broad participation.
• Formalize a commitment to make environmental justice a part of the mission of every agency by directing federal agencies to develop programs, policies, and activities to address the disproportionate health, environmental, economic, and climate impacts on disadvantaged communities.
• Build a stronger, more resilient nation.
(Source: WhiteHouse.Gov)
While this order certainly advances the US’ climate agenda it does not incorporate or account for an education plan that focuses on climate change and how to prepare students with 21st-century skills that will enable them to make informed decisions and be capable of participating in a rapidly evolving world. If we want to create a more resilient nation, there is a need to prepare and educate our citizens from a young age about the causes and effects of climate change and their role in combating it. Creating a cross-sector agenda that includes the Department of Education is at the center of this action plan, and many organizations are reaching out to the Biden Administration to encourage them to take action.
President Biden has budgeted $102.8 billion for education in his $1.5 Trillion Budget Request, which can be used towards environmental literacy tools for students. With this budget, we would see an increase of 40.8% in education spending. (NPR.org) This increased budget, as well as the $14 billion increase allocated for fighting climate change, can serve students by providing funding for teachers for their basic classroom needs, while also meeting the need for resources to implement environmental literacy and justice campaigns across all grade levels.
Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), wrote a letter to the Biden Administration encouraging them to establish a joint federal and civil society effort based on their strategic framework (ACE Strategic Framework). ACE has created its national planning framework with the support of a broad coalition of partners with the goal of preparing the United States to enter the Paris Agreement. The need for a community-focused approach to climate action is the main foundation of the ACE framework.
If the Biden Administration were to utilize the community-focused approach of the ACE framework and incorporate the Department of Education into their climate change plan, we can begin to work on tackling climate change from the ground up. Without support from the Department of Education, teachers are left to their own devices, which often include limited support and resources to create a curriculum that supports climate action. As noted by author Christina Kwauk,
“86% of teachers think climate change should be taught in classrooms, yet only 42% actually teach it.”
As the Biden Administration has made the call to acknowledge and support environmental justice throughout the nation, it is also important to recognize the connection between environmental justice and environmental literacy. In order to create a generation prepared to fight climate change, they need to have a fundamental understanding of not only the global repercussions of climate change but also the effects that climate change has on the communities they reside in. We recently spoke to youth activist Isha Clarke who mirrored this sentiment, mentioning that using the environment as a multi-disciplinary lens to highlight and provide context around injustices facing students’ communities will reach students and inspire action.
At Green Guardians, our motto is “environmental literacy, community action”, which directly correlates with the community-focused approach to environmental education. Our goal is to provide educators and their students with the tools and connections needed to create an education system with environmental literacy as the foundation across all subjects and grade levels.
Are you looking to join us as we champion for a sustainable and equitable future for all?
ACE National Strategy Framework for the United States
Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) —climate education, training, public awareness, public participation, access to information, and international cooperation— as embedded in the UNFCCC Article 6 and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, can accelerate climate action and advance people-centered climate policies through increasing public awareness, building local capability, enhancing information sharing, encouraging innovation and beneficial behavioral norms, and promoting ongoing engagement.
Biden Proposes $1.5 Trillion Federal Spending Plan | NPR.org
The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a $1.5 trillion partial budget request for the next fiscal year, calling for increases across a range of domestic programs aimed at fighting poverty and climate change while keeping defense spending relatively flat.
Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
The United States and the world face a profound climate crisis. We have a narrow moment to pursue action at home and abroad in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and to seize the opportunity that tackling climate change presents. Domestic action must go hand in hand with United States international leadership, aimed at significantly enhancing global action.
Their mission is to unlock the power of the education sector to be a force toward climate action, solutions, and environmental justice to help prepare children and youth to advance a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable society.
Letter to Biden-Harris Administration | ACE Framework
ACE Framework writes in support of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement: Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), which seeks to inform, engage, and empower the public to join in finding and implementing solutions to the climate crisis.
President Biden Takes Executive Actions to Tackle the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Create Jobs, and Restore Scientific Integrity Across Federal Government.