Singapore Green Guardians Blog

For most teachers, integrating environmental literacy into instruction typically involves taking students outside, on a field trip, into schoolyards, or attending a residential science camp. Unfortunately, a lot of those opportunities are closed off due to COVID-19 as students and teachers have been forced into a distance learning setting for health and safety concerns, and educators have had to rethink how they approach environmental literacy. Along with the inability for teachers to meet with students in person, there has been a general loss of instructional time for students in the field of science. During this unprecedented time, subjects such as English Language Arts and Math are being prioritized, which leaves science instruction and environmental literacy to fall behind. One of the reasons for the prioritization of other subjects outside of science is due to teachers being unable to use and shift the same lessons they have spent time developing for in-person instruction to a distance learning setting. 

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Dean Reese, the Coordinator of Outdoor Education and Environmental Literacy for the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE). Dean is the project director for the Region 6 California Environmental Literacy Project and supports teachers in their efforts to connect students to the outdoors with environmental literacy throughout San Joaquin County and beyond. Over the past year, Dean has been providing incomparable guidance to teachers on how to transition their environmental literacy programs to fit the needs of an unprecedented learning setting – whether that be distance learning or a hybrid classroom model.  

When transitioning to distance learning, many educators have had to think outside the box and create new lesson plans that integrate their normal approach with the use of technology. Tools such as HyperDocs and Google Classroom allow teachers to have students participate in an interactive digital document where they can do synchronous or asynchronous learning. This is especially helpful when finding a solution that meets the learning needs of all students.  

“It’s about being innovative and creative, and figuring out how can we still engage students even though we can’t be face to face.” 

Dean Reese

An effective way to approach environmental literacy in this setting is to utilize digital tools such as breakout rooms in video conferencing software and interactive whiteboards such as Jamboard. Jamboard allows students to talk amongst themselves and write out questions; similar to what you can do in an in-person classroom setting.  

As Dean mentioned in our interview, it’s important to understand that students are just as zoom-fatigued as adults, so we must find ways to meet their emotional and social needs in addition to their academic needs. It’s hard for students to stay engaged in a distance learning setting, especially in science, where environmental literacy is most commonly integrated, as it’s often hands-on and interactive. To combat this, we need to utilize the space where our students live such as their local parks and backyards. A lot is going on in the ecosystems all around us and teachers should encourage students to engage with their surroundings.  

“We walk by the nature that is around us all the time without taking the time to stop and look, so there is an opportunity to understand nature right where we live.” 

Nature journaling is a great approach to incorporate environmental literacy into a distance learning curriculum – drawing, asking questions, interacting with phenomena in front of them – it is an opportunity for students to slow down, observe, and discuss the exciting things they see outside with their peers. It creates a sense of community in a time where many are removed from their usual interactions with friends and educators. 

At the SJCOE, County Superintendent of Schools, James Mousalimas, has prioritized science and environmental literacy. It is through this focus that the SJCOE has made significant progress with its environmental literacy efforts. Dean has been able to take part in several initiatives to provide professional development for teachers looking to integrate environmental literacy in a distance learning setting. The SJCOE has established and sustained environmental literacy networks that bring students, teachers, and community-based partners together to simultaneously learn in this new way. They have also partnered with the CA Department of Education where they are holding workshops to raise awareness of programs that look at the sustainability of a school, the health and wellness of students and staff, and to identify the types of environmental education tools and programs they have available.  

As a backbone of networks for advancing environmental literacy, the SJCOE has created 3 distinct groups to engage differing demographics with environmental literacy: CPEL (Community Partners for Environmental Literacy), TEL (Teachers for Environmental Literacy), and YEL (Youth for Environmental Literacy). As Dean enthusiastically proclaimed,  

“We’re gonna TEL it, we’re gonna CPEL it, and we’re gonna YEL it!”  

Dean Reese

The CPEL network provides the opportunity to identify which community partners are active in San Joaquin County and in the greater region, as well as who is providing environmental education services for our schools in an equitable way. The TEL network is a great platform for both students with YEL, and community-based partners with CPEL, to interact with teachers and make sure their environmental literacy programs and teachings are relevant to students. YEL, an engaging network for students, keeps them informed, inspires them, and provides a pathway for green careers after high school. It has also been a platform where students can talk to adults and teachers to try and get the change they are looking for in environmental education to happen within their classrooms. 

Since many organizations are now meeting virtually, it has allowed agencies such as the SJCOE to expand their resources outside their county and to the greater region, allowing students, teachers, and community-based partners to talk to other schools outside of their local community. They can share tools and new tricks to help students and teachers stay engaged and excited about environmental literacy initiatives.  

“There is so much learning done when students talk and share with one another.” 

Dean Reese

One of the things Dean feels is imperative once we transition back to the classroom, is to remember all the great tools we have discovered over the last year with virtual learning. A lot of community-based partners and state parks have created resources for students and teachers, so when there is a transition back into the classroom, educators should not forget all they have utilized during this period, and instead, integrate them into their normal classroom lessons or after school during homework hours. 

We asked Dean about his outlook on the state of environmental literacy, and he acknowledges that we are at the beginning of environmental literacy and there is much to do in terms of engaging stakeholders and allowing environmental literacy programs to prosper. However, Dean is optimistic that we will “continue to see a rise in importance for environmental literacy across counties in California.” With environmental literacy champions like Dean working tirelessly to advance the field, teachers, students, parents, and community-based partners are in good hands. 

Relevant Links 

SJCOE STEM Programs 

The SJCOE STEM Program Mission is to provide innovative programs that empower students, educators, and regional communities to engage in learning experiences integrating science, technology, engineering, and math. 

SJCOE Environmental Literacy Networks 

The environmental literacy team is building networks to connect and support environmental education between community-based partners, educators, students, and school districts and sites. We will meet throughout the year to address challenges, support each other’s work, build capacity, foster collaboration, and further integrate our districts and schools into the real work to address local and global environmental challenges. 

SJCOE Outdoor Education | Science Camp, Jones Gulch 

San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE), Science Camp, Jones Gulch, informally known as “Science Camp”, is a week-long residential outdoor education program reaching approximately 4500 fifth and sixth graders and 600 high school cabin leaders each year since 1957. On the California coast, students spend five days and four nights exploring the natural world and learning about the spectacular redwood forest and coastal ecosystems. 

Ten Strands 

Ten Strands is the leading field catalyst and “backbone organization” in the state of California and the founder of CAELI. It partners with the state government, local education agencies, providers of environmental education, community members, and funders to make environmental literacy a reality for all California’s K–12 students. 

Jamboard 

Google’s interactive whiteboard system offers a collaborative experience for teams and classrooms. 

Flipgrid 

Flipgrid is a free and accessible video discussion experience for PreK to Ph.D. educators, learners, and families. 

HyperDoc 

HyperDocs.co is an online teacher academy and a resource-sharing hub. HyperDocs are digital lesson plans that are designed by teachers and given to students. They provide access for students to all the content and learning in one organized digital space. 

Google Classroom 

Classroom is a free service for schools, non-profits, and anyone with a personal Google account. Classroom makes it easy for learners and instructors to connect—inside and outside of schools. Classroom saves time and paper and makes it easy to create classes, distribute assignments, communicate, and stay organized. 

Environmental education not only makes students better stewards of our planet it also makes them happier and more successful. There are ample studies at the local and program level suggesting that environmental education improves the academic performance and socio-emotional health of children. Nonetheless, the U.S. public school system has been reluctant to prioritize it. Legislation has resulted in an increased focus on math and English language arts and left little time for environmental education programs. On top of this, environmental education remains inadequately funded and without a national framework to drive implementation and evaluation in the U.S. public school system.

We spoke with Jason Morris, the Senior Program Officer for the Environmental Education Program at Pisces Foundation. Jason leads the Foundation’s grantmaking in environmental education and implements strategies to shape environmental education initiatives nationally. He believes that the U.S. school system must place a greater value on environmental education if they are to optimize learning outcomes for all students and that the federal government can do more to support schools by elevating environmental education as a critical component to every child’s education. However, without a public and private partnership between philanthropy and the federal and state funding streams, environmental education will struggle to scale.

“When the U.S. public school system prioritizes environmental education, it can get funded, and all kids benefit.”

Jason Morris

Jason is uniquely qualified to evaluate and analyze the environmental education field. In addition to his role at Pisces, he has spent much of his career providing hands-on environmental education programs for children and teens. As executive vice president of NatureBridge, Jason oversaw all aspects of NatureBridge’s residential programs in six national parks across the country. He has experienced first-hand the systemic challenges facing environmental education programs, including but not limited to, ensuring that there is sufficient funding and that programs are reaching the high needs of students and schools.

Despite these challenges, Jason loves what he is seeing at the program and local level in communities across the country. Jason takes what he calls an “abundance mind frame” when thinking about environmental education around the U.S. and believes that “we are doing very well in terms of the presence of environmental education opportunities.” However, he recognizes that this often does not translate into opportunities for all students. Jason believes the U.S. needs to do a better job of shaping those opportunities in terms of equity, cultural relevance, and how this translates into career opportunities.

“Oftentimes [environmental education] is perceived to be for kids and school districts with time and money to engage in multiple learning experiences, and there are kids and schools who simply don’t have that,” Jason states.

He believes the experience students have at school, in non-profit programs and within their community, are the foundation to building a strong environmental education ecosystem. But, he states that currently, this ecosystem lacks the “connective tissue” necessary to hold it all together. Jason feels the field of environmental education still has some evolving to do and points out six elements Pisces is supporting that come from research on the elements most mature and well-developed fields have:

1.     A shared narrative

2.     A knowledge base of credible evidence

3.     Equity and relevance to a broad swath of the population

4.     Advocacy at the state and federal levels

5.     Adequate funding

6.     Standards of practice

At Pisces Foundation, Jason’s work revolves around identifying and assisting “backbone organizations” through funding and network building. “We are trying to create those connections between the key nodes of strategic work because a school partnering with a non-profit, partnering with a community-based partner is stronger than any three of those things by themselves.” Jason and Pisces are actively looking for more backbone organizations that can uplift the field and specifically ones that can be the “connective tissue” between schools, programs, and the community at the state and national level.

If you are an educator, program provider, or community-based partner, please reach out to Green Guardians and let us know what your mission, values, and needs are. As Jason emphasized while discussing the need to increase networking, “we need to aggregate this work so the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

Learn more about Pisces Foundation and the organizations and networks Jason highlighted in the relevant links below.

Relevant Links

Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) – AEOE is a statewide organization that was created by and for outdoor and environmental educators. It is the California affiliate for the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE), its mission is to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California.

Blue Sky Funders Forum – The Blue Sky Funders Forum is a national collaborative that helps members learn, connect, and grow philanthropy that supports the many benefits of environmental literacy and stronger connections to nature. We are a community united in the belief that when people have meaningful experiences outdoors their quality of life, health and social wellbeing improve, and in turn, their communities become stronger and more sustainable.

ChangeScale – ChangeScale builds cohesiveness, effectiveness, and prominence in the field of environmental education throughout the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area. It works collaboratively to achieve a greater collective impact on environmental education outcomes than any one organization could achieve independently.

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) – NAAEE uses the power of education to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement to create a more equitable and sustainable future. It works with educators, policymakers, and partners throughout the world.

NatureBridge – NatureBridge’s mission is to connect young people to the wonder and science of the natural world, igniting self-discovery and inspiring stewardship of our planet. Through overnight, hands-on environmental science programs, it takes more than 35,000 children and teens each year into our national parks to explore the outdoors, connect with their peers, discover themselves, and develop a lasting relationship with the environment.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program provides grants and in-kind support for programs that educate and inspire people to use Earth system science to improve ecosystem stewardship and increase resilience to environmental hazards.

Pisces Foundation – The Pisces Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations to accelerate to a world where people and nature thrive together. It supports early movers, innovative ideas, and bold leaders and organizations, adapting based on what it learns.

Rethink Outside – Coordinated by Blue Sky Funders Forum and informed by the voices of hundreds of stakeholders and allies, the new shared narrative leverages and shares communications research, tools, and strategies to tell a new story and engage new partners to bring the promise of healthy communities to all. Together, we aspire to create a future where everyone has positive experiences outdoors and shares the joy, health, growth, and sense of community that comes with it.

Ten Strands – Ten Strands is the leading field catalyst and “backbone organization” in the state of California and the founder of CAELI. It partners with the state government, local education agencies, providers of environmental education, community members, and funders to make environmental literacy a reality for all California’s K–12 students.

“We must build administrators’ capacity and understanding of environmental literacy in order to put teachers in positions to make the necessary changes to the education system.” 

Andra Yeghoian 

This week we spoke with Andra Yeghoian, the Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Coordinator at San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), about creating impact and driving change from the classroom to the site, county, and state levels through environmental literacy. Our goal in speaking with Andra was to better understand her journey in advancing environmental literacy in California so that others may identify their own pathways to becoming Green Leaders.  

Andra got her start in environmental literacy and sustainability when she decided to pursue a teaching credential upon graduation. She was introduced to environmental sustainability through a close friend who presented the book Ishamael, which helps “explore the mental models that are driving our unsustainable behaviors.” This exposure developed into a passion for sustainability. She began imparting her knowledge and passion to her students while teaching in the Netherlands. While students engaged enthusiastically with environmental sustainability, Yeghoian faced resistance from both parents and administration at the school. This inspired her to pursue an MBA to enhance her business acumen to “sell” her vision more effectively to adult stakeholders. She got the opportunity to do just that as Director of Sustainability at Bishop O’Dowd High School, a private Catholic school in Oakland, CA. After working at the classroom and site levels she then took her experience to the county level, where she is now, at SMCOE overseeing a broad environmental literacy and sustainability initiative that impacts 23 school districts, over 110,000 students, and heading state-wide initiatives. 

Andra believes that environmental literacy is an important component of K-12 education because of its ties to our cultural experience, “The education system is fundamental to our cultural narrative, so if we want to make a paradigm shift happen, to move from the status quo to sustainable lifestyles, we have to make sure the education system is on board.” She would love for schools to be models for sustainability that students can grow and learn with and for them to implement these practices in their daily lives outside of school. Kids who grow up learning about sustainability and experiencing sustainable behaviors and practices at school are more inclined to continue the work and question the practices around them when they move into college and career. 

For environmental education to improve across both county and state levels, we need more green leaders to champion the cause. A green leader can be described as someone who demonstrates awareness and knowledge of the interconnectedness between natural and human systems, as well as the environmental and social issues that exist within these systems. They identify solutions to environmental challenges and use their skills and tools to resolve issues within their communities. Green leaders look at the big picture, enhancing the awareness and knowledge of others. 

When we objectively examine the current state of environmental literacy and sustainability in the formal K-12 sector, we must acknowledge that there are areas for improvement. Higher education has tripled down on sustainability. The corporate world is prioritizing sustainability and demanding an environmentally literate workforce with skills to address 21^st-century challenges. Educators in K-12 need to look at how what they are teaching prepares students for higher ed and a career after high school. Many already overwhelmed teachers feel like environmental education is just one more thing to worry about. However, instead of being one more thing, Andra advocates for sustainability to become a platform that everything else connects to. This interdisciplinary approach is, “a hard mental model shift for educators.” 

Having a scalable foundation is imperative for aspiring green leaders, as can be seen in Andra’s shift from a private school serving roughly 1200 students, to the county level, serving more than 110,000 students. A green leader in her own right, Andra uses some of the same models she used at Bishop O’Dowd such as the Whole School Sustainability Integration Framework to scale across San Mateo County. Andra emphasizes her “4Cs” integration model, where “the idea of work happens across campus, curriculum, community, and culture.” Many of the initiatives she implemented at one school, she has now scaled to work in over 150 schools.  

One of the ways that schools are changing in a way that complements life beyond K-12, is through the creation of Green Campuses. A green campus is one that has a balanced ecological footprint, is climate-resilient, and inclusive. A campus that is carbon neutral and creates natural habitats to restore the footprint: catching and reusing rainwater, improving indoor air quality through natural ventilation. One that is climate-resilient: making sure schools can accommodate storms, wildfires, etc. An inclusive space: making sure everyone is comfortable and seen, and has gender-inclusive facilities. All of these aspects are “lumped into the green campus idea.” Green leaders can begin to implement these ideas by taking a look at the framework Andra has created and working with educational leaders to make sure the efforts are supported for long-term success.  

“The field of environmental education is not challenged with a dearth of ideas; it’s challenged by a capacity to deliver.”  

Judy Braus, Executive Director of NAAEE 

Making sure stakeholders have the capacity to deliver at scale is one of the first things Andra learned throughout her endeavors. Because of this she continues to develop and launch capacity building programs aimed at teachers and students: 

• – The Sustainable and Climate Resilient Teacher Fellowship is focused on integrating environmental sustainability into its curriculum through project-based learning. This is the 6^th  year of the program and the cohort recently shared its success in its case studies and capstone presentations.  

• – The Youth Climate Ambassadors Leadership Program brings 9-11th grade students from across San Mateo County together, to empower youth to take climate action into their own hands. Through the program, students develop projects designed to drive change within San Mateo County and gain a diverse set of skills related to sustainability and climate action. 

In order to better support these student and teacher leaders to drive transformative change, administrators also need capacity-building and tools for environmental literacy and sustainability. Andra notes that “We always talk about professional development for teachers and educators, but administrators are the ones pulling the strings, and they need the capacity and understanding in order to put educators in the position to make the necessary changes in our schools!” This is why Andra has also launched an Administrator Fellowship Program focused around the intersection of green facilities and curriculum and instruction.  

Having first-hand experience working at the county-level, Andra sees how County Offices of Education can be field catalysts for change within their communities. They offer the support and capacity-building tools needed for change in both the school and district levels. By bringing the Whole School Sustainability Integration Framework to San Mateo County, Andra has helped catalyze institutional change that impacts the entire school; making schools and campuses “a laboratory of learning for a sustainable paradigm shift.” 

As a green leader, Andra has taken what she has learned in the past decade’s success and failure to build out a model in San Mateo County that is sustainable and scalable for all counties. “I feel so lucky to have been able to stand on the shoulders of all those who have come before me. I am so lucky to have learned from so many people,” expressed Andra. She credits her success and ability to challenge environmental education to the support and previous foundations of other green leaders who came before her, and to the risk-taking of the Principals and Superintendents she has worked under that had the bold visionary leadership to bring on a director/coordinator focused around sustainability. Mentoring and working with others in the field of environmental education is imperative for change. Green leaders should continue to take action within their communities and look to others who have championed the way for a more sustainable and comprehensive structure for environmental education.  

Relevant Links 

Bishop O’Dowd Commitment to Sustainability  

Awarded the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School and a Bay Area Green Certified Business in 2016 under Andra’s leadership. Learn more about Bishop O’Dowd’s sustainable work on campus in energy, water, transportation, waste, food and dining, air quality, and construction and renovations. 

ELSI Environmental Justice Resources  

Developed by SMCOE Environmental Literacy Initiative, this repository contains environmental justice resources for teachers and students to customize and adapt to their classrooms. 

Institute for Humane Education

The Institute for Humane Education helps educators teach about human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection to create a world where all can thrive.

National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative  

Hosted on the Green Schoolyards website, you’ll find the National COVID-19 Learning Initiative’s ever-growing body of work. SMCOE is one of the leaders driving this project. 

One Planet Living Framework  

Based on learning from the BedZED eco-village, Bioregional created the One Planet Living sustainability framework – comprising ten simple principles and detailed goals and guidance – and developed it together with WWF. 

SMCOE Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative  

Explore Andra’s site for the San Mateo County Office of Education. You’ll find a seemingly endless amount of useful resources and information on the work SMCOE is doing. These paid fellowships build teacher and administrative capacity for driving sustainable and climate-resilient transformative change in their classroom and school communities.

Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools Educator Fellowships 

These paid fellowships build teacher and administrative capacity for driving sustainable and climate resilient transformative change in their classroom and school communities.

Ten Strands 

Ten Strands is the leading field catalyst in the state of California and key partner of SMCOE Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative.