Dear Educators,
The first day of spring has come during some very uncertain times this year, and many educators and students have turned to online instruction. We want to remind you that the EEI Curriculum is accessible online for free, and until the end of this school year students may access form-fillable workbooks and other materials directly from our website. Feel free to reach out to us at EEI@calrecycle.ca.gov if you need support with your digital instruction and we’ll do our best to assist you. And, we are still fulfilling orders for hardcopies of the EEI Curriculum (for delivery to your home address) if you are compiling packets for your students. If you or someone you know still needs to complete training to qualify to order hardcopies of the EEI Curriculum, it has never been easier. The on-demand training only takes 15-minutes to complete!
The Office of Education and the Environment has compiled a list of some additional free environmental education resources that educators and students may retrieve online:
The Green Schoolyards America organization has compiled online materials for educators to guide students in outdoor activities. While these activities were designed for use on schoolyards, most of the activities can be used in students’ own backyards, neighborhoods, and other natural areas close to their homes. This collection of resources provides hands-on activities that lead students to a deeper understanding of the natural world.
The John Muir Laws Foundation offers a free downloadable PDF that provides teachers with the resources to guide students in Nature Journaling. This comprehensive how-to resource provides educators with a way to connect art, science, math, and critical thinking skills through guided Nature Journaling activities.
San Mateo County Office of Education has developed and curated some terrific resources for distance learning (and classroom-based learning) that focus on environmental literacy and sustainability. Topics include energy, waste, water, transportation, food, and land ecosystems. Resources include field research activities, guided on-line research activities, and self-directed learning tools.
The University of California Naturalist program has curated a comprehensive list of Distance Learning Resources catered to online and hybrid-learning curriculum and activities for a variety of learning levels. While the California Naturalist program is geared towards adult learners, many of these resources can be used with K-12 students.
The Plastic Pollution Virtual Film Series features 5 exceptional films designed to educate and inspire teachers and students on the problem of plastic pollution. Each film establishes potential solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. The series premieres on PBS throughout the month of April in honor of Earth Month.
EEI Program Updates
At this time, the Office of Education and the Environment is continuing to fulfill orders for hard copies of the EEI Curriculum. However, we are only shipping to residential addresses while schools are closed.
Award, Grant, and Contest Opportunities
National Geographic Grant Opportunities
As part of supporting a planet in balance, National Geographic offers Exploration grants that concentrate on certain key issues. Applicants may propose projects focused on conservation, education, research, storytelling, or technology with focus areas including, but not limited to wildlife, changing planet, and human journey.
Deadline: April 22, 2020
Award: $5,000-$10,000
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest; Climate Hope: Transforming Crisis
The global Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about ocean issues through art-making and creative communication, and where teens can explore their relationship to a changing world and become advocates for environmental action. Students ages 11-18 are invited to participate.
Deadline: June 15, 2020
Award: $100-$1,500
Annie’s Grants for Gardens program offers funding for edible garden projects that help connect to nutritious food. Grant can be used to purchase gardening tools, seeds, or other needed supplies for new gardens or to support existing garden projects.
Applications open: July 2020
Award: Up to $5,000
Captain Planet Foundation: ecoSolution Grants
ecoSolution™ Grants support solution-oriented, youth-led projects that result in real environmental outcomes. ecoSoluton™ Grants range from $500-$2,500 and are available to educators working with youth in the United States to build the next generation of environmental stewards and change-agents.
Deadline: July 15, 2020
Award: $500-$2,500
Education Resources
New: California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) Website
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by the nonprofit 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 Literacy Compendium for the California H-SS Framework
This compendium contains selected sections from each grade level of the History-Social Science Framework that are particularly suited to the integration of the Environmental Principles and Concepts. Alongside these excerpts from the Framework are instructional suggestions designed to aid teachers as they infuse environmental instruction into their scope and sequence. There are also videos for each grade band.
California Department of Education Resources that Support Distance Learning
The California Department of Education has compiled a comprehensive list of online resources suited for distance learning. The list includes resources to foster online engagement, teaching tools, subject-specific resources, activities, and more.
Environmental Literacy News
As we all stay home to save lives, the California Environmental Protection Agency (the parent organization for EEI) wants Californians to see the important work that educators do every day to help save our planet. Share the ways the actions or inspirations that you do contribute to saving the planet by using the hashtags: #HowISavethePlanet and #WhyISavethePlanet
Youth Participatory Action Research: A Powerful Model for Youth Climate Literacy in PK-12 Classrooms
By: Kavita Gupta
March 9, 2020
Ten Strands
The Coronavirus, Animals, and Human Health
By: Shelley Brooks, Ph.D.
March 5, 2020
California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP)
By: Shelley Brooks, Ph.D.
February 24, 2020
Ten Strands
Green Schoolyards: An Interview with Sharon Danks, Part 1
By: Lauren Iversen
February 6, 2020
Ten Strands
Green Schoolyards: An Interview with Sharon Danks, Part 2
By: Lauren Iversen
February 13. 2020
The Field
Environmental Literacy: A K-12 Experience
By: Michele Whiteaker
February 10, 2020
Ten Strands
By: Shelley Brooks Ph.D.
February 2, 2020
California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP)
Making Next Generation Science Standards Local
By Crystal Howe
January 27, 2020
Ten Strands
By: Nathan Fairchild
January 7, 2020
Ten Strands
California Education and the Environment Initiative 