Climate Education & Youth Commissions: A Powerful Combination to Spark Youth Activism
Harper Fortgang
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our generation. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the physical and mental health effects of climate-driven extreme weather events (Environmental Protection Agency). By the end of the century in California – when children born in 2025 will be 75 years old – they will experience 60-90 more extreme heat days (Vice) and 3 to 6 feet of sea level rise (Baykeeper).
Yet fewer than 20% of US teens are “very well informed” about climate change, according to a survey conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, and 70% indicate that they would like to know more about global warming. These percentages highlight the importance of expanding climate literacy across all elementary, middle, and high schools to ensure that young people have the knowledge and tools to fight climate change. Climate literacy is defined as an understanding of the systems behind climate change, how humans affect the climate, and how the climate affects humans (Climate.gov). A comprehensive climate education also includes: local examples of climate change consequences, potential small- and large-scale solutions to climate change, action projects, strategies to counter climate anxiety and focus on hope, connections to environmental justice, integration of climate topics across disciplines, outdoor education, and exposure to green jobs.
In California, AB285 requires that all public school science classes incorporate “the causes and effects of climate change, and on the methods to mitigate and adapt to climate change.” The bill was passed in October 2023, introduced by Assemblymember Rivas with advocacy from organizations including Ten Strands, The Climate Center, and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative. AB285 is an important first step to expand climate literacy, but school districts must ensure that teachers have the resources, training, and time to add this content into already tightly packed curriculum. Future legislation must also ensure that schools integrate climate education across all subject areas, following New Jersey’s landmark legislation passed in 2020 that makes it the first and only state to require climate change education across subjects. Incorporating climate literacy in all content areas is critical to activate every student by demonstrating how their interests and future careers are connected to fighting climate change.
To strengthen and expand climate literacy, Youth Commissions play an important role to identify student and teacher perspectives about existing climate education and areas to improve in their school districts. On the San Francisco Youth Commission, we interviewed environmental educators in the district, talked to leaders of the San Francisco Environment Department, and distributed a survey about climate literacy for student input. Based on their feedback, we identified recommendations for the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and Board of Education to strengthen climate literacy in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Here are some of our recommendations that other Youth Commissions might consider pursuing:
Expanding access to teacher professional development training about climate education. For example, the SFUSD partners with the San Mateo County Office of Education to offer the Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship that supports teachers to develop and implement climate action projects with their students.
Designating funding for green schoolyard/garden coordinators to ensure maintenance and utilization of outdoor school areas which are important for connecting youth to the outdoors and serve as locations to apply climate action projects. In SFUSD, while >93% of all schools have gardens, only 62% of elementary schools, 36% of middle schools, and 35% of high schools have a designated garden educator (data was collected in a survey led by Green Academy students at Lincoln High School). The responsibility of maintaining gardens often lands on teachers who are already overstretched, leading to under-maintained and under-utilized outdoor learning spaces.
Creating opportunities for educators to share climate education resources across schools to build on successful programs and ensure they are accessible to all students. In the past, SFUSD convened a climate educators working group and our Youth Commission is advocating to re-establish it.
Running a district-wide climate action day to build time for climate action into school schedules. In New York City public schools, students engage in four district-wide climate action days that offer students curriculum, field trips, and school-wide action projects centered around different environmental themes.
These are just a few ways to expand climate literacy; the most effective ideas will grow out of feedback from students and teachers in your own school district. Most importantly, Youth Commissions must learn from each other’s successes and collaborate to expand climate literacy beyond one school district – and across California!
Image credit: World Bank Live