A Decade in the Making — And Still Growing: CAELI’s 2024–25 Highlights and a 10-Year Milestone

As we approach the tenth anniversary of California’s Blueprint for Environmental Literacy this September, we pause to reflect on what a decade of dedicated collective action can accomplish.

The Blueprint, released in 2015, was more than just a document — it sparked a statewide movement to integrate environmental literacy into the heart of California’s education system. Today, the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) carries forward that vision with the support of educators, school and district leaders, nonprofits, community advocates, and policymakers across the state.

This past year stands as a powerful example of that vision in action — and how nearly a decade of shared leadership, bold ideas, and tireless collaboration continues to make a difference. We’re proud to share the impact of this year’s work and the foundation it’s built upon.

Celebrating Impact: CAELI’s 2024–25 Highlights

Over the past year, CAELI’s collective action network has continued to drive change in classrooms, schoolyards, and communities throughout California. Our work this year reflects both deepening partnerships and the expansion of opportunities for students and educators statewide.

• Peaks and Valleys Study: In partnership with the Lawrence Hall of Science, CAELI conducted the Peaks and Valleys study — an ambitious research effort engaging over 1,080 educators and administrators from all 58 California counties. The study, released in September 2024, sheds light on both the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing environmental literacy across diverse educational settings. These insights are helping shape statewide strategies that are responsive, inclusive, and grounded in the lived experiences of teachers and leaders.
  
• Green Career Initiative: Following the successful June 2024 release of CAELI’s flagship call to action, Educating for a Green Economy, CAELI’s Green Career leaders piloted a webinar series featuring strategies for infusing environmental literacy into career education, as well as case studies from the field. Check out these Green Career–themed webinars here.
  
• Elevating District Leadership for Environmental Literacy: CAELI’s district leaders had an impactful year, starting with a successful meet-up at the Green California Schools and Higher Education (GCSHE) Summit in the fall and continuing with an engaging district leaders webinar series. All of these efforts brought more and more district leaders into the CAELI ecosystem and helped further the exchange of best practices across the state.
  
• Bolstering Green Ribbon Success Across California: CAELI’s Green Ribbon Initiative convened four statewide sessions, bringing together educators, business leaders, and community organizations to foster partnerships and share resources that support school communities in achieving success in the California Green Ribbon program. CAELI’s Green Ribbon advocates supported a wave of applications for the 2025 Green Ribbon Schools program, recognized in April 2025 for exemplary efforts in sustainability, health, and environmental education. Additionally, CAELI’s Green Ribbon Initiative highlighted a number of Green Ribbon alumni — through case studies and stories — who have continued to build on their success over the past ten years.
• Building Capacity at County Offices of Education (COEs): CAELI’s County Office of Education leaders continue to build capacity across the state for COEs to be leaders of environmental initiatives in their regions. The CAELI COE Community of Practice expanded its reach this year, engaging participants from 31 counties — a testament to California’s growing commitment to environmental literacy leadership at the county level. The COE group also celebrated its third COE fellowship cohort, providing ongoing professional learning, leadership development, and peer collaboration for county office leaders. In February 2025, CAELI’s COE leadership work was highlighted at the Curricular and Improvement Support Committee (CISC) Leadership Symposium, showcasing the critical role county offices play in driving systemic change.
• Supporting Community-Based Partners: In partnership with the Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, CAELI’s Community-Based Partner (CBP) leaders continued their mission to strengthen California’s network of regional environmental education providers. Through initiatives such as the CBP Program Leaders Webinar Series and the CBP Network Leaders Community of Practice, the Hub connected local leaders, facilitated knowledge sharing, and built capacity among organizations committed to advancing environmental literacy in their regions.
• Environmental Superhero Teacher Stories: The Professional Learning Initiative continued to spotlight innovative teaching practices that weave environmental literacy into core instruction. A highlight of the year was the launch of Season Two of the ELA Superheroes podcast, which amplifies the voices of educators integrating environmental themes into English Language Arts. These stories offer both inspiration and practical strategies for teachers across content areas.
• Leadership Transitions: As with any growing network, leadership transitions mark important moments. This year, we express deep gratitude to Juanita Chan-Roden, who served as CAELI co-chair for the past three years. Her steadfast leadership, vision, and commitment to equity have left a lasting impact. We’re excited to welcome Nate Ivy, who joins Estrella Risinger as CAELI’s new co-chair for the 2025–26 season. We invite you to read their reflections and hopes for the future in our CAELI latest newsletter.

Building Momentum: A Decade of Vision, Leadership, and Collective Action

This year’s achievements build on a decade of groundwork laid by a dedicated, statewide community.

The movement began with the Environmental Literacy Task Force, a 47-member group co-chaired by Craig Strang (then of the Lawrence Hall of Science) and Elizabeth Babcock (then of the California Academy of Sciences). This group crafted a vision of environmental literacy as a right for every student — a vital part of preparing young people for civic life, college, careers, and environmental stewardship.

In September 2015, California’s then-Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, stood at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco alongside educators, environmental advocates, and policymakers to unveil A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy: Educating Every California Student In, About, and For the Environment.

In January 2016, Ten Strands and the Blueprint’s co-chairs formed the Environmental Literacy Steering Committee (ELSC), bringing together cross-sector leaders in curriculum, policy, communications, and funding to begin turning vision into action.

By 2019, the ELSC had evolved into CAELI — a formal collective action network led by Ten Strands and a growing number of cross-sector collaborators.

A significant milestone was reached in 2020, when CAELI transitioned to a shared leadership governance model, thereby opening up more space for diverse voices and broader community representation. This shift, articulated in the CAELI Theory of Action, emphasized equity, inclusion, and distributed leadership — values that continue to guide CAELI’s work today.

Since 2021, CAELI’s collective action model has supported a wide range of initiatives — from Green Ribbon Schools and policy engagement to county-level collaborations and professional learning — all designed to integrate environmental literacy across California’s vast and diverse education system.

Strengthening Partnerships — And Looking to the Future

The progress we celebrate today is the result of countless contributions from educators, district and county leaders, nonprofit organizations, community partners, and dedicated funders.

We are especially grateful to the BelleJar Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Elizabeth R. and William J. Patterson Foundation, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Pisces Foundation, S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation, and William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation for their multi-year commitments. These partners have played pivotal roles by investing in long-term systems change — not just individual programs.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to past and present CAELI co-chairs — Craig Strang, Will Parish, Emily Schell, Andra Yeghoian, Juanita Chan-Roden, Estrella Risinger, and Nate Ivy — and to CAELI project directors Karen Cowe (founding) and Andra Yeghoian (current). We are deeply grateful to all CAELI members, especially those who have led projects and initiatives, as well as to our partners at the California Department of Education, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Natural Resources Agency.

And a special acknowledgement to the Ten Strands staff, past and present, who have dedicated thousands of hours to supporting CAELI and its predecessor, the ELSC.

We know this work is far from over. Environmental literacy is both a journey and a shared responsibility — one that grows stronger when more voices are included, and more communities are empowered.

As CAELI moves into its next decade, we remain committed to advancing environmental literacy in ways that are equitable, inclusive, and deeply connected to the lived experiences of California’s students. We look forward to continuing this work with you — our partners, peers, and champions — as we build a future where every student can learn in, about, and for the environment.

Here’s to ten years of collective action — and to the future we’ll continue building together for California’s students and communities.