Blog

Marwa Abdelghani

Approximately 400 climate activists gathered in person and virtually last week to recommit to the fight for environmental literacy in PK–12 education systems across California. Ten Strands was proud to join our partners at the Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs) (Re)Launch event to re-engage major collaborators in climate and environmental literacy, justice, and […]

Amy Frame

I first understood that something was very wrong when I saw that the 2015 Sustainable City pLAn had exactly zero mentions of K–12 education in it, despite its focus on “Transforming Los Angeles: Environment, Economy, Equity.” My professor, the first chief sustainability officer for the city of Los Angeles, told me it was because he […]

Andra Yeghoian

Sixty years ago, the well-known physicist, philosopher, and historian of science Thomas Kuhn wrote the book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which brought the concept of a paradigm shift into mainstream use: “an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way.” […]

Loren Sanchez

When I was asked to write this, two thoughts instantly entered my brain. I thought, “Oh no, I am the worst person to write this.” I grew up attending public schools, which wasn’t a good experience for me, and I told myself I would never work in education. My second thought was, “How will I […]

Roni Jones

There is an image I think about when considering my purpose. It is the last picture taken of Earth by the Voyager 1 on Valentine’s Day, 1990.  It is blurry, unclear, and vague. It is mostly dark except for the streaks of light from the sun; some might say it is empty except for a […]

Jahmal Corner

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin One of my favorite spots in the Pacific Northwest, where I’m from, is a small Seattle neighborhood known as Mt. Baker. It’s tucked between Lake Washington and Rainier Valley, offering an array of parks, beach […]

Jilliann Rodriguez M'Barki

My life changed dramatically when my son Saiid was born in 2016. Like most new parents, the immense joy I felt was coupled with an intense concern for providing him with the best life possible. As a native New Yorker, I knew that raising a child in the city wasn’t impossible, but I also knew […]

Karen Cowe

I’m in Scotland this month visiting my family and working remotely. On Monday, on my drive to my village, I was thinking about this assignment and reflecting on the themes some of my colleagues chose for their statements of purpose—to contribute more than we take, tradition, and community. For me, it’s the sense of belonging […]