The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from CAELI Members to create systems change in support of ensuring that all students have access to high-quality environment-based learning.
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by Ten Strands, works statewide to create systems change ensuring that all students have access to high-quality environment-based learning. The members of this collective action network include a wide array of expertise and contributions from educators, governmental and non-governmental agencies, scientists, sustainability professionals, and experts on the environment and systems change.
CAELI has a dynamic history. In 2014, former Superintendent Tom Torlakson appointed an environmental literacy task force to create A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy, completed in September 2015. Ten Strands and the co-chairs of that task force were then authorized to create the Environmental Literacy Steering Committee (ELSC) to create and lead an implementation plan for the Blueprint for Environmental Literacy. Ten Strands successfully led the ELSC from 2016 to 2018 and was encouraged by the California Department of Education to continue evolving that work into CAELI in 2019 under Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
In 2020, CAELI was re-envisioned to center equity more deeply and accelerate the progress of environmental literacy across California. This shift expanded participation and opportunities for collective action. Today, CAELI operates through a shared leadership model, enabling members to collaborate on projects that advance environmental literacy for all California students.
The CAELI Projects page highlights the current season’s collective action projects. Members are invited to share new project ideas during quarterly meetings and other CAELI events.
Every action that CAELI takes to advance environmental literacy in California addresses each of the CAELI Guiding Principles: Equity, Justice, and Accessibility; Scalability; Shared Leadership and Collaboration; A Wide Range of Environment-Based Experiences; and Connection and Care.
The CAELI Theory of Action is based on the premise that to achieve environmental literacy for every student in California, we must apply each of our Guiding Principles to concerted, intentional work in each of the following five Domains: Community Partnerships, Policy and Advocacy, Sustainable and Climate-Ready Schools, Sustainable Funding, and Teaching and Learning.
To explore CAELI’s current projects, find details on attending quarterly meetings, or discover other ways to get involved, visit our website. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on all the exciting work happening across the network!