Climate Age

In recent years, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools and the National Science Teaching Association are ramping up their efforts to support climate literacy in U.S. K-12 education. This is very good news for those concerned about climate literacy for the next generation. For starters, they all have gotten behind the climate provisions of the Next Generation Science Standards. These standards offer foundational education for K-12 students on fundamental principles of climate science and solutions. More recently, these organizations have also gotten more involved with the National Climate Change Education Act which seeks to set up a climate education grant program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some 22 U.S. Senators co-sponsored this legislation in 2022 and are making plans for a potential reintroduction in 2023. These associations, with leadership from the Campaign for Environmental Literacy, have also been active on supporting the Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools program which recognizes and awards schools that have taken extraordinary measures to reduce their climate footprints and educate students on the climate change and the environment. These are all important stepping stones on a path toward systemic climate change education for K-12 students nationwide. It is critical that we develop and implement new policies and funding sources that can make climate education mainstream in America. We need to equip the next generation with the knowledge and tools it will need to navigate an uncertain climate future.