UC–CSU ECCLPs Climate and Environmental Justice Literacy Initiatives

The UC–CSU ECCLPs Climate and Environmental Justice Literacy Initiatives aim to greatly enhance support for statewide teacher preparation programs and PK–12 educators to ensure that students and school communities become more prepared to address the environmental challenges, solutions, and inequities associated with worsening climate change.

Key Elements

  1. Research: the production of focused scientific research to develop evidence-based approaches to advance climate and environmental justice literacy.

  2. PK–12 teaching and learning: the enhancement of teacher preparation and continuing professional learning programming to ensure PK–12 climate and environmental justice literacy is integrated across all relevant instructional disciplines.

  3. Community-based partners: The advancement of PK–12 school/civic partnerships with community-based organizations and youth groups that are mobilizing to confront environmental challenges.

We seek to leverage the resources of our institutions and our partners to advance accessible, inclusive, equity-centered, and culturally relevant climate and environmental justice literacy for all through committees focused on three key elements:

Watch this video to learn more about community organizations and how researchers and educators can leverage partnerships with them.

Dr. Lê co-hosted multiple connection points with each UC, CSU, and community organizations from October 2022–February 2023 to share about meaningful ways to participate in and benefit from the initiatives. We engaged with over 700 participants across the state. Watch a meeting recording to learn more.

Shared Leadership

The initiative will be university-based, assuming an ideal position to create, stimulate and draw upon faculty research in the areas of environmental and climate science, social sciences, STEM, pedagogy, trauma-informed practices, indigenous ways of knowing and being, and other essential fields, such as law, sustainability, and public policy.   

The initiative will be led by the executive director at UCI through the School of Education, and in subsequent years support the connection to other UC and CSU campuses. In year 2, CSUDH will lead as the first CSU hub to work alongside UCI support teacher preparation, as well as regional and campus specific needs. Activities will be distributed across both university systems and partnering campuses/faculty at other campuses modeling collaborative approaches with use of technology, research, and respective development offices.  

Partner

We invite campuses, organizations, and individuals to partner with ECCLPs by taking action with us! Share how networks you are involved in or projects you work on align with ECCLPs initiatives by completing this form to strengthen and align PK–12 climate and environmental literacy efforts in California.