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From Awareness to Action: Empowering Students through Justice-Focused Learning (CASE Conference October 2025)

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From Awareness to Action: Empowering Students through Justice-Focused Learning (CASE Conference October 2025)

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From Awareness to Action: Empowering Students through Justice-Focused Learning

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Action For Nature | Eco-Hero Awards for Young Activists

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Action For Nature, Inc. is an international nonprofit supporting and honoring Young Environmental Activists ages 8 to 16 with our Annual Eco-Hero Awards.

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All Sebastopol Carbon Conversations are held at the Sebastopol Grange unless otherwise noted.
All Conversations start at 7pm with doors open at 6:30pm, unless otherwise noted.
After the event, recordings and other resources will be accessible via the Archives page.
Email Tor with any questions: carbon@rahus.org

Our Spring 2024 Series (Reuse&Repair, Solar) is complete. Sign up to receive notification on future series. Check out the Archives for any topics you missed.

July 27th, 2024 - Climate Victory Gardens (as part of Sebastopol Walks)

Saturday - 9am-11:30am. PDF OF FLIER

Archived from Fall 2023

Topics explored in Fall 20023 included Water Resiliency, Compost as a Climate Solution, and Bikes as Transport. Check the Archives for Recordings, and additional resources for each topic.

Archived from Spring 2023

Forecasting What Sonoma County Climate looks like in 2050, Rainwater Cisterns, Electrify Your Home, Campus Climate Connections, and Drive Electric, were themes shared Winter/Spring 2023. Check the archives for recordings and additional resources for each topic.

Scenes from the Bikes as Transport Carbon Conversation in September 2023

Sebastopol Carbon Conversations is organized by The Rahus Institute and hosted by the Sebastopol Grange. The series takes a closer look at the many solutions for reversing global warming as presented in Project Drawdown and other sources. We'll learn from local organizations that are working on Climate solutions in agriculture, renewable energy, reducing waste, empowering women, transportation, building design, carbon sequestration, and more. Through this exploration, we'll discover where we each can take small to large steps and help shape a better future. What you and I can do about Climate Change. Finding our role in shaping the future.

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All Sebastopol Carbon Conversations are held at the Sebastopol Grange unless otherwise noted. All Conversations start at 7pm with doors open at 6:30pm, unless otherwise noted. After the event, recordings and other resources will be accessible via the Archives page . Email Tor with any questions: carbon@rahus.org Our Spring 2024 Series (Reuse&Repair, Solar) is complete.

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Regeneration puts life at the center of every action and decision. It applies to all of life-grasslands, farms, insects, forests, fish, wetlands, coastlands, and oceans-and it applies equally to family, communities, cities, schools, religion, commerce, and governments. And most spectacularly to climate.

Regeneration is a response to the urgency of the climate crisis, a determined what-to-do manual for all levels of society, from individuals to national governments and everything and everyone in between. It describes a system of interlocking initiatives that can stem the climate crisis in one generation.

If we want to get the attention of humanity, humanity needs to feel it is getting attention. Regeneration creates livelihoods that bring life to people and people to life. It is work that links us to each other's wellbeing, that provides those in poverty with purpose and a future of dignity and respect.

The heating planet is our commons. It holds us all. To address and reverse warming requires connection and reciprocity. It calls for moving out of our comfort zones to find a depth of courage we may have never known. It calls for action that is bold and fearless.

Bioregions

Bioregions are defined by their unique landscapes and ecosystems, as opposed to political boundaries. There are 185 distinct named bioregions, according to researchers at One Earth. Understanding of bioregions, including watersheds, foodsheds, and habitats, creates political and cultural systems that are in accord with ecological stewardship.

Trophic Cascades

Every ecosystem forms a cascade of life; trophic describes the act of feeding, of obtaining nutrition. How an ecosystem is assembled differs with place, with certain keystone species-whether predators, ecosystem engineers, or mutualists-gluing the entire system together. Protecting this natural balance lies at the heart of the regeneration.

Grazing Ecology

Grazing provokes grass regrowth by removing old plant tissue, allowing more sunlight to reach the base of the plant. Animal dung and urine supply natural fertilizers for the plants, including nitrogen. When grazers are displaced or removed from grasslands, the ecology of the system is altered significantly and degrades.

Regeneration Anthem

AY Young is the creator of The Battery Tour, an ambitious project to inspire action, connection and bring access to energy to countries in need. He has performed over 800 concerts powered exclusively by solar energy across the United States and has sent his innovative solar boxes to 15 developing countries.

AY & Jon Russell have come together to create "We Can Change The World" an anthem for the Regeneration.

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Welcome to Regeneration | Project Regeneration

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Regeneration means putting life at the center of every action and decision. It is inclusive, engaging, and generous. And everyone can do it.

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Les Dix mots choisis sont : Biome, butiner, canopée, conséconscient, débrousser, empreinte, glaner, palmeraie, solaire et vivant.

The ten words chosen are: Biome, forage, canopy, conscious, clear, trace, glean, palm grove, solar and living.

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éduscol | Ministère de l'Education Nationale| Direction générale de l'enseignement scolaire

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Positive News is uplifting more readers than ever - helping to provide a balanced view of reality and empowering people to make a difference.

As a small, independent publisher, we rely on the support of our community to make our solutions journalism possible.

If you believe in what we do and would like to help make it happen, please consider making a regular or one-off contribution as a Positive News supporter. Thank you.

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Positive News is uplifting more readers than ever - helping to provide a balanced view of reality and empowering people to make a difference. As a small, independent publisher, we rely on the support of our community to make our solutions journalism possible.

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We need your support.

Happy Eco News will always remain free for anyone who needs it. Help us spread the good news about the environment!

Support Us.

Happy Eco News will always remain free for anyone who needs it. Help us spread the good news about the environment!

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Happy Eco News | Know Action | Good & Positive Climate News

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Happy Eco News is here to promote hope that inspires action on the climate and the environment. Without hope there is no action.

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2025 Sonoma County STEAM Showcase Information Session Slides

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2025 Sonoma County STEAM Showcase Information Session Slides

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2025 Sonoma County STEAM Showcase Informational Session

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Environmental Justice Hero Posters (Scroll Down!)

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Environmental Justice Hero Posters (Scroll Down!)

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Empowering youth to tackle real-world challenges in their schools and communities.

Through our curriculum and programs, students cultivate environmental literacy and 21st-century skills, adopt sustainable living practices, and act as leaders and creative changemakers in their communities. EcoRise introduces students to the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and prosperity, and students demonstrate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of their sustainability projects.

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Impact | EcoRise - Empowering youth to tackle real-world challenges

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Empowering youth to tackle real-world challenges in their schools and communities. Through our curriculum and programs, students cultivate environmental literacy and 21st-century skills, adopt sustainable living practices, and act as leaders and creative changemakers in their communities. EcoRise introduces students to the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and prosperity, and students demonstrate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of their sustainability projects.

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Stories of Environmental Literacy and Justice from the English-Language Arts Classroom (TK-12)

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Stories of Environmental Literacy and Justice from the English-Language Arts Classroom (TK-12)

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Stories of Environmental Literacy from the English-Language Arts Classroom

Listen to our podcast on all available podcasting apps in the Unites States.

Purpose and Overview

This podcast collection highlights stories of California TK-12 educators who teach reading, writing, listening, and speaking through the lens of environmental literacy and justice, giving a glimpse into what this type of work might look like in TK-12 classrooms.

As the state of California deepens efforts to include environmental literacy in all content areas, the California Environmental Literacy Initiative Professional Learning Hub's English-Language Arts Working Group captured stories from the field to show examples of the benefits and power of this integrated model of instruction, which improves overall literacy skills in a number of important ways. It engages students with real-life issues of local and global significance about which young people genuinely care. It invites students to interact with the natural environment, not only through science content, but through multiple genres of literature and diverse writing tasks. Students are then empowered to think critically and creatively about solutionary action and effective forms of advocacy about environmental issues by providing an authentic audience to which students can speak and write.

In the elementary classroom in particular, integrating environmental literacy and English-Language Arts provides both efficiency and significant time-saving potential. Teaching English-Language Arts standards through the lens of environmental literacy and justice provides an important opportunity for all students to gain access to environmental learning, regardless of their school's location.

For each superhero podcast, you will find:

a short podcast teaser

a full podcast

a Snapshot of the episode

Based on the format of Snapshots in California's ELA/ELD Framework, each one paints a picture of classroom practice, then explicitly lists the California Common Core State Standards for English, NGSS for California Public Schools (science standards), and Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, as well as the unit's connection to California's Environmental Principles and Concepts.

Credits: these podcasts and snapshots were created by CAELI members, Tara Kajtaniak, Cheney Munson, and Peggy Harte. Thank you for all of your work and support on this project!

Check out our recorded podcast launch party featuring our ELA Superheroes.

Grade Band: K-2

"If you give a problem to Kindergartners, they want to take it to the world, and they need everyone to come help them." - Taf Wilson

At Golden Charter Academy, a public TK-5 school in Southwest Fresno, California, Kindergartners advocate for and participate in milkweed restoration in critical monarch habitat, thanks to their teachers Taf Wilson and Melanie Smith. In this interview, you will hear Taf and Melanie talk about their monarch butterfly unit and the ways they engage their students with reading, writing, listening, and speaking while saving butterflies in a project that began with a published curriculum unit and is evolving into a city-wide movement.

Featured ELA Superheroes:

Taf Wilson (she/her)

Melanie Smith (she/her)

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Teaching Snapshot and Resources

Grade Band: 3-5

"It's a powerful way to tie kids to the land...We are part of this land, and we are expected to care for it." - Greg Gaeira

Greg teaches reading, writing, listening, and speaking to his 4th graders at Union Street Charter School , a public rural elementary school in Humboldt County, California. He simultaneously gets students outside and lets them get their hands dirty. His ongoing local land restoration unit, in partnership with a land trust and a native plant nursery, asks students to research native flora, use database evidence and expert advice to justify and present their choices for the most beneficial and appropriate native plants for the project, write a grant, and then complete the restoration project.

Featured ELA Superheroes:
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Teaching Snapshot and Resources

Grade Band: 6-8

"Wherever I'm at, I want to contribute. I want to participate in this conversation." - Marivell Arayasirikul

This podcast showcases an interdisciplinary argumentative reading, writing, listening, and speaking unit that asks students to grapple with who should take responsibility for corporate environmental degradation, specifically in the "fast fashion" shoes and jeans industries. Students engage with various texts and use those texts to formulate verbal and written arguments about a high-interest topic. At the end of the unit, students create a social media reel ecological call-to-action using Canva.

Featured ELA Superheroes:

Marivell Caba Arayasirikul (she/her)
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Teaching Snapshot and Resources

Grade Band: 9-12

"How can I contribute to an overall environmentally just world?" - August Freas

This place-based, interdisciplinary high school climate justice speculative fiction writing unit asks students to bring in an imaginative lens to address environmental racism and the climate crisis. For this unit, August collaborates with a World History teacher to integrate various writing genres to help students civically and creatively engage with climate solutions.

Featured ELA Superheroes:
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Teaching Snapshot and Resources

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ELA Superheroes Podcast - California Environmental Literacy Initiative

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Listen to our podcast on all available podcasting apps in the Unites States.

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Solutionary and Environmental Books Examples

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Solutionary and Environmental Books Examples

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Solutionary and Environmental Books Examples

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Nature's Narrative - Books and Resources to Support Environmental Literacy

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2025 Sonoma County STEAM Showcase Rubric

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2025 Sonoma County STEAM Showcase Rubric

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Do you and your students have a song to add? Email the name and artist to Kelly at kmackura@scoe.org

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A Body Map is a large-scale drawing and/or collage that reflects and illustrates one’s own story. Body Mapping empowers participants to learn about their family history and explain their own story in pictures, words, or mementoes. Body Mappers share their strengths as well as dreams for their future.

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Program Overview - Listening For A Change

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Listening for a Change Multiple Innovative Programs for Schools that Include: Neighborhood Listening Project Crosstown Conversations Body Mapping Essence of Acceptance All programs support Restorative Practices Reasons for Participating When… read more →

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Resources | Climate Mental Health Network

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Learn about emotional resilience tools and resources to help with climate emotions.

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An Educator's Guide to Climate Emotions.pdf

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The Emotional Wheel - Teacher Guide (Climate Mental Health)

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The Emotional Wheel - Teacher Guide (Climate Mental Health)

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Elementary - College

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Portrait of Sonoma County and other Data Map resources 

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Project Design and Facilitation Guide (Mentors)

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Project Design and Facilitation Guide (Mentors)

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https://digitalpromise.org/maker-leadership/teaching-and-learning/

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Project-Based Learning Planning Tools and Rubrics (Buck Institute)

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Project-Based Learning Planning Tools and Rubrics (Buck Institute)

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of videos, planning forms, rubrics, blogs, and more. Whether you want to learn about PBL, or find classroom resources, our materials will support your journey.

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Maker Methodology and Resources for K-12 Educators

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Maker Methodology and Resources for K-12 Educators

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Our process for creating meaningful Maker experiences

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ArtStart is a 503(c) non-profit educational arts organization serving all of Sonoma County since 1999.

Visit their portfolio page to see some of the projects they have done with local schools.

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Youth vs Apocalypse Climate Justice Curriculum Toolkit

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We are a diverse group of young climate justice activists working together to lift the voices of youth, in particular youth of color and working class youth. Our collective action aims to fight for a livable climate and an equitable, sustainable, and just world.

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Youth Vs. Apocalypse is a diverse group of young climate justice activists working together to lift the voices of youth, in particular, youth of color, and fight for a livable climate and an equitable, sustainable, and just world. We are all passionate people based in the Bay Area.

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Youth Vs. Apocalypse is a diverse group of young climate justice activists working together to lift the voices of youth, in particular, youth of color, and fight for a livable climate and an equitable, sustainable, and just world. We are all passionate people based in the Bay Area.

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Building STEM Classrooms Initiative
Free STEM Materials

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Building STEM Classrooms Initiative
Free STEM Materials

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Educators are our most favorite people and we want to show our support by offering $200 (including taxes and fees) of free STEM supplies for their classrooms! Our process for this program has changed to better serve educators and their needs. We have made a video tutorial for additional assistance!
Please see below for more details.

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Building STEM Classrooms Initiative - Outreach Foundation

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FREE STEM classroom supplies, teacher trainings, and project-based STEM program/event grants to Greater Bay Area (CA) educators

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Sonoma Water - A Call to Action Grant Program

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Sonoma Water - A Call to Action Grant Program

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A Call to Action is a small grant program for teachers and their students to take on solution-focused projects related to water or climate change at their schools or neighborhoods. With this program, we hope to inspire a sense of ownership and hopefulness in students as they work together to make a positive impact.

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A Call To Action

A Call to Action is a small grant program for teachers and their students to take on solution-focused projects related to water or climate change at their schools or neighborhoods. With this program, we hope to inspire a sense of ownership and hopefulness in students as they work together to make a positive impact.
Applications are open for the 2023-2024 school year
Who can apply?

Teachers in public, private, or home school situations in grades TK-12 in Sonoma and Mendocino counties and the City of Novato. Students in school clubs with a teacher advisor. Projects may include students from multiple classrooms and grades.

How much is available?

Teachers can request up to $1,000 for their project. Checks will be made payable to the school or to an ASB account at the school. No checks will be made payable to individuals. We aim to support projects across our service areas and prioritize applicants from as many locations as possible.

What is required for the application?

To apply, you will need to fill out an Application (Google form) and a Project Timeline form (fillable PDF) linked below. The application asks for basic contact information and includes questions about the problem and proposed solution.

Application Deadlines:

Applications and Project Timeline Documents will be taken on a rolling basis through January 17, 2024.

For questions about this program, email the program coordinator.

Our water and energy education programs are FREE, thanks to funding from these partners.

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A site for demonstrating design elements and functionality

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Filmed and created by SRHS ArtQuest Student Team

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Rockets to bioluminescence: STEAM showcase features projects from nearly 400 Sonoma County students (STEAM Showcase 2024 Press Democrat article)

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Rockets to bioluminescence: STEAM showcase features projects from nearly 400 Sonoma County students (STEAM Showcase 2024 Press Democrat article)

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Rockets to robot hands: Nearly 400 local students share science projects at STEAM showcase

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About 400 students, who represented nine school districts and 14 schools across the county, gave presentations Tuesday on projects related to STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

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Drawdown’s Top 10 Solutions to Reverse Climate Change

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Drawdown’s Top 10 Solutions to Reverse Climate Change

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https://drawdown.org/solutions/table-of-solutions

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Drawdown’s Top 10 Solutions to Reverse Climate Change

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Communities can unknowingly impact local waterways through everyday activities. It's simple really, the Storm Drains you see in our streets, yards, and parking lots, flow untreated directly to local creeks, rivers, bays and the Pacific Ocean. Any material left outside can be transported by storm water runoff, locally supplied water (i.e. sprinklers), or wind.

If you take a moment to think about it, that small piece of trash that has been sitting in the gutter, the remaining fertilizer lingering in the flower beds, the bacteria and pathogens from forgotten pet waste, with the addition of water, and in some instances wind, all of these contaminants will travel directly into our creeks. The good news is there's a lot we can do, with some simple changes, that will have great impact.

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Streets to Creeks - Protect Creeks, Rivers and Storm Drains

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The Storm Drains you see in our streets, yards, and parking lots, flow directly to local creeks untreated and into the Russian River. Any material left outside can be transported by storm water runoff.

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https://www.ecorise.org/clean-ej/#elementary

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Ecological Justice Middle School Glossary

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Ecological Justice Middle School Glossary

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Tackling Climate Change through Environmental Justice

EcoRise Lessons for CLEAN Teachers

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Tackling Climate Change through Environmental Justice

EcoRise Lessons for CLEAN Teachers

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Finding Joy in Climate Action Venn Diagram Worksheet

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Finding Joy in Climate Action Venn Diagram Worksheet

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Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - How to Find Joy in Climate Action

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(Tackling Climate Change Through EJ EcoRise Lessons)

Write down the name of the Ecological/Environmental Justice Super hero and answer the questions. After your review of the posters, website or videos, list the person who stood out the most to you and explain!

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EJ_MS_EJ Heroes Poster Walk Worksheet.pdf

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https://www.ecorise.org/clean-ej/#elementary

In the drawing below, draw yourself with superpowers of kindness, justice, and peacemaking...

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https://www.ecorise.org/clean-ej/#elementary

These scenes are intended to help the young student develop a sense of what justice is and what it means to do right, for both human and environmental well-being.

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EJ_ES_Just or Unjust Cards Updated Oct 2-2023.pdf

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Introduction to Environmental Justice Lesson Plans for K-3, 4-8, and 9-12

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Introduction to Environmental Justice - CLEAN - EcoRise

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EcoRise inspires a new generation of leaders to design a sustainable future for all.

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How you - specifically you - can help with climate solutions:

To find your meaningful and bespoke way to help address the climate crisis, draw your own Climate Action Venn Diagram.

What are you good at? Think about your skills, resources, and networks. What are your areas of expertise? Who and what do you have access to? What can you bring to the table?

What is the work that needs doing? Think about system-level change. Are there particular climate and justice solutions that interest you? Maybe starting a composting program, protecting forests, or getting climate candidates elected? Heaps of options.

What brings you joy and satisfaction? What gets you out of bed in the morning? Don't pick things that make you miserable and will burn you out! This is the long haul - find things that enliven and energize you.

The TED talk below is a 10-minute answer to the question "What can I do to help address the climate crisis?" The short answer is "get to the heart of your climate Venn!" and the talk lays out a deeper answer. [Click below to play video]

[If you're familiar with the Japanese concept of Ikigai, think of this as a simplified, climate-focused version of that.]

The goal is to be in the heart of your Venn diagram, where these three circles overlap, for as many minutes of your life as you can. That will create way more progress on climate solutions than if each of us get sucked into obsessing about our individual carbon footprints.

Yes, the climate challenge is enormous. We need to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, agriculture, transportation, industry, and buildings. We must protect and restore ecosystems. We have to change society, policy, economy, and culture. This is about transformation.

Also yes: there is something meaningful each of us can contribute to climate solutions. This is the work of our lifetimes.

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Climate Action Venn Diagrams - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

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To find your meaningful and bespoke way to help address the climate crisis, draw your own Climate Action Venn Diagram. What are you good at? Think about your skills, resources, and networks. What are your areas of expertise? Who and what do you have access to? What can you bring to the table?

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We Are One Ocean, with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

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Climate Justice According to a Kid | Climate Change for Kids

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Teaching Environmental Justice in Early Childhood

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Scientists agree that climate change is a real threat to the earth's future. The impacts of rising temperatures on the earth from unchecked greenhouse gas emissions are detailed in a 2019 UN climate report, laying out a sobering picture of what we can expect in the near future. Students are leading the charge in combating this crisis, with groups like Zero Hour and U.S. Youth Climate Strike standing up for their futures and advocating for changes in climate policy. But what about our youngest learners? How can we encourage young children to become the future leaders in the fight for climate justice?

Early childhood units on the environment are often reduced to tropes like "reduce, reuse, recycle," "don't litter," and "turn off the lights and water." These ideas are certainly important and worth teaching to students. They are tangible concepts that are easy for young children to understand and put into action. But the work should not stop there. Young students need to see how these actions fit into the larger picture of environmental justice and fighting for a better and more just earth for everyone.

My district's curriculum includes a three-week domain on caring for the earth, but it is limited to these familiar tropes. It is necessary to start students with this important background information, but I wanted to connect this with current social issues in environmental justice. So my teaching team and I designed a four-week study on taking care of the earth using a Project Based Learning approach. The first week included basic information you would expect to find in a kindergarten unit on earth, including: Earth's natural resources; what happens with trash; what it means to reduce, reuse, and recycle; and land, air, and water pollution. Because the resources in this half of the unit are fairly standard, I will not go into detail about them here. This article will focus on the bulk of our study on environmental activism and justice.

We defined environmental justice as the idea that everyone deserves to live on a clean earth. This is a much simplified definition, but one that young children can grasp. This enables them to create their own images for what a clean and healthy earth is, and start to understand that not everyone experiences the same environment. ( The EPA definition: "Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.")

Our guiding question, or "big question" as it was known to the students, for the unit was: How can we, as environmental activists, stand up for the Earth?

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Teaching Environmental Justice in Early Childhood - D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice

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Students are leading the charge in combating this climate crisis, with groups like Zero Hour and U.S. Youth Climate Strike standing up for their futures and advocating for changes in climate policy. But what about our youngest learners? How can we encourage young children to become the future leader

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Environmental Justice Resources for Educators and Students

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State of California - Ca. Coastal Commission

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A flexible five-lesson unit for grades 9-12. Students learn about environmental justice in California and elsewhere in the US by studying communities struggling with environmental inequities and how those communities have fought for justice. Supports California Next Generation Science, Common Core, and History-Social Science standards.

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A choice board filled with human ecoinnovators and ecoheroes! Explore how humans restore, revive and positively impact our Earth and its ecosystems.

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Biodiversity Solution Choice Board (Part 1)

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A beautiful 2 minute video to promote inquiry, interest, and connection!

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#TheWorldWeWant - The world through your eyes

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The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

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STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.