Climate Action Schools
Our mission: Climate Education for all.
Imagine a world in which young people across seven continents connect virtually and solve one of the world’s most pressing challenges: Climate Change.
The Climate Action Schools Program is a paid, year-long project allowing schools, districts, and networks with students ages 5-18 to collaborate at local and global levels on environmental topics.
Over the course of the project, classrooms explore the causes and effects of climate change, develop solutions, and take action as a school community.
Global
Collaboration
Digital Agency & Action
Project Based Learning
Equity, Access, & Inclusion
Recognition of Learning
- 10 month, school-wide climate education learning experience
- Grade Levels: K-12
- Certifications: Certified Climate Action Educator, Certified School Climate Coordinator, Certified Climate Action School – up to 60 hours of Professional Development
- Community of Practice for Educators and School Coordinators
- Guided schoolwide data collection and data visualization (carbon), school-to-school international virtual exchanges, school assembly and home/community communications, schoolwide climate project, tree planting experience
- Monthly communications from supporting school for parents and community
Program Costs
- Standard Cost- Climate Action Schools standard cost is $9,800 per school.
- Sliding Scale Pricing- As a global organization, we work to try to ensure equitable access to all of our programs. We take into account local and national GDP in calculating your organization’s total cost for participation. Contact us today to discuss options for your school or program.
- Program Participants– The program is designed for all educational staff to participate (but not required).
- Program Funding Options- We have worked with a number of funding sources from Federal Title I/II funds, Grants, and many more. Connect with us today to discuss options for your organization.
- Scholarship– As a non-profit organization we have worked with many of our partners to offer a limited number of full and partial scholarships for this program each year. If you are interested in learning more about scholarships please contact us today.
Limited Access, Only 100 Global Schools Selected.,
EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR GLOBAL SCHOOLS.
Become one of only one hundred global schools selected to participate in this exclusive global learning opportunity.
Join us now.
Our Current Climate Action Schools join as:
- Full country commitments
- Public, private, charter, international school networks
- Education interest communities
- Individual schools
- After School clubs and alternative and home school programs
Benefits for Schools, Educators, and Students.
Climate Action Schools
Climate Action Schools join for the year-long program with:
- Opportunity to join as part of a global network of like-minded schools from around the world
- School-wide certification and recognition
- School-wide carbon audit with data visualization for impact
- Enhanced school culture and teacher well-being
- School-to-home and school-to-community opportunities
- International, national, and local media coverage and guidance
Climate Champions
Every Climate Action School designates one Climate Champion, a school representative serving as site coordinator and global community representative with:
- Specialized Climate Coordinator training and certification
- Provided resources and school training materials
- Exclusive network of global Climate Champions, a private community of school climate coordinators from around the world
- Opportunities for presenting, writing, and global collaboration
- School-to-home and school-to-community opportunities
- International, national, and local media coverage and guidance
Climate Action Educators
The program is open to all teachers working within the schools. The program offers flexibility and customization meeting educators where they are with:
- Innovative pedagogies and instructional practices
- Synchronous and asynchronous professional development experiences, including online courses, exclusive webinars with experts and world leaders, and
- Climate Action Educator certification and portfolios of practice
- Participation in online global community platform to document progress, share ideas, and network with educators from around the world
- Class-to-class virtual exchange opportunities with each school partnering directly with three other global schools
- Climate across the curriculum, resources and materials, connection to standards
Participating Students
The Climate Action Schools program serves students ages 5-18 across all content areas. Curriculum can be aligned to standards of practice, including science, STEM, humanities, communication, arts, social-emotional learning, and digital citizenship. All students have access to:
- Virtual connections to students around the world
- Student activism and social good
- Keystone species tree learning and planting opportunity
- School culture and social-emotional learning connections
- EarthProject app for reporting impact and data visualizations
- Opportunities for creativity, inquiry, storytelling, action research, and student voice
Timeline for 2025-2026 Program.
| September-November 2025 | School Onboarding and Climate Coordinator Training |
|---|---|
| November-December 2025 | Climate Action Day and Kick Off Events |
| January-April 2026 | Climate Action Schools Classroom Experiences |
| May-June 2026 | Reflection, Reporting, Recognition, and Certification |
Our 2024-2025 Climate Action Schools .
A Year of Climate Education: Program Preview .
September
Onboarding
- Materials delivered
- Climate Coordinator training and support
October
Educator Orientation
- Educator orientation and training
- Level 1 and Level 2 Certification for all educators
November
Global Welcome Event
- Global Climate Action Day event
- Banner ceremony
December
Climate Action Level: My Role
- School kick off event
- School-to-home communications
- 1st Day of Action
January
Climate Action Level: My School
- School profile: Avatars and tree selection
- Climate Action School Audit
- Webinar and class-to-class virtual exchange
February
Climate Action Level: My Local Community
- School-to-community communications
- Local expert interview
- Webinar and class-to-class virtual exchange
March
Climate Action Level: My Global Community
- Presentation of school action plan
- Feedback on action plan
- Webinar and class-to-class virtual exchange
April
Climate Action Level: Our Future
- 2nd Day of Action
- Tree Planting Ceremony
- Global Celebration Event
May
Climate Action Level: Our Impact
- Data consolidation and sharing
- Report, Impact, and School Certification
5 Steps to Get Your School Started.
- Share information with your school team
- Submit your online application
- Schedule a Virtual Introduction Call
- Receive acceptance and onboarding
- Prepare for a year of taking action for the planet!
Questions from the Community.
Who should participate?
Answer:
The Climate Action Schools Program is designed for anyone, anywhere. We are a global education non-profit organization with a mission of climate education for all, thus our programs are designed for all PreK-12 students and their teachers.
Do we need to have experience with climate action education?
Answer:
No prior experience required. We believe that in order to tackle the climate crisis, every citizen needs to take actions for change. We also believe education is the best path forward – with students and teachers leading the way. Therefore, we see climate at all levels and across the curriculum embedded into math, humanities, sciences, arts, and more.
Our program is designed for schools ready to learn and to act. No previous experience in climate action is necessary.
Do we need to have experience with using technology for teaching and learning?
Answer:
No prior experience required. Our program brings teachers and students from different parts of the world together in a shared experience through use of technology and innovative teaching and learning practices. We will guide classrooms every step of the way. No previous experience with technology is necessary.
What types of materials will be needed?
Answer:
All program and instructional materials will be supplied, including (1) onboarding materials, (2) teacher trainings, (3) school activities, (4) class activities, (5) school-to-home communications, and (6) school-to-community communications.
Schools and classrooms will need access to reliable Wifi connection and devices.
Schools will also participate in a tree planting ceremony so will need to plan to gather needed supplies: tree/seedling and gardening tools.
What is the time commitment?
Answer:
The program is designed for flexibility. Each class participating in the program should plan to commit a minimum of 1-2 hours/ week to the activities. Some classes will want to commit more time.
A designated school coordinator acting as the program lead on site should plan to dedicate about 2-3 additional hours/ week for four weeks.
Overall, we aim to not add more to the day, but to enhance the current school and class learning experience embedding planet–positive actions into daily routines and lessons.
Who will participate from our school?
Answer:
Everyone will be encouraged to participate. A designated person at the school will serve as the site coordinator. All PreK-12 classrooms, including arts, PE, library, etc, are invited to join in.
Information for parents and community members will be provided as well.
What types of activities will we be participating in?
Answer:
The Climate Action Schools Program is rooted in inquiry, empathy, and exploration. Activities will include:
- Schoolwide Asset Finding Mission: to determine what is “working well” with connections to climate and also well-being/ social-emotional learning
- Virtual Exchange: connecting with global classrooms via online meetings with opportunities for feedback and mentoring
- Connections to Self, School, Community, and World: view of climate action as a system visualizing collective action as impact
- Carbon Calculations: use of mobile app to track actions and impact
- Documentation of Impact: research, data collecting, publishing, and storytelling
- Tree Planting Experience: research to identify and understand keystone species and plant a tree in a place of honor on campus or in community
- Celebrations of Learning: opportunities to bring community together in moments of celebration both in global events and school events
- Community Connections: opportunities to engage local community with media, community experts, and school-to-community partnerships
- All School Assemblies and Special interest groups.
Will there be training for our teachers?
Answer:
The Climate Action Schools Program brings a new approach to professional development. As opposed to trainings and PD that are separate from instruction, we believe in connected learning experiences with teachers and students entering as co-learners in the process of taking action.
We provide webinars, learning materials, and guided experiences with human-centered design and innovative methodologies.
We put people first and prioritize five-star “customer service” ensuring that every question receives a response.
We are partners in learning and partners in action. As part of the Early Access program, all schools and participants will be able to earn:
- Climate Action School Certification
- Climate Action Educator Level 1 and Level 2 Certifications
- Climate Action School Specialist Certifications
Can we meet classes from different parts of the world?
Answer:
Absolutely! Our experience is collaborative and connected! Get ready to meet teachers and students who look and live differently from you. Schools are paired up and classes are age-matched for school-to-school and class-to-class interactions. Guided synchronous and asynchronous learning is incorporated into every week.
- Global Schools: opportunities for all 200 schools to come together in online events, online community, and webinars
- School-to-School: opportunities to share with your Partner School
- Class-to-Class: opportunities to work together with age–matched classrooms in virtual exchanges and in online community spaces.
We have a question. Who should we ask?
Answer:
For the months of April, May, and June, our #1 priority is to be ready to answer your questions on the Early Access program. We’d love to hear from you with your little questions, your big questions, or even if you just want to say hi! Message us HERE, and we will be back in touch right away!
Climate Action Schools Community Portal
Climate Action Educators gain access to join our online community of practice with educators from around the world.
- Private online community for climate action educators
- Community-first space focused on collaboration and global collegiality
- Digital badging and microcredentials
- Lesson sharing, learning experiences, and networking
- Exclusive opportunities to interact with international partners, including LEGO, UN, Cartoon Network, and NASA
Climate Action Day
Join us for our annual online global event welcoming the best minds in climate education from around the world. Streamed live to COP26 in Glasgow and to schools worldwide.
- Celebration showcasing student and schools projects
- Student-centered, worldwide event
- Presentations by world leaders and climate experts
- Opportunities for partnership and media coverage
EarthProject Classroom App
The EarthProject app allows teachers and students to track and show positive impact of action.
- Free iOS and Android mobile apps
- Teaches and motivates for reducing carbon and plastic waste
- Track tree plantings
- Work as a team and earn badges
Climate Action Schools 2023-2024 CAS Working Groups
Cambridge International Education (CIE) Working Group
- Climate Action Schools programs integrate easily into IGCSE Global Perspectives and Environmental Management courses as well as Science, Geography, language learning and more!
- Climate Action Schools help Cambridge International Schools to meet their national sustainability goals and accreditation standards through learning about climate action education, SDGs and taking action.
- Climate Action Schools support developing student agency, global competencies and international-mindedness.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Working Group
- Climate Action Schools programs integrate easily into the PYP units, MYP curricula and DP courses: Individuals and Societies, Global Politics, Environmental Systems and Societies, World Cultures, Peace & Conflicts and links with IB Global Engage
- Climate Action Schools programs can be integrated with and support Creativity Action and Service (CAS), Extended Essay, Personal Projects, Extra-curricular Clubs and passion projects.
- Climate Action Schools programs support teachers, students, and the wider school community to meet IB sustainability goals, international-mindedness, school missions and accreditation standards.
Montessori Working Group
- Climate Action School programs align well with ecological sustainability and Montessori principles that follow approaches that are holistic and systems oriented, attuned to living in harmony with the earth.
- Our programs support Montessori teachers to develop their own understandings of climate action education and sustainability which can help them to guide their students’ learning.
Early Years Working Group
- Climate Action Schools programs support school communities to work together to support young students as they observe, inquire, discover, discuss, share ideas and research surrounding their topics of interest related to sustainability using the SDGs.
- Climate Action Schools programs train teachers to develop climate action education and support teachers to link with other partner schools to enable collaboration.
- Climate Action Schools programs deliver the knowledge and support needed to create strong foundations for future sustainability education.
For more information on the work of our CAS Working Groups or on how to contribute or join, please email [email protected].
A global community of support.
It has been life-changing for many of my students and their families.
I found that absolutely thrilling.
Climate change is real. All around the world where the patterns are changing and affecting people, animals and the environment. To tackle this growing crisis we have to take action. We have to change mindsets.
We need youth’s creativity to repair our planet. We need students to invent and to innovate – to think beyond where we are now and to be optimist about our future.
Young people are on the frontline in the fight against climate change and will bear the greatest consequences of inaction. But, through changes to their own lifestyles and activist movements, they are also playing an important and growing role in pushing government and business leaders for a better response.
Schools and colleges can act as ‘levellers’ to enable all young people to have a minimum level of nature experience, when the opportunities and encouragement they get at home may differ enormously.
It was an amazing experience for the teacher and the students. The participation in this global community made us feel empowered and we appreciated the small yet essential changes in our everyday life we can all do to protect our planet.
I love to participate and that the students perceive that many young people just like them participate in the same actions and also have the intention that caring for the planet is a reality.
We’re really looking forward to understanding what state will be the second state to work together with New Jersey because we can’t do it on our own.
Our Climate Action Schools provide something for everyone. It allows our students to be involved in a front-and-center issue and have meaningful interaction and dialogue and be part of it, no matter what their ability level is.
At the end of the day, the greatest single impact on student outcomes is teachers.
Our climate action partners.
