Environmental Literacy & Sustainability Initiative

The State of California provided the San Mateo County Office of Education with $6 million to create curricular resources to help teachers promote students’ understanding of climate change and environmental justice, leading to action in their communities. The San Mateo County Office of Education contracted Ten Strands to develop units for every grade level by engaging community writing teams and subject matter experts in student-centered pedagogy, climate change, environmental justice, trauma-informed practices, Indigenous ways of knowing, and more. These units will be free open education resources, standards-based, and will integrate California’s Environmental Principles and Concepts. Learn more about the Climate Change and Environmental Justice Program.

The San Mateo County Office of Education hosts the Climate-Ready Schools Symposium for administrators and facilities leads learn and share promising practices to improve environmental literacy, address legislative requirements, and promote sustainable operations and facilities. Breakouts feature leading practitioners and agency experts who will identify strategies, funding sources, and regional resources to accomplish environmental education and sustainability goals.

SMCOE co-chairs this network with community-based environmental education partners (CBEEP). The purpose of this network is to foster collaboration between nonformal/informal environmental education providers and the formal education system, to build capacity and consistency in programs alignment, and to further integrate environmental literacy into districts and schools. Learn more about the CBEEP Network. 

Environmental Field Trips and Experiences Brochures: Find program descriptions, program fee information, standards alignment, and contact information for community partners, all at the right grade level for your students! TK-2nd Grade, 3rd-5th Grade, 6th-8th Grade, 9th-12th Grade

The Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship (ESTF) is a knowledge-to-action program that builds teacher capacity for designing and delivering learning experiences that are student-centered, problem-project-based, solutions-oriented, and integrate real-world environmental justice issues. Teachers who participate in this fellowship are eligible for a stipend ($1,000) and continuing education units (CEU). To learn more, visit the Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship Program website.

The Environmental Youth Leadership Summit brings together sixth- to twelfth-grade student leaders across San Mateo County who are eager to make an environmental sustainability impact in their community. It educates and empowers students to take action and be part of creating a sustainable future. The summits also provide opportunities to collaborate, problem-solve, and network with like-minded students across the county. 

A Replicable Model for Regional Transformation Toward Environmental Literacy for All Students

This knowledge-to-action program supports administrators to drive environmental transformation across their school community to embed environmental literacy and become climate-ready. Future cohorts will begin in fall and graduate in spring. To learn more, visit the Administrator Fellowship Program.

The purpose of the San Mateo County Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools Challenge is to identify students, teachers, administrators, and community members who are leading meaningful change in the campus, curriculum, or greater community, and to recognize them for their impact towards creating a sustainable future. Standout leaders from this program are eligible for a financial reward. Visit the Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools Challenge to learn more - applications open annually in the Spring. 

The Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) Leadership Program brings 9-12th grade students from across San Mateo County together to take climate action into their own hands. In this year-long knowledge-to-action program (October to May), student leaders build background knowledge on pressing environmental issues and then develop and implement projects that drive change within San Mateo County. Throughout the process, students gain a diverse set of skills related to sustainability, climate action, and overall solutionary leadership. To learn more, visit the Youth Climate Ambassadors site.

The San Mateo County Zero Waste Education Alliance (ZWEA) is a collaborative network of organizations leading waste reduction efforts in San Mateo County school programs. The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) serves as a central convener for bringing together this network of Zero Waste Education Partners (non-profit or governmental education organizations, hauler companies, school green champions). The purpose of this network is to foster collaboration, build best practices and messaging, and integrate into districts and schools on zero waste topics. To learn more, visit the Zero Waste Education Alliance (ZWEA) site.