UndauntedK12

10/08/2026

Extreme weather regularly disrupts the school year, posing an urgent threat to student health, learning, and district budgets.

But across the country, school and state leaders are demonstrating better paths forward are possible. They're building healthy, resilient schools, and preparing students for a climate-impacted future.

California just became the third state to establish a Seal of Climate Literacy, following Colorado and Maine. And hundreds of schools are turning to solutions like ground-source heat pumps for cost-effective classroom cooling.

The momentum is growing.

This , put your donor-advised fund to work for climate resilient schools and future ready students.

Recommend a gift to UndauntedK12:
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/undauntedk12

09/29/2026

🎉 It's official: the California State Seal of Climate Literacy is now law! 🎉

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom Gavin Newsom signed SB 1048. Once the state finalizes the criteria, this new diploma distinction will recognize students who are ready to live and lead in a changing climate. It will also bring more hands-on, solutions-oriented, career-connected learning to schools across California.

Why it matters, in the words of a San Jose high school senior with Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA):

"Climate advocacy has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, has completely erased my own climate anxiety, and, I hope, has helped improve my own community and our shared climate future. Every student should have the opportunity to participate in action like this."

💚 This win belongs to YOU. More than 1,000 students, teachers, parents, and partner organizations made it happen. Thank you!

👏 Huge thanks to Senator Josh Becker for championing this bill, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and co-authors Senator Lena Gonzalez and Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Robert Garcia. In all, 112 legislators from both parties affirmed that climate-literate students are essential to California's future.

Stay tuned for ways your school or organization can help bring the Seal to life. Today, we hope you take a moment to celebrate what we did together and what it means for future generations! 🌎

09/28/2026

Northampton High School in Massachusetts is one of the City's largest and most energy-intensive buildings. For years, it has been heated by fossil-fuel boilers and cooled by a chiller system – one that is reaching the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced.

Rather than replacing old equipment with similar technology, the City of Northampton is taking this moment to modernize with ground-source heat pumps - a highlight efficient and reliable technology. Brightcore Energy provides a behind-the scenes look at the decision to invest in this technology, and the strategies they are taking to guarantee energy savings for the next decade.

Check it out!

 We're replacing aging heating and cooling equipment with a geothermal system that will save energy, cut carbon emissions, and lower long-term costs for the City of Northampton — for decades to come. 

09/25/2026

🎉 BIG NEWS IN CALIFORNIA: Senate Bill 1048, which would create a California Seal of Climate Literacy, passed through the legislature with strong, bipartisan support, and is now sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom desk! PTA leaders throughout California sent postcards asking for the Governor's signature. He has until September 30 to sign it into law and now he needs to hear from YOU.

The Seal of Climate Literacy would recognize California high schoolers who build real climate knowledge, systems thinking, and hands-on problem-solving skills through courses, projects, and hands-on learning experiences. It gives young people the skills and experiences to get connected to careers in the green economy and continue California’s climate leadership.

📣 Take 60 seconds to email Governor Newsom and ask him to sign by visiting capta.org/advocacy/take-action/. Use your voice to spread the word to your PTA community! We're so close to making California's Seal of Climate Literacy a reality for graduating students. Let's get it across the finish line. 💪

09/21/2026

Ann Arbor Public Schools has become a model for climate-resilient HVAC planning. As The 74 Media recently reported, the district is confronting the growing impact of extreme heat and storms on aging buildings. Their response: build stronger HVAC standards into the routine planning documents that shape long-term facilities plans, and require ground-source heat pumps be considered for every new construction and renovation project.

There's a lot to learn from this approach - and an opportunity to do just that at the next Green Schools Conference in in February!

At , the district will co-lead a presentation with New Buildings Institute and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)U.S. Green Building Council on how they used these routine planning documents to write stronger HVAC standards that support future investments in modern, efficient, and reliable HVAC.

Conference registration is now open and early bird pricing is available through November 30. https://usgbc.cventevents.com/event/green-schools-conference-2027/register?RefId=UndauntedK12&rp=091c833d-67b5-45d5-82bd-3cfece218c90

Can't wait until February to learn more?

Check out this recent article in The 74 Media featuring how schools like Ann Arbor Public Schools and S**o Schools (Maine) are preparing their schools for the growing risks of extreme weather: https://www.the74million.org/article/heat-fires-hurricanes-floods-how-climate-change-is-keeping-kids-from-school/


Center for Green Schools
Green Schools National Network

09/17/2026

Last month, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced its 2026 Green Ribbon Schools state-level honorees.

These schools are leading creative initiatives that span curriculum, buildings, and daily operations, making healthy, sustainable learning environments a true priority. Their efforts offer practical examples for other schools and districts looking to take the next step, whether they are just getting started or building on years of sustainability work.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees and thank you to the students, educators, administrators, facilities staff, and community partners leading this work in their communities.

Learn more about this year's Green Ribbon Schools program: https://www.usgbc.org/articles/us-states-celebrate-their-2026-green-ribbon-schools-honorees

And if you're looking for inspiration for your school's next initiative, explore the work happening across this year’s honorees:https://kapost-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/kapost/514a3bffc5a3a702000010b8/studio/idea/6a6cc80b687a9000f6c601c4/attachments/1785514148-1d63b188-8876-4bc4-9ead-4999b1444f00/2026%20Green%20Ribbon%20Schools.pdf

08/31/2026

🎉 BIG NEWS: California is one signature away from a Seal of Climate Literacy for high school students.

SB 1048 passed the legislature with strong bipartisan support and is now on Governor Newsom's desk — he has until September 30 to sign it. The bill would recognize students who build real climate knowledge and problem-solving skills through hands-on, community-connected coursework— preparing them for a future that climate change will shape no matter what.

It took a broad coalition of students, educators, parents, school districts, and employers to get it this far. One step remains.

📣 Take 60 seconds to email Governor Newsom and ask him to sign [link in bio]

Already sent a letter? Send another — he needs to hear the volume. Then tag 3 friends who'd want to see this become law.

We're so close to making California's Seal of Climate Literacy a reality for graduating students. Let's get it across the finish line. 💪

08/18/2026

In California, a new report from UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative and UndauntedK12 reinforces a hard truth: the HVAC systems meant to protect our children at school from a changing climate are too often failing them: https://www.2035initiative.com/california-school-hvac

We analyzed assessments of more than 70,000 school HVAC systems across over 1,600 California schools, which were completed through the state program CalSHAPE. The findings are stark:

→ More than half of assessed units were recommended for full replacement
→ About half can’t adequately filter wildfire smoke out of classrooms
→ Two-thirds fail to deliver enough outside air to prevent buildup of pollutants and pathogens
→ Two-thirds of assessed schools are in underserved communities that often can’t afford to fix this on their own

Explore the interactive data tool to see how your school or district measures up: https://www.2035initiative.com/california-school-hvac-webtool

Tens of thousands of HVAC units in California schools need to be replaced—and funding that could fix some of them is about to expire.

CalSHAPE is California’s only grant program dedicated to school HVAC—and it expires this year with $194 million never disbursed. Without legislative action by August 31, that money reverts to investor-owned utilities instead of the schools that need it.

There’s still time to save CalSHAPE, and nearly every legislator represents a school still waiting on repairs. Take 60 seconds to urge your representatives and legislative leadership to release the remaining $194M to the schools that need it: https://win.newmode.net/fund-schools

Leah Stokes

07/14/2026

There is a clear choice in front of California lawmakers: unlock $194 million to fix aging school HVAC systems, or return it to utilities for a few dollars off monthly bills.

An article from Canary Media highlights what is at stake if the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE) ends. Extreme heat, weather, and wildfires are forcing school closures at a level that was unheard of a decade ago. HVAC systems that provide cooling and air filtration are necessary and provide health, educational, and efficiency benefits that outweigh costs by a factor of 30. (Read the article here: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/carbon-free-buildings/california-schools-or-utilities)

Releasing $194 million that has already been set aside to fund school HVAC upgrades – which could help approximately 120,000 California students breathe cleaner, cooler air – should be a no-brainer.

If you’re based in California, please contact your legislators today and urge them to take action by August 31 to ensure that this money reaches the school communities it was meant for.

You can use this tool to send a letter directly to your representatives: https://win.newmode.net/fund-schools

Let’s keep the pressure on until these funds are invested where they belong: in our schools.

07/08/2026

Hundreds of thousands of students ended this school year with dangerous heat, canceled classes, and classrooms that were too hot to learn in.

Extreme heat is arriving earlier, lasting longer, and increasingly affecting students both at the end of the school year and when they return in the fall.

Schools need investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, and extreme heat protocols to keep students safe and healthy year round.

We're proud to support the Federation of American Scientists State & Local Heat Policy Agenda, which outlines the actions state and local leaders must take to better protect students, families, workers, and communities from the growing threats of extreme heat.

Read the agenda: https://heatagenda.us/