Ten Strands

08/21/2026

💬 “Legitimacy keeps arriving, but significant investments do not yet,” says Ten Strands founding CEO Karen Cowe.

In her latest article, Karen reflects on California’s progress in recognizing environmental literacy and climate action—and the gap between growing legitimacy and the sustained investment needed to bring this work to scale.

Drawing on lessons from mathematics and science education, Karen explores where environmental literacy and climate action sit on that same arc in California. She highlights the progress made through state policies, frameworks, and investments while asking what it will take to move this work from a recognized priority to a sustained commitment across California’s TK–12 education system.

Through Ten Strands’ whole-systems approach across the 4Cs—curriculum, campus, community, and culture—Karen makes the case for preparing students not only to understand the climate crisis, but to feel equipped to act on it.

🔗 Read the article, "Necessary, But Not Yet Sufficient": https://tenstrands.org/necessary-but-not-yet-sufficient/

08/19/2026

📅 Save the Date! CAELI’s next Quarterly Meeting is happening on Wednesday, September 2, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

CAELI Quarterly meetings bring together environmental literacy leaders and changemakers from across California to connect, learn from one another, and share updates and opportunities from across the field. Together, participants build relationships, strengthen collective capacity, and advance environmental and climate literacy and action in California’s TK–12 schools.

🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gttYe_JQ and share with anyone you think might be interested in attending! See you there!

08/07/2026

ICYMI: Mario Ordoñez-Calderón, founder and executive director of Un Mar De Colores, recently shared a new article in our newsletter about the role the ocean can play in helping young people heal, learn, and build a stronger connection to the places they call home.

Through surf therapy, environmental education, and culturally rooted practices, Un Mar de Colores creates opportunities for young people to learn outdoors while developing confidence, a sense of belonging, and a deeper understanding of their relationship to the environment. The work also highlights an important reality: outdoor learning can only have an impact when students have meaningful access to outdoor spaces.

Mario’s article also connects to AB 2158, the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026, a bill sponsored by Ten Strands to help expand meaningful outdoor learning opportunities for students across California. The bill would establish outdoor learning as an important and recommended instructional strategy in California’s Education Code, provide schools with guidance and resources, and create a statewide pilot to build the evidence needed to support future investment and expansion.

🔗 Read the full article to learn more about how the ocean is supporting youth wellbeing, environmental learning, and connection to place: https://tenstrands.org/el-mar-es-la-medicina-when-the-ocean-is-the-medicine/

07/22/2026

Intentions matter, but action is what protects our students. 🏫

Today, Ten Strands released our new report, From Intention to Action: Progress Update on Environmental and Climate Action in California's TK-12 Schools.

To build a sustainable future for California, our schools need to be climate-ready—from classroom curriculum to campus infrastructure. Momentum is growing, but we found major opportunities to close the gaps in:

➡️Planning: Integrating climate resilience into Facilities Master Plans.
➡️Staffing: Hiring dedicated personnel for environmental curriculum and operations.
➡️Funding: Backing up symbolic intent with real financial investments.

📈 See how your local district is performing: Use our interactive tracker to view district and county-level data and get a roadmap for sustainability.

🔄 Please share this post to help get this vital data into the hands of educators, school board members, and community advocates!

👉 Read the report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E2tfYtnYV28XIiBURtuAFVdyWeyo75zs/view

07/17/2026

ICYMI: Daniel Diaz, Ed.D, director of the UCLA History-Geography Project at UCLA Center X recently shared a wrote a powerful article in our newsletter highlighting IE Stories: a collaborative initiative that uses place-based learning to help students explore the Inland Empire's rich history alongside today's environmental challenges.

Through lessons grounded in local history, Indigenous perspectives, and community experiences, students investigate issues like land use, air quality, and environmental justice while building a deeper connection to the places they call home.

At Ten Strands, we believe environmental literacy is most meaningful when it's rooted in students' own communities. IE Stories is a great example of how place-based learning helps young people understand the past, engage with the environmental challenges of today, and build the knowledge and skills to shape a more sustainable future.

Read the full article to learn how local stories are inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders:

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

05/28/2026

🌱 A major step forward for California students.
AB 2158, the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026, just passed the California Assembly Floor on 5/27/26 with a strong bipartisan vote of 61-0 and no opposition. The bill recognizes outdoor learning as a powerful, evidence-based strategy to improve student focus, mental health, academic achievement, and equity, while preserving full local control. It is jointly authored by Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) and Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and backed by 6 bipartisan, bicameral co-authors and 600+ organizations and individuals statewide.
Why this matters: Outdoor learning
🧠 Matches medication-level focus for kids with ADHD
❤️ Reduces chronic stress, anxiety, and depression
📚 Improves academic outcomes across subjects
⚖️ Benefits students of color and low-income students the most
💰 Green schoolyards return $3 for every $1 invested
AB 2158 now heads to the Senate Education Committee, with a hearing expected as early as June 10.
More information:
- Ten Strands’ Campaign site: caoutdoorlearning.org
- Sign the letter of support and opt in to join the coalition: bit.ly/2158yes
- Research case for outdoor learning: bit.ly/4dKwIRX

05/26/2026

📢 We’re hiring! Ten Strands is looking for a Director of Operations to help strengthen and lead the systems that support our growing impact across California’s TK–12 education system.

This leadership role will oversee core operational functions including HR, organizational systems, budgeting coordination, compliance, IT infrastructure, and people operations helping ensure Ten Strands continues to operate effectively, sustainably, and in alignment with our mission and values.

We invite all to apply and encourage you to share this opportunity widely! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through the priority deadline of June 22, 2026 at 9:00 AM PT.

Selection process:
• Round 1: Resume and application question review
• Round 2: Initial interviews (June 29–July 6)
• Round 3: Professional artifact and reference submission (Due July 14)
• Round 4: Final interview with Ten Strands leadership (July 23–24)

Learn more and apply on our Careers page: https://tenstrands.org/about/careers/director-of-operations/

05/19/2026

🚨 Reminder: We’re looking for California TK–12 educators and administrators to share how their schools are advancing environmental and climate action.

Ten Strands, in collaboration with CalRecycle, has launched a statewide survey to better understand what’s happening in schools—and where more support is needed.

Please read the post below for details and take the survey if you can. 👇
🔗 https://bit.ly/4sjEbMS

Thanks for helping spread the word!

🌿 Calling all California school administrators and teachers! 🌿

Help shape the future of environmental and climate action in TK–12 schools by sharing your experiences!

Ten Strands, in collaboration with , has launched a statewide survey to better understand how schools are integrating environmental practices into campus operations, curriculum, community engagement, and school culture. This effort supports AB 649 (Bennett, 2022) and will help identify what schools need to advance environmental justice and environmental literacy across California.

We know schools are already doing important work, and that barriers like limited time, funding, and resources can make progress challenging. This short survey will show what’s happening on the ground and help shape recommendations to boost environmental literacy and climate action in schools.

🔗 Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/4sjEbMS

Bonus! If you complete the survey by May 29, 2026:
- You will be entered into a prize giveaway! Winners will be chosen at random; the earliest entry gets first pick of prizes.
- All participants will receive a digital badge of completion that can be displayed on your website, social media, or other digital platforms.

🏫 We are also looking to connect with schools to conduct a short site visit (about 1.5 to 2 hours) to walk the campus, observe facilities, and speak with school staff. This visit is an opportunity for schools to share what’s working, what challenges they face, and what support would make a difference.

If you are able to put us in touch with schools in your region to schedule a site visit, please reach out to Devin Ngo at [email protected].

Learn more about the CalRecycle Data Project: https://bit.ly/47lg9IV

05/07/2026

Please share your feedback on Seeds to Solutions! 🌱

Whether you’ve used a lesson or unit, or just learned about Seeds to Solutions in a workshop or this newsletter, we invite you to complete a brief survey. Your responses will help us meet the needs of students, educators, and communities. It takes only 5-10 minutes.

If you complete the survey by Friday, May 22, you have the option to enter a drawing for one of two $25 EarthHero gift certificates. Thank you in advance!

🔗 https://ow.ly/Pxu550YWa1T

05/01/2026

⏰ The Orange County Register just covered a critical story: $194 million set aside to upgrade HVAC systems in California's public schools has been frozen since 2024, and it's at risk of being returned to utility companies instead of the students who need it.

The California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE) was created to fund upgrades that keep schools healthy and safe during heat waves, wildfires, and infectious disease spread. More than 4,500 schools received funding for HVAC assessments, but only 172 secured follow-on funding for actual upgrades before applications closed. Unless the legislature acts, the remaining $194 million will revert to investor-owned utilities in December.

This school year, an estimated 55,000 California students have already lost classroom time to weather-related disruptions — more than 17,000 in San Bernardino County alone.

📣 California leaders can fix this. Add your organization's name in support of extending CalSHAPE and directing these funds to schools before the deadline: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOjg1NBqZj_Z03dBSHkDheGD5NUhtiGYs1NC94i5cQuidEDw/viewform

📰 Read the full OC Register story: https://www.ocregister.com/2026/04/19/nearly-200-million-set-aside-in-california-to-update-school-hvac-systems-remains-unspent/

Thank you Rachel Fobar for your reporting!

Environmentalists and state lawmakers debate whether the funds should be spent on school upgrades or return it to investor-owned utilities.