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LA School district board passes Climate Litracy Resolution

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By a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education passed the Climate Literacy Resolution (Res-016-21/22) during its Feb. 8 meeting. The Resolution is the first step toward implementing a comprehensive Climate Education program for LAUSD schools in order to help resolve the escalating climate crisis that’s increasingly endangering Los Angeles, the nation, and the planet. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation.

Before the vote, the Climate Curricula Committee presented a short video of student and teacher advocates.

“I believe that students should learn about climate change because our planet is being harmed. Our world is getting hotter,” says 2nd grader Anya. “You are never too young to know how climate change is affecting us.”

“The science is clear. There’s no time to just wait for the issue to work itself out. The only way to truly reach the next generation of young, deserving global citizens is to immerse them in the issue completely…” says Ella, a high schooler. She wants all students to be empowered “…by establishing a curriculum that motivates, encourages, and informs students in all areas of the climate discussion.”

Now that the Resolution has passed, full funding is still critically needed in order to implement the comprehensive Climate Education program outlined by the Climate Literacy Resolution.

The Resolution specifies that teachers and students be given the necessary understanding about the climate crisis and the skills required to help them better prosper now and in the future, as well as be better prepared to enter the changing workforce and economy needed to solve the climate crisis.

The Resolution specifies greatly improving climate education in schools by integrating climate literacy into all subject matter across all grades (preschool to 12th grade).

Climate literacy also centers education around environmental justice, green jobs, and preventing misinformation.

The goal of the Committee’s ambitious Resolution is to establish funding for the staffing and training that will allow teachers and students to develop the necessary understanding about the climate crisis and the skills they require to help them better prosper now and in the future, as well as be better prepared to enter the changing workforce and economy needed to solve the climate crisis. The program greatly improves climate education in schools by integrating climate learning and climate justice into all subject matter across all grades (preschool to 12th grade). Outdoor education opportunities are also increased to broaden the students’ contacts with nature, an approach that heals stress, enhances social and emotional learning, and improves attention and scores on standardized tests.

Formed in April 2021 by retired LAUSD science teacher Lucy Garcia, the Climate Curricula Committee is a team of students, community members, climate communication specialists, teachers, and other educators. Visit http://laschoolboard.org/sites/default/files/02-08-22RegBdMtgOBREVISED.pdf#page=8 to read the full text of the Climate Literacy Resolution and www.laclimatereality.org/climatecurricula for more info about the committee.

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