There is great opportunity to advance climate change education and action by supporting grassroot environmental organizations that are youth and community-led when major environmental legislature is passed. Environmental Justice Executive Order 12898 was signed in February of 1994, later that same year, the Little Village Environmental Justice organization was founded and would lead to major environmental victories including the removal of toxic industries, building of public parks, and pollution controls in the city. The future of climate change education and action is rooted in communities of practice, hope, and love.
Effective July 1, 2025, House Bill 4895 in the state of Illinois, will mandate the State Board of Education to provide training and instructional resources to educators in preparation for public schools’ climate change education requirements. This is an opportunity for school districts to work with local grassroot organizations to model community education rooted in pedagogies of hope to better prepare educators in Illinois public schools.
Solutions for Transformative Teaching
Transformative Science Teaching: A Catalyst for Justice and Sustainability by Daniel Morales-Doyle details a roadmap for science education reform grounded in justice-centered science pedagogy, practice-based professional learning, and youth participatory engagement. This work offers a critical and action-centered approach that provides teachers, school leaders, researchers and policy stakeholders invested in improving science and climate change education alike. Experts reaffirm the importance of finding success in grassroot efforts to inform justice-centered science pedagogy in solidarity with the communities of practice that have historically been advocates and defenders of the natural world.
Policy Takeaways
- The most promising way to advance climate change education and action is to provide training and resources for teachers and community-led organizations, which should work together to meet state mandates.
- Pedagogical approaches need to be focused on student awareness of transdisciplinary approaches and competencies.
- A pedagogy of hope is necessary to fight hopelessness and emotion stress.
- Invest in community-based, environmental justice organizations that focus on youth development and youth-led efforts, but hold adults and stakeholders accountable.
Facts & Figures
- Before 1994, only four states had a law or executive order promoting environmental justice.
- Within 20 years after executive order 12898 (by 2014), all 50 states and the District of Columbia had instituted some type of environmental justice law, executive order or policy.
- The executive order formalized and amplified decades of grassroots environmental justice action, bringing national attention and driving both regulatory and community-level responses.
- The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization is one of five neighborhood-based groups that comprise the Chicago Environmental Justice Network.
- The other members are Blacks in Green, Neighbors for Environmental Justice, People for Community Recovery and the Southeast Environmental Taskforce.
- Each member organization is led by, rooted in and accountable to communities of color that are directly impacted by environmental harms.
References
Morales-Doyle, D. (2024). Transformative science teaching: a catalyst for justice and sustainability. Harvard Education Press.
Trott, C. D. (2024). Envisioning action-oriented and justice-driven climate change education: Insights from youth climate justice activists. Children & Society, 38, 1802–1823. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12846