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October 2022

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Like a Breath of Fresh Air, New York City Teachers Take in Air Quality and Environmental Justice

On a bright October day, dozens of New York City public school teachers with air quality monitors in hand ventured to the East River. As part of an Air Quality and Environmental Justice Training with CELF at the New York City Department of Education's Office of Sustainability, these educators were eagerly taking their first readings and planning projects for the classroom.


The NYC-DOE Office of Sustainability has opened application for grants of up to $5,000 for school-based sustainability projects, which may include air quality investigations using CELF's Civic Science: Inquiry to Action framework. CELF supports teachers as they develop projects that build student skills in systems thinking, data literacy, problem-solving, and place-based storytelling.

Explore Air Quality & EJ Case Studies
Contact CELF about Projects at Your School

CELF Joins Major California Climate Education Initiative

California–based nonprofit Ten Strands has selected CELF as one of seven diverse organizations to spearhead the development of climate change and environmental justice K–12 curriculum units across California.


As part of this Climate Change and Environmental Justice Program (CCEJP) and in partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education and the California Department of Education, CELF educators are focusing on K-2 curricula which introduces young students to concepts of:


  • Climate science
  • Environmental education and justice
  • Community-centered project-based learning
  • Traditional ecological knowledge


This initiative will build student impact using the tools of curriculum design, open education resources and professional learning.

Read the Ten Strands Press Release

California teachers, your insights matter!


If you work at an elementary school in California, CELF would love to hear from you. Please fill out our brief survey. Your responses will shape the future of climate and environmental justice education in your state aligned with Ten Strands' statewide environmental initiatives.

Take the California Elementary Educator Survey

In Case You Missed It ... More Updates from CELF

Sustainability and Latino communities

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, CELF educator Adriana Castro authored the blog Connecting Sustainability with Hispanic and Latino Communities, in English and in Spanish.


Houston-based Castro links today's hydroponic farming to the Aztec floating gardens, or chinampas, of pre-Colombian Mexico and ties notions of sustainability to her upbringing.

Read the Blog

Meet CELF's New New York Educator

Rowena Capuno is the newest member of the CELF team. Prior to joining CELF, Rowena spent over 13 years in secondary schools as a teacher and administrator, in New York City and Denver.


As an educator, she is dedicated to embedding empathy, self-knowledge, creativity, healing, and growth in all learning spaces.

Meet Our Team

Moonflower Farms' Kits Support Sustainability Education

Houston-based Moonflower Farms is partnering with CELF to bring hydroponic farming concepts to educational settings. For each Grow Kit sold, Moonflower is donating a percentage of the proceeds to CELF.


Moonflower Farms was recently featured as part of the Farms Across America video series.

View Hydroponics Resources

Sponsor Spotlight: Westchester Community Foundation


The Westchester Community Foundation supports CELF in its implementation of Education for Sustainability (EfS) curriculum and instruction in high-needs Westchester districts with expressed commitment to climate, civics and sustainability education.


Bringing an EfS lens to student civic engagement, CELF supports working toward whole-school change and custom professional learning programs, along with accces to CELF’s Green Careers Speaker Series and CELF in the Field events.


Senior Program Officer Tara Seeley explained, "I look forward to watching CELF’s ongoing work with Westchester teachers, knowing that they, their students and all of us will benefit."

Keep Abreast of CELF in the Field Opportunities in Your Area

Top-Rated Status on Great Nonprofits

Your opinion matters! Share a review of CELF and its programs on Great Nonprofits by October 31st and your opinion may help the organization extend its three-year streak as a Top-Rated nonprofit.

Write a Review of CELF on Great Nonprofits

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