Climate Education Policy

Grants for schools & school districts to partner with community-based organizations for climate education professional development

Update from 9/14/23: The application period for Climate Education grants is open from September 14 to November 3. Schools can learn more and apply at the Department of Education website.

Update from 4/22/2022

LD 1902 has gotten approved for over $2 million by the Appropriations Committee, after being passed & enacted in the House & Senate!

Advocacy in Action

Meet the people who helped pass the Climate Education Bill!

text: Meet Brooke! Currently the district science coordinator at Portland Public Schools, Brooke Teller was involved in the LD 1902 campaign as a supportive teacher who gave testimony helping the bill to pass. Quote: "For 26 years, I've been in science education. For 26 years, Climate Education has been important to me."

Text: Meet Lulu! A Midcoast Maine student passionate about making change, Lulu Van Lonkhuyzen testified in support of the Climate Education Bill LD 1902 in 2022. Quote: "The way we combat climate anxiety is through climate education and doing what we can."

Text: Meet Dr. Patti Millette. Dr Patti Millette teaches 9th grade Earth Science at Mt Blue High School in Farmington. She testified for LD 1902 the climate education bill. Quote: "Young people need to know the reality of how climate change is already affecting us, and how it could affect our future."

text: "Meet Rep. Lydia Blume! Former Representative Lydia Blume was the primary sponsor of LD 1902, the Climate Education Bill. "We are showing that we care, that we care about our youth, and we're trying to mitigate the climate crisis."

More Advocacy in Action stories to come!

Explore the history of the Climate Education Bill

Op-Ed by NBEC Student Leaders

We are living in a time of momentous change. So will you stand back and hand off a corrupted world for youth like us to inherit, or will you hand us the education we need to reshape it into something entirely better?

Op-Ed by Rep. Blume

"It’s critical and timely that we give young Mainers, no matter their economic status, ZIP code or race, the tools to live, work and succeed on a rapidly warming planet."

Op-Ed by Maine student & teacher

"At a time when so many teachers are overburdened and under-resourced, this bill would bring much-needed money, expertise and assistance to teach this timely subject."

Op-Ed by Nathan & Diana of NBEC

""There is no shortage of organizations ready and waiting to partner with schools on this pilot program, particularly in underresourced districts in rural Maine."

Learn about our Climate Education Advocacy working group

We see state-level decision-making as one opportunity to make outdoor learning accessible. Many school decisions are made locally in Maine, and we are working toward systems change at a local level. Learn more about our Local Outdoor Learning Advocacy working group.

All youth have the right to meaningful outdoor experience, but not all youth in Maine have the opportunity to learn and explore outdoors. Click here to learn about Stories of Change, an NBEC working group focused on an initiative to elevate the stories of BIPOC and other marginalized people outdoors.

This bill will provide much-needed support to help Maine teachers meet standards and best serve their students.

It will fund climate education professional development for teachers and partnerships between schools and community organizations.

FAQs

Full text of the bill

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