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PREPARING CLIMATE-READY GRADUATES FOR CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE
A proposed VOLUNTARY statewide high school diploma distinction recognizing climate-ready graduates and strengthening California’s education and workforce pipelineS.
What is the Seal?
The California Seal of Climate Literacy is a proposed voluntary high school diploma and transcript distinction that would recognize students who demonstrate strong climate knowledge, systems thinking, and applied problem-solving skills. Students would earn the Seal through interdisciplinary coursework and real-world, solutions-oriented projects connected to their local communities.
The Seal builds on the climate, environmental, and career-connected learning already happening across California schools, while offering a consistent, statewide signal of readiness for college, careers, and civic leadership in a changing climate.
HOW IT WORKS IN CALIFORNIA
In California, the Seal of Climate Literacy is advancing as a proposed policy initiative under the State Seal of Climate Literacy Act (SB 1048), authored by Senator Josh Becker. The proposal reflects growing interest from students, educators, workforce leaders, and policymakers who recognize climate literacy as essential to the state’s future.
Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) would opt in to offering the Seal and define specific coursework and project criteria within a shared statewide framework. This approach ensures local control while maintaining consistency and rigor across districts.
Requirements to attain the Seal
The Seal of Climate Literacy is conferred to students who demonstrate an understanding of climate literacy and a commitment to addressing its impacts in their communities. To attain this diploma endorsement, students must complete three elements including a combination of academic courses and an experiential learning project.
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Students must fulfill the essential academic criteria set by their school district or local education agency (LEA). These requirements typically include completing a specified number of credits across various core subjects.
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(1) any high school science course such as earth science, biology, or environmental studies, and
(2) a second course that includes climate literacy standards. This course could be humanities, concurrent enrollment, CTE, or another science class.
These courses do not have to be in addition to high school requirements.
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Students must also complete a project that demonstrates their understanding of climate change. This project can range from an agricultural initiative to advocacy for public policy, and anything in between.
LEAs can work with students to determine what will qualify.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Elevate climate learning already happening in your classrooms and help shape a statewide approach that supports local innovation.
❋ EDUCATORS & SCHOOLS
Advocate for a Seal that recognizes your learning, leadership, and climate action statewide, and that elevates attention to vital preparation for adulthood.
❋ STUDENTS & FAMILIES
Advance a voluntary, equity-centered policy that strengthens education outcomes, workforce readiness, and California’s climate leadership.
❋ POLICY LEADERS
Support a policy that builds a climate-literate talent pipeline aligned with California’s clean economy.
❋ INDUSTRY & EMPLOYERS
“My peers and I have all felt the effects of climate change in our schools and our neighborhoods. We know the climate crisis is here – environmental education is the first step towards giving us the skills to mitigate the impacts on our community. A State Seal of Climate Literacy gives us the foundation to pursue careers, studies, and further advocacy in climate.”
Eleanor from El Cerrito High School
Preparing students for California's climate economy
California students are growing up amid intensifying climate impacts—from wildfires, extreme heat, and drought, to flooding, air quality challenges, and coastal change. At the same time, California continues to lead the nation in climate policy, clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental innovation.
As the state invests billions in climate mitigation, adaptation, and workforce development, climate literacy is paramount to our State’s future. The Seal of Climate Literacy would help align California’s education system with these investments, supporting students to graduate prepared to participate in—and lead—the state’s climate-resilient future.
Building on A STRONG FOUNDATION
California has spent decades building the nation’s strongest foundation for environmental and climate literacy in K–12 education. The proposed Seal of Climate Literacy builds on this long-standing commitment and helps prepare students for a climate-ready workforce.
Key milestones include:
Early policy leadership: Environmental education was established in the California Education Code (1976), followed by adoption of the Environmental Principles & Concepts (EP&Cs) through AB 1548 (2003) and expansion to include climate change and environmental justice through SB 720 (2018).
Integration across core instruction: The EP&Cs have been embedded in multiple state curriculum frameworks—including the 2016 Science Framework and History–Social Science Framework, with later integration into Health, Arts, World Languages, and Math Frameworks.
State-supported curriculum investments: California funded large-scale instructional resources including the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum (2010) and the Seeds to Solutions Climate Change and Environmental Justice Curriculum (2021 budget allocation).
Statewide education sector support: Organizations including the California Teachers Association (CTA), California School Boards Association (CSBA Policy 6142.5), and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT climate literacy resolution, 2018) have formally supported integrating environmental and climate literacy across subjects.
MEET THE PARTNERS ADVANCING CALIFORNIA’S SEAL
CALIFORNIA PARTNERAs California’s largest volunteer-led child advocacy organization, California State PTA supports state and local policies that address climate change. That includes raising awareness of environmental issues among our more than 3,000 local affiliate organizations, which include almost 500,000 students, parents, and educators.
Learn more at: https://capta.org/
California state PTA
CALIFORNIA PARTNERTEN STRANDS
A California-based nonprofit advancing environmental and climate literacy across TK–12 education. Serving as a statewide backbone organization, Ten Strands works at the intersection of policy, systems change, and educator support to ensure every student is prepared to participate in a climate-resilient future. In partnership with students, educators, and state leaders, Ten Strands is helping shape a voluntary Seal of Climate Literacy framework aligned with California’s climate leadership, workforce readiness, and equity goals.
Learn more at: https://tenstrands.org/
CALIFORNIA / NATIONAL PARTNERUndauntedK12
A national climate policy and advocacy leader in K-12 education. UndauntedK12 advances the Seal across new states by aligning policy expertise, youth voice, and movement-building strategy.
Learn more at: https://www.undauntedk12.org/
CALIFORNIA PARTNERSILICON VALLEY YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION (SVYCA)
Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA) is a youth-led nonprofit that empowers teens and young adults to combat climate change with impactful, interdisciplinary policy and education initiatives.
Learn more at: https://www.svyouthclimateaction.org/
NATIONAL PARTNERLYRA
Originators of the Seal of Climate Literacy and architects of its passage in Colorado. Lyra supports state implementation, resource development, and national strategy—grounded in local context and centered on rural and under-resourced communities.
Learn more at: https://www.lyracolorado.org/
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Help prepare climate-ready graduates for California now.
Request a Briefing: Email Sarah Cassanego, Program Manager, sarah.cassanego@undauntedk12.org
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