Photo by Joonyeop Baek on Unsplash.
California's Assembly Bill 130, passed by the legislature on July 8, 2021, and approved by the governor on July 9, 2021, contained a provision appropriating $6 million in the 2021-2022 fiscal year "to contract for the creation of free and open education resources that are K–12 standards-based curriculum units on climate change and environmental justice and the integration of environmental principles and concepts developed pursuant to Section 71301 of the Public Resources Code [which addresses the development of environmental principles and concepts for elementary and secondary school pupils]." The San Mateo County Office of Education is administering the process.
According to a July 16, 2021, press release from Ten Strands, a non-profit organization aimed at raising environmental literacy in California, "Senator Ben Allen [D-District 26] led the way in championing the proposal to change the way California teachers and students understand climate change and environmental justice issues while developing critical thinking skills around global topics. Ten Strands ... worked with Senator Allen to garner support for this budget request," recruiting "[o]ver 165 nonprofits, county offices of education, school districts, teachers, regional parks, and organizations" to endorse the appropriation. Ten Strands will be involved in creating the curriculum units, which will be in the public domain.
