Oregon Educators working toward comprehensive, K-12, multidisciplinary climate education for Oregon students across all core subject areas.
Climate Education Bill Moves to the House floor for a Vote Today!
April 15, 2025
Urgent Call To Action
- Write a Letter of Support to you Legislator
Update (4/9/25): HB 3365 made it out of the House Education Committee today, and is heading for the House Floor for a vote! Below are critical (and brief) calls to action that will make a BIG Difference!
Learn More: Here is the most recent One-pager describing the updated amendment language and some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Ways to support Linked as follows:
- Track the Bill and continue to Advocate!
This is further than the last Climate Education legislation reached (in 2023 with SB 854)! Please help us keep up the momentum!
Share within your networks and PLEASE reach out to your House of Representatives, in support of Oregon’s youth!
Thank you to these Oregon Legislators Supporting the Bill:
Thank you to our bill sponsors!
"Preparing Oregon Students for Climate Change Begins with HB 3365"
Written by Undergraduate Student and OECE Volunteer, Rachel Warner
Get Involved
Climate Education Legislation Efforts
Climate Education and Partnerships
CURRENT EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Statewide Book Club for High School Science Teachers
In response to student demands across the US and in Oregon, there is increasing urgency to engage students in climate learning and solutions. This book club is one piece of a larger puzzle, to support and facilitate educators' ability to collectively advance this ambitious and critical work.
This 5-part virtual book study will support climate solution learning and community by engaging with a new resource: Teaching Climate Change by Mark Windschitl.
Thank you for joining us at the 2024 OSTA Conference!
Panel Discussion on Teaching Climate Change, Kindergarten through High School Science and CTE
A panel discussion with science teachers, from K-5 specialists through advanced high school science courses and CTE programs. A discussion on how to integrate age-appropriate climate science education intentionally; addressing the challenges and barriers, including how to address climate anxiety in our students.
Listen to the Panel Discussion session HERE!
Tana Shepard (OECE/TOSA Eugene 4J SD), Lucas Risinger (Teacher, Albany SD), Bradford Hill (Teacher, Mountainside High School), Sarah Ruggiero Kirby (OECE/Secondary Science TOSA , Eugene 4J SD), Casey Boothby (High School Programs Manager, Greater Oregon STEM Hub), Breck Foster (OECE/Subject to Climate, Teacher, LOSD)
Making it Easier To Integrate Climate Education into the Classroom! Engage and Empower Students with The Oregon Climate Education Hub
Explore SubjectToClimate's Oregon Climate Education Hub, a free, open-source platform that offers scientist and teacher-vetted resources and easy-to-implement lesson plans for K-12 teachers, including many written by Oregon teachers.
GET INVOLVED
Calling all Oregon Educators: Join the new OEA Climate Caucus!
Join us on the third Tuesday of each month!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting (a Zoom link and Google Calendar Invite).
Thank you!
Oregon Climate Education Thought Leaders Committee
Background
To support Oregon classroom teachers across all grade levels and subjects, Oregon Educators for Climate Education partnered with SubjectToClimate to create the Oregon Climate Education Hub, which launched on August 29, 2023. The Oregon Climate Education Hub (www.oregonclimateeducation.org) is an online website that provides Oregon educators with comprehensive resources to integrate climate change across all grade levels and subjects.
About the Advisory Committee
Our aim is to create a community of practice toward the goal of making it easier for Oregon educators of all grade levels and subjects to integrate climate change education into their existing lessons and teaching practices so their students will have access to powerful climate education throughout their lives.
Build a community that empowers educators to teach and learn about climate change
Help shape and grow the Oregon Climate Education Hub by sharing resources and providing feedback so that it remains relevant to Oregon educators
Collaboratively identify awareness opportunities that can grow and enrich stakeholders' focus areas.
IN THE NEWS
Oregon Education Association (OEA)
Supports Climate Education Legislation!
OEA Representative Assembly Votes YES!
A sea of green cards showing a resounding YES vote from educators all around the State of Oregon.
Educators Seeking Support from Around the State
A Call For Comprehensive Climate Education
By Bhavika Buddi, Our Climate, Student Westview High School
"With climate education, youth can be exposed to the role humans play in causing climate change, how to adapt to the ever-changing world, and ways to take action in their communities. Climate education can give them hope for the future by providing them with the resources and knowledge they need to bring about change." Read More...
By Gavin Jones, Reuters
"International bodies and pressure groups are calling for climate change studies to become a standard part of the school curriculum worldwide, saying the step is vital to reach targets on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation, UNESCO, said this month that environmental studies should be standard teaching in all countries by 2025."
It's time for Oregon
Oregonians LOVE Oregon
No matter what region of the State, Oregonians love Oregon. Known for its wildly diverse environments and ecosystems, the impacts of a changing climate will affect us all. We and our students care deeply for the health of our state, and we suspect that you do too.
(click links below to see some impacts per region)
What Are Other States Doing?
New Jersey
New Jersey has already implemented Climate-Focused Teaching and Learning Standards (they're embedded in all the content areas listed)
Washington
"The UW Institute for Science + Math Education has partnered with ClimeTime, a Washington public schools initiative for climate science education, to put a $4 million science education grant to work, educating teachers and providing equitable access to STEM education."
Minnesota
"While some educators already teach about humans' impact on the climate, they say writing it into state standards would be added muscle if they face pushback from students or parents. And it would help ensure the topic gets taught." -MPR News
Frameworks for Enacting Climate-Focused Education
Climate-focused education resources and leadership
Several solid frameworks for enacting climate-focused education exist (example a; example b), and such teaching and learning is essential for virtually all aspects of quality of life, and even life itself for many species. Colleges and universities are key, as are primary and secondary settings.
Join Us
Interested in joining our statewide coalition?
Please join this discussion to create and refine concrete ideas for climate change/climate justice teaching and learning objectives that could be supported across K-12 (and beyond) in developmentally appropriate ways in virtually all content areas. We are actively drafting legislation ideas, but wish to do so in partnership with as broad a coalition of Oregon students and educators as possible ahead of teaming with many other stakeholders. We believe teacher voice on these objectives, as informed by our students and our professional expertise, is essential to the success of well-rounded policy implementation. Please invite other Oregon students and educators to this opportunity.
With sincerity and solidarity,
Full Summary
As Reuters' Gavin Jones recently reported, "International bodies and pressure groups are calling for climate change studies to become a standard part of the school curriculum worldwide, saying the step is vital to reach targets on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation, UNESCO, said this month that environmental studies should be standard teaching in all countries by 2025."
However, as is clear from what students have told us (example, see page 37), almost no explicit attention is given in their education experiences to climate change, climate justice, or associated topics of sustainable agriculture and natural resource use/reciprocity. Even so, empirical data (example) supports the notion that such efforts not only facilitate students' lower-emission decision-making, but also their willingness to promote related structural changes (further reading).
New Jersey has already implemented climate-focused teaching and learning standards (they're embedded in all the content areas listed), and the states of Washington and Minnesota are developing their own. For so many reasons, Oregon should be next. Our state is bigger than Uganda, Cambodia, or Great Britain, and has wildly diverse environments and ecosystems. We and our students care deeply for the health of our state, and we suspect that you do too. Several solid frameworks for enacting climate-focused education exist (example a; example b), and such teaching and learning is essential for virtually all aspects of quality of life, and even life itself for many species. Colleges and universities are key, as are primary and secondary settings.
Please join this discussion to create and refine concrete ideas for climate change/climate justice teaching and learning objectives that could be supported across K-12 (and beyond) in developmentally appropriate ways in virtually all content areas. We are actively drafting legislation ideas, but wish to do so in partnership with as broad a coalition of Oregon students and educators as possible ahead of teaming with many other stakeholders. We believe teacher voice on these objectives, as informed by our students and our professional expertise, is essential to the success of well-rounded policy implementation. Please invite other Oregon students and educators to this opportunity.
To join or express legislation ideas, please complete this brief survey (tinyurl.com/oeces, if you want to share it!).
With sincerity and solidarity,
Oregon Educators for Climate Education (OECE)