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How can we best equip the next generation with an understanding of climate science and the motivation and practical skills needed to create healthy, thriving communities? K–12 climate education is essential to providing students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need to address the impacts of climate change, now and in the future. Featuring success stories and lessons learned in state-level climate education policy efforts, this panel will highlight three different approaches to promote climate literacy: 

• Weaving climate education curriculum across standards and subject matter,

• Providing professional development in climate education to teachers, and

• Establishing Offices of Climate Education in state agencies and/or hiring dedicated personnel to address implementation.

Join us to learn more about how you, your colleagues, or your organization can help support robust climate education policies in your state and meaningfully put them into practice. Through this work, we can strengthen our education systems to meet the needs of our changing world and help create a better future for everyone.

Panelists:

• Teddy Lyman, Climate Education Specialist, Office of Innovation, Maine Department of Education

• Sarah Sterling, Senior Climate Change Education Advisor, Office of Climate Change Education, New Jersey Department of Education

• Dr. Roni Jones, Director of Curriculum, Ten Strands

Moderator: Alexia Leclercq, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Start:Empowerment 

Speakers:

Sarah Sterling
Senior Climate Change Education Advisor, Office of Climate Change Education, New Jersey Department of Education

Sarah Sterling serves as Senior Advisor on Climate Change Education for the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). In her role, she oversees NJDOE’s Climate Change Education Unit, which is responsible for the administration of over $12M in grants to schools and institutes of higher education to support climate literacy
through the implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. She also spearheads interoffice collaboration at the NJDOE on projects such as green and blue career and workforce development, fostering interagency partnerships, and developing ongoing advocacy strategies to support climate change education in K-12 for all of New Jersey’s 1.4 million students. Sarah has over twenty years of experience in urban public-school teaching and central office administration with a STEAM and sustainability focus. Sheis a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Grenada, West Indies), a graduate of
Rutgers University, and NYU Steinhardt’s Environmental Conservation Education MA program.

Teddy Lyman
Climate Education Specialist, Office of Innovation, Maine Department of Education

Teddy Lyman is the Climate Educator Specialist at the Maine Department of Education. He works on a climate change education program for teacher professional development and curriculum development, as well as designing and collaborating on the future of climate change education in Maine. Before working for the Department of Education, Teddy was a science teacher for Middle and High School as well as a Dean of Students at an independent school in Colorado. Teddy has a BA in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Bowdoin College. First and foremost, he loves time outside in all forms.

Dr. Roni Jones
Director of Curriculum, Ten Strands

Roni Jones brings an extensive understanding of educational systems and a wide range of experiences at many levels including K-12 districts, institutions of higher education, and state and county educational agencies. Previously, she spent three years as the assistant director for the System of Support for the California Collaborative For Educational Excellence (CCEE). Her extensive experience also includes serving as organizational development specialist at WestEd, and network liaison for National Geographic Education where she supported the K–12 geography education Alliance Network to implement professional development programs.

Alexia Leclercq
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Start:Empowerment 

Alexia Leclercq is a grassroots environmental justice organizer and scholar. She has led successful campaigns from advocating for an equitable fossil fuel phaseout at the UN to passing climate legislation, fighting for clean water, addressing aggregate mining, and writing land use law. Alexia co-founded the Colorado River Conservancy and Start:Empowerment, a climate justice education nonprofit. Her curriculum has reached over 120,000 students and her work has been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. She’s a Grist 50 Fixer, Brower Youth Award, WWF Conservation Award winner, and the youngest recipient of Harvard’s AOCC Award. In 2022, she served as UN Assembly Ambassador and has guest lectured at institutions including Harvard, Princeton, and UT Law. Alexia graduated Summa Cum Laude from NYU and earned a master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education.