Schools for Climate Action (S4CA) Summary Sheet

        Schools for Climate Action is a non-partisan, grassroots, youth-adult campaign to empower school communities to speak up for national climate action to protect current and future students. S4CA works with school boards, student councils, PTA’s, and educators’ unions to pass climate action resolutions. The Schools for Climate Action campaign grew out of Citizens’ Climate Lobby and practices respectful, non-partisan engagement and advocacy. It was started by teachers, students, and parents in Sonoma County, California.

Baseline~June 2018

Since December more than 100 school board members serving on 22 school boards in 7 congressional districts in 2 states have officially spoken up for climate action to protect current and future students. These resolutions:

• Articulate the public and political will for all elected leaders to act on climate change, including Congress. Eleven boards cite carbon pricing as one course of positive action. One board, Albany (CA) Union specifically calls on Congress to consider a revenue-neutral carbon fee-and-dividend.

• Help drive a paradigm shift that provides important perspective on federal climate inaction. Many boards reference a California PTA resolution of 2015 declaring climate change a “children’s issue”. Six boards have chosen stronger language characterizing climate change as a “generational justice” and “human rights”.

• Celebrate and expand intra-district responses to the climate crisis. Examples include:

• Switching to green energy providers and committing to waste diversion goals;
• Exploring ways to decrease carbon-intensity of district food service, buildings, and maintenance;
• Encouraging non-partisan climate advocacy and engagement by local schools;
• Exploring climate literacy, climate advocacy, and climate justice curriculum and graduation requirements.

Complete list of School Board Climate Action Resolutions since December, 2017

Example School Board Resolutions:

1. Albany (CA)
2. Sonoma County Office of Education (CA)
3. Telluride (CO)
4. San Lorenzo (CA)
5. Harmony Union School Board (CA)