California Congressional Bill Assembly Bill (AB) 1548 in 2003 required the identification of environmental education principles and concepts that would be used to establish the curriculum that has been created to bring education about the environment into the primary and secondary classrooms throughout California.

USC Sea Grant is one of the partners of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), an initiative that brings high-quality environmental literacy programs to all the youth in California.

    Climate Literacy

    Climate literacy is essential as residents and visitors recognize and adapt to the impacts of climate along the Southern California Coastal region.

    Youth Exploring Sea level Science (YESS) provides educators and youth with a guided curriculum to experience place-based phenomena and take action within their communities. 

    Community efforts include coastal dune restoration and Snapshot CalCoast. 

    Further, Environmental Literacy and Climate Change Projects (ELCCPS), the recently established will unite efforts to integrate climate literacy throughout CA formal and nonformal education.

    Environmental Literacy

    The rich and diverse communities of the Los Angeles region include varied cultural and individual connections to the coast and ocean.  The USC Sea Grant educators work with community partners to co-develop education programs that bridge science research, local and traditional ecological knowledge to understand our place in the watershed. This work creates opportunities for all students, especially creating opportunities for Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized students and lifelong learners to consider engagement and careers in coastal, marine, and watershed environments. Locally the Los Angeles STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Ecosystem and the Statewide California Environmental Literacy Coalition are two arenas where Sea Grant works directly with community-based partners to build capacity and engagement.

    Image of the ocean and rocks at sunset at Lechuza Beach in Malibu, CA.
    Image of the ocean and rocks at sunset at Lechuza Beach in Malibu, CA.