OUR VISION
Every student in California attends a zero-emission, climate-resilient school that supports their health, safety, learning, and development.
WHO WE ARE
A coalition across sectors
Founded in 2022, we are a coalition of education, climate, health, youth, labor, civil rights, and business leaders and organizations — more than 30 members strong.
HOW WE WORK
From policy to practice
We focus on sustainability and climate resilience in school buildings, grounds, and transportation. We help California policymakers, agencies, and district leaders adopt, resource, and implement policies to decarbonize school buildings and make campuses resilient to extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and flooding.
WHO WE CENTER
We prioritize efforts to support students of color, low-income students, and those disproportionately impacted by extreme heat, airborne toxins, and environmental injustice.
We also lend our support to organizations and coalitions working on related issues, such as environmental and climate literacy and sustainable food.
Students most at risk
IN THEIR WORDS
Why leaders back climate-ready schools
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“There is no question that climate change poses a serious risk to children’s health, and all schools must be equipped to protect kids as much as possible. We know that wildfire smoke is ten times more harmful to children’s health than regular air pollution. Climate science now predicts a 50 percent increase in smoke exposure, and as a pediatrician, I anticipate a similar increase in the number of children needing hospital treatment for respiratory illnesses. This is a devastating reality.”
Lisa Patel
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine -
“School shutdowns disrupt our kids’ learning and harm their mental health. COVID-19 proved that beyond doubt. Now we need to make all our schools climate-resilient. That means our state lawmakers have to take serious action because many of our schools are poorly equipped to keep students and staff healthy and safe. If we don’t act boldly, then California’s children will continue to suffer preventable disruptions.”
Jeff Vincent
Co-founder, UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools -
“Most of California’s schools were built long before anyone knew anything about climate change. These buildings were not designed to handle things like wildfire smoke and extreme heat. In fact, two in five students attend schools that don’t meet basic facilities standards. As global warming intensifies and severe weather becomes increasingly frequent, it will become more and more difficult for California’s aging schools to maintain conditions that are safe, healthy, and conducive to learning.”
Jonathan Klein
Co-founder, UndauntedK12 -
“The Climate Ready Schools Coalition plays a critical role in Ten Strands’ approach to change at the whole systems level. We believe that schools must provide equitable access to safe and healthy spaces for children, youth, and adults to learn and play. California’s schools need more support and investment in order to meet that vision, and in order to minimize ongoing disruptions to learning from climate impacts. In terms of big picture change we believe these investments will lead to the co-benefits of school buildings and grounds becoming a laboratory for learning about sustainable and climate-resilient practices, and schools serving as a catalyst for transformative change within communities.”
Andra Yeghoian
Chief Innovation Officer, Ten Strands
OUR MEMBERS
Member organizations
