Climate Action Education

Action Guide for Climate Champions

2022-2023
 Action Guide for
Climate Champions

Action Guide for Climate Champions

Welcome!
We are thrilled to welcome you and your school community to the 2022-2023
Climate Action Schools program. Your school is joining with school organizations
from across the world in a shared commitment to take action for the planet! Over
the course of the year, your school community will have opportunities to explore
possibilities, design through inquiry and optimism, and connect for impact as we
move through a journey together in a Year of Action.

For the Climate Action Schools program, we have schools joining from all across
the globe. Each school has gone through an application and interview process
and commits as a school community to taking action. In our eyes, these schools
are some of the best of the best, and, together, will be taking the lead in guiding
what climate action education can be and will be for the future. These schools
are the innovators, the leaders, the disruptors, and, representing each school and
truly leading the way, we have our Climate Champions!

You are a CHAMPION!

Congratulations! Your school leader has nominated you to serve as the Climate
Champion for your school for 2022-2023. We are so excited to be working with
you as you serve in this leadership role. In a distributed leadership model, we will
work with Climate Champions, and Climate Champions will work with each other
and with their school communities.

As a Climate Champion, you will serve as the primary point-of-contact within two
groups:
1. Representing the program to members of your own school community
2. Representing your school in the global community of other participating
schools
Take Action Global
Take Action Global (TAG) is a leading education non-profit 501(c)3 organization
committed to climate education for all and equitable educational learning
opportunities for global educators and PreK-12 students. TAG is committed to the
United Nations’ Agenda for 2030 with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) with specific focus on SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 13: Climate Action,
and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Over five years, TAG has served nearly
3.5 million students and educators from 149 countries through online learning
programs and has supported over 83,000 tree plantings. TAG believes that
educators and students can become leaders of a movement to protect and
secure the future through climate action education and has an approach to
learning with:

- Commitment to research and science: Work within education provides an

opportunity to ground decisions and understandings of the world in science and
fact. Students as digital citizens can begin to better understand their roles as
critical consumers of information and constructors of knowledge.

- Innovative instructional design: TAG methods of teaching and learning are

organized around principles of cooperation, collaboration, leadership, and action.
Activities emphasize experiential learning across all content areas with every
teacher a climate action educator and every student bringing unique ideas and
skills.

- Access to information, ideas, and opportunity: To equip students with the tools
they need to meet this call to action as empowered learners, TAG is committed to
ensuring that every classroom can equitably access new ideas, reliable
information, and meaningful opportunities for engagement to take action for the
world. TAG commits to reducing barriers to learning across language, technology,
resources, and funding.

- Shared, positive experiences: Something happens when people from different

locations and different life experiences come together to create change. TAG’s
teachers and students join in virtual exchanges and global collaborations and as
they become united in an effort for taking on a problem as big as the climate
crisis, they start to understand how in this world we all fit together.

- Democratized systems of working and collaborating: TAG creates space for

inquiry, identity, and expression. Democratized systems allow for contribution and
creation and accessible entry points show ways in and pathways for action.
Take Action Global brings communities together in online spaces for authentic
learning experiences, including Climate Action Project (curriculum co-authored
with WWF), Climate Action Day, and Climate Action Schools. TAG partners include
international experts and world leaders, including the UN, UN Environmental
Programme, Earth Day Organization, NASA, LEGO, Cartoon Network, Fridays for
the Future, and the Jane Goodall Institute. Event speakers have included Prince
William, Dr. Jane Goodall, Rick Davis (Mars Expedition, NASA), and Sir David
Attenborough. TAG has established partnerships with 20 Ministries of Education
and co-authored the Climate Literacy Petition on Earth Day 2022 with the Earth
Day Organization and Fridays for the Future.

Climate Literacy Petition

In solidarity, we demand
climate and environmental
education programs to
ensure:

At Take Action Global, we know to

tackle the climate crisis, we will
need the hands, hearts, and best
ideas from every person at every
age from everywhere.
 Climate Action Schools
School Year: 2022-2023
PreK-Grade 12
Virtual Exchange Experience

Important Links and Social Accounts

- Program Overview Webpage:
https://www.takeactionglobal.org/climate-action-schools/
- Community of Practice for Educators: http://climateactionschools.org
- Program Overview Presentation: LINK
- Social media: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
- Newsletter Signup: LINK
- Hashtag: #ClimateActionEdu

Program Overview Videos (ready for Sharing)

Program overview: https://youtu.be/Am2OW_b924A
Meet the Climate Audit: https://youtu.be/bHLFYPBSC8w
Professional Development and Certifications: https://youtu.be/VvMsLsTwCOw
Virtual Exchange and Global Collaboration: https://youtu.be/xzBquPAdhAg
Tree Planting Experience: https://youtu.be/m1M96CW08LI
Climate Action Champions: https://youtu.be/GlFzl71Aq30
Online Community of Practice: https://youtu.be/oy7mluDiwig
Overview Timeline of Events, 2022-2023

Month Climate Champion Classroom Teacher Classroom

2022-2023 Activities Professional Activities
Development
Experiences

September Key Activity: N/A N/A

Onboarding Climate Champion
Onboarding

-Welcome kit

October Key Activity: Key Activity: N/A

Orientation Community Classroom Teacher
Development, Onboarding
Awareness
Building
-Welcome activity
- Welcome event
- Community of
Practice
experience: build
personal profile,
build school profile
– PD: Climate
Action Educator
Part 1 and Part 2
November Key Activity: Key Activity: My Key Activity: We
Welcome Community Identity as a are a Climate
Development, Climate Action Action School:
Identity Building Educator Building School
Identity
-Climate -November 3rd:
Champions as Climate Action Day -November 3rd:
Community - Climate Action Climate Action Day
Builders Educator Part 1 - Welcome Event
- Lead Part 1 training - November
training - Community of Activity: Keystone
- Community of Practice Species
Practice onboarding
engagement - Build Profile

December Key Activity: Key Activity: Key Activity: Asset

Level: My Role Community Community Finding Mission
Development, Development,
Baseline Baseline -Engage in
Assessment Assessment Schoolwide Audit:
“Asset Finding
-Lead School wide -Participate in Mission”
Audit School wide Audit - Day of Action
- Community of - Community of
Practice Practice
engagement engagement

January Key Activity: Key Activity: Key Activity:

Level: My School Prepare for Global Global Handshake Global Handshake
Handshake
-Prepare for Global -Global Handshake
-Lead School wide Handshake activity - Virtual Exchange
Audit - Webinar #1 #1
- Community of - Community of - Webinar #1
Practice Practice - Complete Action
engagement engagement Plan Step 1
February Key Activity: Key Activity: Key Activity: My
Level: My Local Global Global Global Team
Community Collaboration Collaboration
- Meet 3 schools
-Facilitate Virtual - Identify local tree - Exchange #2
Exchanges expert interview - Webinar #2
- Community of - Coordinate with 3 - Complete Action
Practice schools Plan Step 2
engagement - Webinar #2
- Community of
Practice
engagement

March Key Activity: Key Activity: Key Activity:

Level: My Global Taking Action Taking Action Taking Action
Community
-Facilitate Virtual - Webinar #3 - Meet 3 schools
Exchanges - Community of - Exchange #3
- Community of Practice - Webinar #3
Practice engagement - Complete Action
engagement Plan Step 3

April Key Activity: Key Activity: Key Activity:

Level: Our Future
-Coordinate Earth -Webinar #4 - Exchange #4
Day event - Participate in - Webinar #4
- Prepare for Tree Earth Day event - Complete Action
Planting Experience - Community of Plan Step 4
- Community of Practice - Earth Day Event
Practice engagement - Tree Planting
engagement

May Key Activity: Key Activity: Key Activity:

Level: Our Impact Reflection Reflection Reflection

- Reflection, -Impact with Data - Data visualization

Reporting - Community of - School
- Data Practice Celebration
consolidation engagement
- School
Certification
- Community of
Practice
engagement
Climate Action Schools Portal

Our Climate Action Schools

educators have exclusive access to
the online Community of Practice.

Within this portal, educators will be

able to collaborate, share resources,
document learning, and showcase
school engagements and learning.
Unique to our portal, we offer a
community-first approach that aims
to powerfully and meaningfully
connect educators who care about
climate action and global
collaboration.

Over the course of the fall semester,

we will provide guided support for
you and then your school faculty to
join into the online community.

As a Climate Champion, you will be

invited to:
● build your own personal
educator page
● build and manage your own
school page
● engage in the official Climate
Champions group
● engage in your quad group (keep
reading to learn more about this)
EarthProject App
The EarthProject app is available for your
students (ages 13 and up) on iOS and Android.
Our app allows students to learn about
climate change, take simple actions, and see
direct impact, like:
- how much kg of carbon can be avoided
by skipping one meal of red meat
- benefits for the planet of using your
phone less
- impact of biking to school
Students can work in class/global groups to
collaborate on the same mission.

Communications and Technologies

Take Action Global is committed to using collaboration and creation edtech tools
that empower educators to share, explore, and grow. Tools for collaboration,
communication, and creation would include:

● Educator Community of Practice (closed platform)

● EarthProject app (iOS and Android): students
● Videoconferencing tools (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet, Teams)
● Communications (e.g. Email)
● Collaboration tools (e.g. Google, Microsoft, Flipgrid, Wakelet, Padlet)
● Creation tools (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud Express, Book Creator, iMovie)
● Climate Action tools (e.g. EarthProject app, LEGO Build the Change, NASA)
● Social Media platform (e.g. hashtags, Twitter, Pinterest)

Speakers
Guest speakers, panels, and talks are offered each month. Speakers include
global experts in innovation and climate literacy, and international and national
schools, school leaders, and teacher leaders. Examples could include expert
representatives from:
● United Nations and United Nations Foundation
● LEGO Build the Change
● Earth Day Organization
● Fridays for the Future
● NASA
Certification and Recognition of Learning
Take Action Global follows a digital badge certification process with opportunities
for certification for educators, coaches, and schools. Formal recognition of
learning includes digital badging, microcredentials, and certificates. Informal
recognition of learning includes amplification, empowerment, and social shares.
Examples include: public recognition during sessions, opportunities to present or
offer testimonials, spotlights, and sending messages celebrating successes.

● Climate Action Educator (Climate Champions + all faculty, Part 1, Part 2)

● Climate Action Education Specialist (Climate Champions only)
● Climate Action Schools designation

Digital Badges

School Banner (to be delivered to schools)

Roles
In the Climate Action Schools program, there is a place for everyone! In our
commitment to “climate education for all,” we have designed with access and
inclusion in mind. We work for the “pull” as opposed to a “push” meeting
educators and school community members where they are and build up from
there. Everyone is invited to join in a way that works best for them with multiple
entry points and ways to get involved. For us, every action counts, and
collectively, small actions add up to big change.

We will work with Climate Champions to determine the optimal outreach and
onboarding plans for individual schools.

Climate Champion
We say the Climate Champion is the glue that binds all the pieces together! At the
start of the school year, the School Leaders will select and appoint one school
faculty member to serve as the Climate Champion for the year (Note: some
schools may opt to have two Climate Champions due to size of school, needs of
program, teaching teams, etc.--just let us know).

We are thrilled to work with you in this leadership role.

For this program, Climate Champions do not need to have experience in either
climate education or running global collaboration projects–we will get you all
geared up with the supports, resources, skills, and knowledge you will need for
this role.

Here were some key qualities we recommend to your school leaders to help in
their selection of their Climate Champion:
- Climate Champions are collaborative!
- Climate Champions are celebratory and optimistic!
- Climate Champions are empathetic and inclusive!
- Climate Champions are organized and mission-driven!
- Climate Champions are committed to the planet and its people!
During the year, we are here for you. Please reach out at any time. We are
committed to providing a direct line of communication and to respond to any of
your calls for action. You and your team will work with program facilitators, and
our Executive Directors are at your service:

If you need us for an urgent situation or just to say hello:

Jennifer Williams, jennifer@takeactionglobal.org
Koen Timmers, koen@takeactionglobal.org

Climate Champion: at-a-glance

Key Actions Key Communications Key Collaborations

- Climate Champion - Action Guide for Climate Climate Champion <>

onboarding process:
September
- Visioning Process with
School Leader: October
- Earn Certifications and
participate in Professional
Development
- Serve as point-of-contact
for TAG team, school
community, and virtual
exchange partner schools
- Distribution of materials
and PD experiences
- Opportunity for joining
TAG for enhanced
experiences with
professional speaking,
writing, research, media
Champions School Leader
- Climate Champion Climate Champion <> TAG
Update: monthly emails Team
- Community of Practice: Climate Champion <>
Climate Champion Group School Community
- Climate Champion Climate Champion <>
monthly webinars Climate Champion
- Climate Champion PD Climate Champion <>
learning experiences Partner Schools
(webinars, etc.)
Climate Champion <>
Global Community (press,
research, presenting)
(optional)

- Lead development of the

School Portfolio of
Learning
School Leader
School leaders work to lead the charge and inspire a community of action! We
aim to support you to work with your school leader to customize the experience
for your community according to priorities for your school and school network.

We notice that each School Leader joins the Climate Action Schools program for
a very targeted reason–the decision process is thoughtful and intentional.
Reasons for joining we have heard from schools: climate education experience,
building global competencies, virtual exchange with students in other countries,
authentic computer science opportunity, innovation and tech with purpose,
teacher professional development, social-emotional learning, bilingual education
program. Your leader’s reason for joining may be similar to one of these or
maybe completely different, but whatever it is, our goal is to work with you and
your team to ensure that this “why” – your school “why” – is always central to the
work ahead.

School Leader: at-a-glance

Key Actions Key Communications Key Collaborations

- Appoint Climate - Leader Guide (this was Leader <> Climate

Champion: September delivered in September) Champion

- Visioning Process with
Climate Champion:
October
- Join for events:
throughout year
- Serve as guide to Climate
Champion and final
decision maker for
program: throughout year
- Opportunity for joining
TAG for enhanced
experiences with
professional speaking,
writing, research, media
- Climate Action School Leader <> TAG Team
Leader Update: monthly
emails Leader <> School
Community
- Community of Practice:
Leader Group (optional) Leader <> Leader
(optional)
Leader <> Global
Community (press,
research, presenting)
(optional)
Educators
Every educator in a school can be a Climate Action Educator! We will work with
you as the Climate Champion to create an onboarding process for the teachers
that works best with the school’s goals, schedule, and interests. Every educator is
invited to join for all the professional development experiences, events, and
monthly activities. We have a “steady and supported” approach to community
building with different entry points for engagement. Some people love bite sized
and others prefer comprehensive. Some are motivated by social connections and
others may get inspired by reading stories of action from global classrooms.
Educators can be curators, creators, or community builders–we’ve got them all
covered!

Educators: at-a-glance

Key Actions Key Communications Key Collaborations

- Educator onboarding - Climate Action Schools Educator <> Climate

process: Oct/Nov Update: monthly emails Champion

- Earn Certifications and - Community of Practice: Educator <> Students

participate in Professional
Development
- Meet global classrooms
- Engage in School Action
Plan
- Join for events,
celebrations, and
community actions
Climate Action Schools
group Educator <> Global
Educators
- Class webinars and
virtual exchanges Educator <> Partner
Schools
- Communications with
Partner Schools Educator <> Global
Community (press,
research, presenting)
(optional)

Students
As Climate Action Educators, we look to serve as a “Help Desk” for our
students–as learning and action facilitators with a goal of getting out of the way
and letting students lead the way! Students in a Climate Action School can be
advocates, inventors, activists, storytellers, designers, builders, inquirers, and
leaders. We believe to take on the climate challenges of today and to protect our
planet, we will need the hearts, hands, and best ideas of everyone, everywhere!
Students: at-a-glance

Key Actions Key Communications Key Collaborations

- Tree planting experience - Class activities Educator <> Student

- Class-to-class virtual - Expert interviews Student <> Global Students

exchanges
- Virtual exchanges Student <> Local
- Monthly and weekly Community
schools actions

- EarthProject app

Parents and Community Members

Parents and local community members are invited to join in as members of the
Climate Action Schools community. Some examples of opportunities for
school-to-home and school-to-community partnerships:
- Expert interviews with local community members
- Intergenerational interviews between students and family members
- Students present ideas to local business
- Parents and community members join for tree planting ceremony
- Parents and community members join together for a day of service

Climate Champions will work with School Leaders and Educators to determine
the best way to build community through the Visioning Process in the early
months of the program.

Parents and Community Members: at-a-glance

Key Actions Key Communications Key Collaborations

- Join for events and - School-to-Home monthly Parent/Community

learning experiences (as communications (each Member <> School/Class
invited) month sample copy for
newsletters will be Parent <> Child
provided)
Global Partner Schools: “Quads”
A highlight of the program: Virtual Exchange! Each school will be partnered with
three other global schools. Climate Champions will receive the information on the
matched schools in November and virtual exchanges will begin in January. As we
have schools in our community from 149 countries, there will be times when
schools will need to consider time zone, language, and cultural differences. We
will provide guidance and best practice for schools as they engage in the virtual
exchange experiences!

Community of Practice
School Leaders, Climate Champions, and school Educators will be invited to join
in the online Community of Practice. Here, you all will be able to document
progress, interact with global educators, create and share ideas, lesson plans,
and activities, and access materials and resources from around the world!

Facilitators
Our Take Action Global program facilitators are here to support you. Facilitators
will guide the program month-to-month sharing activities, supporting
school-to-school connections, leading webinars and professional development,
and cheering you on all year long. Your facilitator will be your point-of-contact
and available within the online portal, via email, and during office hours.

Save-the-Dates: Monthly Engagements

Monthly Live Events

Climate Champion Climate Action Educator Climate Action Class

Monthly Meetups Course LIVE PD Webinar Series

Monthly Offered on 4 dates Webinar 1

8-9am or 11-12pm ET Select one: January 17th

October 18 Webinar 2
Tuesday, October 11
8-9:30am ET February 21
Tuesday, November 8
Tuesday, December 13 October 25 Webinar 3
Tuesday, January 10 12-1:30pm ET March 21
Tuesday, February 14
Tuesday, March 14 November 15 Webinar 4
Tuesday, April 11 8-9:30 ET April 18
Tuesday, May 9
November 15 Earth Day Celebration
12-1:30pm ET April 20
Community Connections

Best Practices: Connecting with Global Schools

● Full Group: For this program, we have assembled some of the most
engaged schools around sustainable development representing
geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. Some of our schools are
large, some are small. Some schools are funded by the government, some
schools are privately funded, and some are not funded at all. We have
schools that follow IB curriculum, national curriculum, Montessori practices,
Cambridge curriculum, and outdoors/expeditionary programming. Some
schools are experts in integrating technology, and some build with their
hands. We have schools that are designed for students with learning
differences and schools who are learning about personalization,
accessibility, and choice. Some schools have been around for 100 years
and some are brand new and built for families looking for a new approach.
Some learn in buildings, some learn outdoors, and some even learn online.
And, with all the differences, our schools are united and bound in purpose
for the planet. Though climate is the lens through which we see action and
impact, we also recognize that we have quite an extraordinary opportunity
to create change in education and in the future of teaching and learning.
Stay tuned for opportunities to join in with research, professional speaking
and writing, and media coverage. We will be sharing more over the next
few months!
● Climate Champions: Each school has one (and in some cases two) Climate
Champions. This group is your group, so we recommend connecting early
and keeping your eye out for opportunities for collaboration.
● Quad Members: In December, we will be messaging you and all our
Climate Champions to announce the Quads. Your school will be teamed up
with three other global schools. Be sure to connect with the three Climate
Champions early on.

Best Practices: Connecting within your School

● School Leader: You are the direct line to your school leader. Early in the
program, you will work through a Visioning Process to identify goals and
alignments for the year. Each month we will share ideas for sharing ideas
with your school leader to keep them included and engaged in the work.
 ● Educators: Every educator in your school is invited to participate in a way
that works for them. We will work with you in the early months to develop
a plan for faculty outreach, onboarding, and engagement. Our program is
designed for flexibility and choice with scaffolding and built-in checkpoints
to support success. We find that every school and every faculty is at a
different point with adoption and availability. No matter where your school
and your colleagues are in the journey, we are here to support and guide
the process with you to ensure that everyone feels represented and
included.
● Students and parents: Get ready! We have a full-year of exciting activities
for your school community. We will be sharing class activities,
school-to-home materials, and opportunities for building school culture
around this initiative.

Climate Change

Fast Facts to Get You Started

Greenhouse Gasses: Gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere. The most
common are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor.

The Greenhouse Effect: Naturally occurring greenhouse gasses in the lower

atmosphere trap reflected heat from the sun, which warms the air creating a
stable environment for life on Earth.

Global Warming: Since the pre-industrial period, the Earth’s atmospheric and
oceanic temperatures have been steadily rising. The main factor is the burning of
fossil fuels which produces and adds additional greenhouse gasses to the
atmosphere, amplifying the greenhouse effect.
Climate Change: Long term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns caused
by natural variations in solar cycles and more recently by human activities that
either produce greenhouse emissions or reduce the Earth’s ability to absorb heat
trapping gasses, including:
● Generating of power ● Producing food
● Manufacturing of goods ● Unsustainable
● Cutting down forests consumption
● Using transportation

Effects and Impacts of Climate Change:

● Increased risk of heat related ● Rising sea levels
illnesses and the spread of ● Loss of biodiversity
disease ● Food and water shortages
● Wildfire ● Poverty and population
● More severe storms displacement
● Increase in drought

Climate Action Solutions:

● World wide climate education
● Shift to renewable energy
generation
● Zero emission transportation
● Reduce industry emissions
● Development of green
infrastructure
● Change in food production and
diet
● Protection and rehabilitation the
Earth’s biodiversity and natural
systems

For a more thorough review, please access our Foundational Climate Change
Curriculum for Educators, TAG & WWF, 2022 edition
 Communications/ Media Kit

Announce to your school community and

on social media
Watch for press release to be emailed in
October

Announcement
Newsletter [ADD SCHOOL NAME] is proud to announce that we have been
Sample Copy accepted as a Climate Action School for 2022-2023. As part of the
Climate Action Schools program, our community of teachers and
Add image students will be engaging in a year-long plan of action joining with
schools from around the world and leaders in sustainable
development, including WWF, the UN, NASA, Earth Day Organization,
and LEGO Build the Change.

As part of the experience, we will be matched with three other global

schools!🌎🌍🌏 Stay tuned as we learn of our new partner schools
in the coming months.

We will also have opportunities for parents and community

members to join in: tree planting experiences, days of community
action, and global events and celebrations!

We look forward to sharing about our journey and our path to

progress! If you are interested in joining in or sharing your own
interests or expertise, please message our school program
coordinator [ADD CLIMATE CHAMPION NAME AND EMAIL HERE].

Social Media We are thrilled to announce that [ADD SCHOOL] has joined as a
Sample Copy Climate Action School for 2022-2023!

Add image Excited to partner with schools from around the world to take action
for the planet!

🌎 global collaboration
🌍 innovation and digital agency
🌏 action and impact
@ClimateActionED @TakeActionEdu #ClimateActionEdu
 Our Commitment:

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Take Action Global prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to
cultivating a community of educators, students, and stakeholders whose diverse
backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences inform and enhance the learning
and lived experience of all. Take Action Global is committed to ensuring access to
information, access to ideas, and access to opportunities, particularly for
individuals from traditionally marginalized communities.

As Take Action Global was created to inspired social change through action, we
are committed to these Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) actions:
● Unity in purpose
● Ongoing training and reflection
● Representation and amplification of traditionally marginalized populations
● Open access to educational resources and dedicated marketing efforts to
promote to underrepresented populations

Contact Information
Take Action Global 501(c)3
www.takeactionglobal.org

Dr. Jennifer Williams Koen Timmers

Co-Executive Director Co-Executive Director
jennifer@takeactionglobal.org koen@takeactionglobal.org

Dr. Riley Justis

Chief Operating Officer
riley@takeactionglobal.org
Take Action Global
Climate Action Education
www.takeactionglobal.org