Partner stories

These stories are a collection of educator professional learning experiences and opportunities provided by ESD, CBO and Tribal School partners.

NEWESD 101

Northeast Washington ESD 101 focused on creating a way to reach all 288 schools in their region with standards that fit their scope and sequence while expanding teachers understanding of climate science. This resulted in larger professional development for regions and individualized professional development for some schools.

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Teens Tackle Social Determinants of Health with Climate Justice League

Jan 25, 2024 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 123, NCESD 171, EarthGen (Formerly Washington Green Schools)

Climate change was the reason Lori Buratto decided to become a high school science teacher. She understood how climate change impacts every aspect of life, but for years she only felt confident teaching it in the context of environmental science classes. Last year,...

OpenSciEd High School Summer Institute inspires and motivates teachers

Dec 7, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, PSESD, ESD 123, NCESD 171, NWESD 189

“We need to stop thinking, ‘Is this student good enough for my science class?’ and start asking, ‘Is my science class good enough to engage all students?’” This was the question posed by Jamie Yoos, a chemistry teacher and OpenSciEd facilitator from Bellingham,...

OpenSciEd Elementary Field Test Launch Summer 2023

Dec 7, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, PSESD, ESD 123, NCESD 171, NWESD 189

The OpenSciEd Elementary Field Test launched this August on the beautiful Washington State University, Vancouver campus. Over seventy elementary teachers from across the state participated in this three-day project launch learning about the high-quality OpenSciEd...

From Sagebrush to Classroom: Educators’ Hands-On Experience with EarthGen

Oct 24, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 112, ESD 123, NCESD 171, EarthGen (Formerly Washington Green Schools)

Sixteen educators ventured into Washington’s sweeping sagebrush landscapes near Bridgeport seeking hands-on insights to strengthen their understanding of the impact of climate change on two local species, the pygmy rabbit and the sharp-tailed grouse. EarthGen...

Washington State Team Attends OpenSciEd Facilitator Academy to Launch Elementary Field Test

Jul 5, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, ESD 123, NCESD 171, NWESD 189

A team of 12 Washington state educators—OSPI, Regional Science Coordinators, and teacher leaders—attended the OpenSciEd Elementary Facilitator Academy in Denver, CO, June 19-24 with support from the Climetime project and Williams Foundation. This week-long immersion...

In Washington, Students Learn About Climate Change Like Nowhere Else

Mar 13, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, PSESD, ESD 123, NCESD 171, NWESD 189

Food justice classes and mock G7 summits are on the curriculum in the first US state to fund “climate change education” in public schools. In science teacher Ali Coker’s sophomore biology class, students became farming activists attending a G7 summit. Coker wove in...

Rural Students Bring Climate Conversations into the Community

Feb 24, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, PSESD, ESD 123, NCESD 171, NWESD 189, EarthGen (Formerly Washington Green Schools)

When Celia Cummings started teaching Waterville High School’s first environmental science class, she discovered that many of her students came from families that doubt the science of climate change. Celia was enrolled in a climate justice focused professional...

Opening Minds to Learning, Action, and Hope.

Feb 1, 2023 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 123, NCESD 171

Ever wonder how to talk to students about climate change and how to empower them to take action? Many elementary teachers in Washington State wonder about this too! In an effort to support teachers, Regional Science Coordinators in Tri-Cities, Yakima, Wenatchee, and...

Our Climate is Changing, Why Aren’t We? Getting Started Using Children’s Literature

Oct 6, 2022 | NEWESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 123, NCESD 171

In the spring of 2022, Regional Science Coordinators met to reflect on Climate Literacy work completed in 2021-22. A few patterns began to emerge. The first pattern was that elementary teachers were excited to bring climate science to their classrooms, but unsure of...