Ten Strands

🌱 A major step forward for California students.
AB 2158, the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026, just passed the California Assembly Floor on 5/27/26 with a strong bipartisan vote of 61-0 and no opposition. The bill recognizes outdoor learning as a powerful, evidence-based strategy to improve student focus, mental health, academic achievement, and equity, while preserving full local control. It is jointly authored by Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) and Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and backed by 6 bipartisan, bicameral co-authors and 600+ organizations and individuals statewide.
Why this matters: Outdoor learning
🧠 Matches medication-level focus for kids with ADHD
❤️ Reduces chronic stress, anxiety, and depression
📚 Improves academic outcomes across subjects
⚖️ Benefits students of color and low-income students the most
💰 Green schoolyards return $3 for every $1 invested
AB 2158 now heads to the Senate Education Committee, with a hearing expected as early as June 10.
More information:
- Ten Strands’ Campaign site: caoutdoorlearning.org
- Sign the letter of support and opt in to join the coalition: bit.ly/2158yes
- Research case for outdoor learning: bit.ly/4dKwIRX

📢 We’re hiring! Ten Strands is looking for a Director of Operations to help strengthen and lead the systems that support our growing impact across California’s TK–12 education system.

This leadership role will oversee core operational functions including HR, organizational systems, budgeting coordination, compliance, IT infrastructure, and people operations helping ensure Ten Strands continues to operate effectively, sustainably, and in alignment with our mission and values.

We invite all to apply and encourage you to share this opportunity widely! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through the priority deadline of June 22, 2026 at 9:00 AM PT.

Selection process:
• Round 1: Resume and application question review
• Round 2: Initial interviews (June 29–July 6)
• Round 3: Professional artifact and reference submission (Due July 14)
• Round 4: Final interview with Ten Strands leadership (July 23–24)

Learn more and apply on our Careers page: https://tenstrands.org/about/careers/director-of-operations/

🚨 Reminder: We’re looking for California TK–12 educators and administrators to share how their schools are advancing environmental and climate action.

Ten Strands, in collaboration with CalRecycle, has launched a statewide survey to better understand what’s happening in schools—and where more support is needed.

Please read the post below for details and take the survey if you can. 👇
🔗 https://bit.ly/4sjEbMS

Thanks for helping spread the word!

🌿 Calling all California school administrators and teachers! 🌿

Help shape the future of environmental and climate action in TK–12 schools by sharing your experiences!

Ten Strands, in collaboration with , has launched a statewide survey to better understand how schools are integrating environmental practices into campus operations, curriculum, community engagement, and school culture. This effort supports AB 649 (Bennett, 2022) and will help identify what schools need to advance environmental justice and environmental literacy across California.

We know schools are already doing important work, and that barriers like limited time, funding, and resources can make progress challenging. This short survey will show what’s happening on the ground and help shape recommendations to boost environmental literacy and climate action in schools.

🔗 Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/4sjEbMS

Bonus! If you complete the survey by May 29, 2026:
- You will be entered into a prize giveaway! Winners will be chosen at random; the earliest entry gets first pick of prizes.
- All participants will receive a digital badge of completion that can be displayed on your website, social media, or other digital platforms.

🏫 We are also looking to connect with schools to conduct a short site visit (about 1.5 to 2 hours) to walk the campus, observe facilities, and speak with school staff. This visit is an opportunity for schools to share what’s working, what challenges they face, and what support would make a difference.

If you are able to put us in touch with schools in your region to schedule a site visit, please reach out to Devin Ngo at [email protected].

Learn more about the CalRecycle Data Project: https://bit.ly/47lg9IV

Please share your feedback on Seeds to Solutions! 🌱

Whether you’ve used a lesson or unit, or just learned about Seeds to Solutions in a workshop or this newsletter, we invite you to complete a brief survey. Your responses will help us meet the needs of students, educators, and communities. It takes only 5-10 minutes.

If you complete the survey by Friday, May 22, you have the option to enter a drawing for one of two $25 EarthHero gift certificates. Thank you in advance!

🔗 https://ow.ly/Pxu550YWa1T

⏰ The Orange County Register just covered a critical story: $194 million set aside to upgrade HVAC systems in California's public schools has been frozen since 2024, and it's at risk of being returned to utility companies instead of the students who need it.

The California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE) was created to fund upgrades that keep schools healthy and safe during heat waves, wildfires, and infectious disease spread. More than 4,500 schools received funding for HVAC assessments, but only 172 secured follow-on funding for actual upgrades before applications closed. Unless the legislature acts, the remaining $194 million will revert to investor-owned utilities in December.

This school year, an estimated 55,000 California students have already lost classroom time to weather-related disruptions — more than 17,000 in San Bernardino County alone.

📣 California leaders can fix this. Add your organization's name in support of extending CalSHAPE and directing these funds to schools before the deadline: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOjg1NBqZj_Z03dBSHkDheGD5NUhtiGYs1NC94i5cQuidEDw/viewform

📰 Read the full OC Register story: https://www.ocregister.com/2026/04/19/nearly-200-million-set-aside-in-california-to-update-school-hvac-systems-remains-unspent/

Thank you Rachel Fobar for your reporting!

Nearly $200 million set aside in California to update school HVAC systems remains unspent Environmentalists and state lawmakers debate whether the funds should be spent on school upgrades or return it to investor-owned utilities.

We had an incredible time at the National Science Teaching AssociationConference in Anaheim! 🌱✨

Ten Strands brought the energy of California’s environmental literacy movement to educators, administrators, and partners from across the country, showcasing how data-driven initiatives and transdisciplinary learning are reshaping climate action in schools.

Our Seeds to Solutions curriculum and Data Initiative were a massive hit—we ran out of Seeds to Solutions informational postcards within the first hour of the STEM Showcase!

⭐ A huge thank you to Ten Strands team members Sarah Whiting and Holly Steele, for leading high-impact sessions that helped build teacher capacity and inspire climate-literate, resilient school communities. ⭐

From connecting science learning with CTE and workforce development to empowering youth leaders through environmental data, and demonstrating how Seeds to Solutions bridges statewide priorities, these conversations highlighted the power of environmental literacy to drive meaningful change.

Catch up on the slides from our Data Initiative and Seeds to Solutions sessions, and keep an eye out for the next Ten Strands newsletter where we’ll share a full recap of the conference from our team!
📎 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KjDCora5W4kp2YS3fC5xU4wwQ_E7VtU2gx8kavofUBg/edit?slide=id.p =id.p
📎 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ttn5T7Tru6BxuKP-gqOOomW8NHKPak7PMjJleX1xxX8/edit?usp=sharing

It was a pleasure joining partners from across the LA region at the 5th annual Los Angeles County Office of Education-LACOE Green Schools Symposium 🌎🏫

Ten Strands led two hands-on workshops focused on moving from climate awareness to climate action.

☀️ Climate Impacts Simulation: Participants explored projected risks from the 2030s–2050s, including extreme heat, wildfire, flooding, and sea level rise, and what those impacts could mean for school communities.

🌱 Systems Thinking Session: Participants identified right-fit adaptation strategies and explored how to embed them into existing plans like LCAPs, Comprehensive School Safety Plans, and facilities planning.

The biggest takeaway: building climate-ready schools means integrating climate thinking into the core systems schools already use to plan, operate, and support students. That’s how resilience becomes lasting change. 👏

🌿 Calling all California school administrators and teachers! 🌿

Help shape the future of environmental and climate action in TK–12 schools by sharing your experiences!

Ten Strands, in collaboration with , has launched a statewide survey to better understand how schools are integrating environmental practices into campus operations, curriculum, community engagement, and school culture. This effort supports AB 649 (Bennett, 2022) and will help identify what schools need to advance environmental justice and environmental literacy across California.

We know schools are already doing important work, and that barriers like limited time, funding, and resources can make progress challenging. This short survey will show what’s happening on the ground and help shape recommendations to boost environmental literacy and climate action in schools.

🔗 Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/4sjEbMS

Bonus! If you complete the survey by May 29, 2026:
- You will be entered into a prize giveaway! Winners will be chosen at random; the earliest entry gets first pick of prizes.
- All participants will receive a digital badge of completion that can be displayed on your website, social media, or other digital platforms.

🏫 We are also looking to connect with schools to conduct a short site visit (about 1.5 to 2 hours) to walk the campus, observe facilities, and speak with school staff. This visit is an opportunity for schools to share what’s working, what challenges they face, and what support would make a difference.

If you are able to put us in touch with schools in your region to schedule a site visit, please reach out to Devin Ngo at [email protected].

Learn more about the CalRecycle Data Project: https://bit.ly/47lg9IV

Celebrate Earth Day and National Poetry Month with us! 🌍 🌷

Nature is not just a place we visit; as U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón beautifully reminds us, "Nature is who we are." This Earth Day, we are inviting you to help us offer something back—together.

We are creating a Collective Earth Day Poem, a tapestry of voices, art, and reflections from our community that celebrates our connection to the natural world.

🌿 How to participate: We want to hear from you! Submit 1–2 lines of poetry, a photo, or student artwork inspired by prompts like:

How has nature been a teacher to you?
What does nature look like where you live?
How do you give back to the natural world?

Why join us? This project reflects our shared mission: helping young people reconnect with the environment and uplifting learning beyond the classroom. Your contribution helps us tell a story of belonging and the vital role nature plays in shaping who we are.

🗓 Deadline: Submit your contribution by the end of today, April 22 (Earth Day)!

Let’s celebrate the powerful relationship between education and the environment by creating something beautiful together.

Submit your contribution here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnizep0-q0iIJkxRssX5qspPudvSppTIBL6V21XhwlBm6P9Q/viewform

Great news this week — a big step forward in preparing students for a climate-impacted future 📣

The Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act (AB 2158) and the State Seal of Climate Literacy (SB 1048) have officially passed their respective Assembly and Senate Education Committees, advancing efforts to expand outdoor learning and climate literacy opportunities for students across California. 👏 🌟

AB 2158 (Josh Hoover) recognizes outdoor learning as an evidence-based approach that supports student well-being, engagement, and academic success while providing guidance for safe and equitable implementation in schools.

SB 1048 (Josh Becker) establishes a voluntary State Seal of Climate Literacy for high school students who complete climate-focused coursework and hands-on community projects that prepare them for college, careers, and civic leadership.

As a proud sponsor of both bills, Ten Strands is grateful to the more than 1,000 organizations and individuals who signed on in support and to the legislative champions moving this work forward!

🖊️ We need your support to keep the momentum going! Add your name today:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecGCuEIY8JSTRCdiYkgh5NGj-gE9Onn0Tluw3m9T4CKBPUzA/viewform