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Geography & Environmental Education Resources

Resources listed on this page are relevant for the curriculum areas of geography and environmental education. These external resources should be carefully reviewed before use in the classroom.

California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) External link opens in new window or tab.
CAELI provides resources to support student access to high-quality environment-based learning, including a State Seal of Civic Engagement Environmental Literacy Implementation Guide External link opens in new window or tab., Teacher Call to Action External link opens in new window or tab. for Environmental Literacy, and CAELI Partner Portal External link opens in new window or tab. designed for county offices of education.

California Geographic Alliance (CGA) External link opens in new window or tab.
CGA is dedicated to supporting and improving geographic education and literacy in California by providing professional development for educators, developing and distributing educational materials, promoting geographic awareness and literacy among the general public, and advocating structural changes at local and state levels to institutionalize geographic education across the curriculum.

Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum
The goal of the EEI is to increase environmental literacy for California's kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) students by teaching science and history-social science academic content standards to mastery within an environmental context.

Environmental Education and Environmental Literacy
This California Department of Education page contains information on current environmental education resources, special events, grant opportunities, and California's state plan (PDF) for environment-based education and environmental literacy.

Esri Geographic Information System (GIS) EdCommunity External link opens in new window or tab.
In the Esri GIS EdCommmunity, educators can find resources to support the use of GIS technology in classroom instruction including user forums, sample lesson plans, instructional videos, and much more. GIS technology provides the education community with tools to develop a greater understanding of our world through geospatial data analysis.

Generation Earth External link opens in new window or tab.
Generation Earth is an environmental education program from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Their goal is to educate and empower teens to be an active part of the solution to environmental concerns in their community. They offer workshops, mentorship, and do-it-yourself environmental projects that help youth make a positive difference at school, at home, and out in the world.

National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) External link opens in new window or tab.
NCGE is a non-profit organization chartered in 1915 to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning. NCGE supports geography teaching from kindergarten through university through teacher resources and professional development, including an annual conference. Members include U.S. and international teachers, professors, students, businesses, and others who support geographic education.

National Geographic Education External link opens in new window or tab.
National Geographic Education offers free geography, science, and social studies content resources for K–12 educators, learners, and families. It features wide-ranging instructional content—spanning pre-kindergarten through post-secondary—including cutting-edge multimedia and mapping tools.

Questions:   Professional Learning Innovations Office | PLIO@cde.ca.gov | 916-323-6269
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, June 12, 2024