We're in the field for an update on a crowd favorite Environmental Applied Civics legacy project at Katherine Johnson Middle School! Young people set up a closed-loop food system - reducing landfill trash from school lunches by 75% thanks to chickens. Tune in to hear directly from young people and their teacher Ms. Alam on how they intend to ensure project sustainability, what they've learned, and how this work has affected their community.

In this episode, Earth Force CEO Vince Meldrum talks with Leia Lowery, Founder and CEO of The Climate Initiative (TCI). Leia shares how TCI grounds massive global climate issues at the local level to give students direct access to community action. They discuss the power of place-based education, how environmental action combats loneliness, and why students who struggle in traditional classrooms often shine the brightest when taking action.

This episode explores the Water Education Exemplars Project, a Colorado initiative bridging the gap between state water policy and youth engagement. Earth Force's Alyssa McConkey speaks with veteran environmental educator Donny Roush and CSU student Maya about the urgent need to meet the 2050 Colorado Water Plan goals. By training and compensating young people to serve as professional evaluators, the project ensures that environmental education in Colorado is both high-quality and impactful. Maya shares how the experience transformed her from a student to a respected collaborator, emphasizing the power of youth-adult partnerships in building a sustainable and water-conscious future.

What happens when students stop just memorizing the three branches of government and start actually influencing them? In this episode of Field Chats, the Earth Force team discusses why "content knowledge" isn't enough to solve the climate crisis or rebuild civic trust. From stories of middle-school campaigning to the power of "agency as collectivity," the team explores how we can provide young people with the toolkit they need to recognize power, address inequity, and drive systemic change.

Show notes:

Campano, G., Ghiso, M. P., Badaki, O., & Kannan, C. (2020). Agency as collectivity: Community-based research for educational equity. Theory Into Practice, 59 (2), 223–233.

How do we move education beyond the four walls of the classroom? Vince Meldrum discusses this with Ace Parsi, formerly with iCivics, now a candidate for the U.S. House to represent West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. They talk about public education as a public benefit and the necessity of transfer of learning - taking a concept from a textbook and applying it to a local bridge or a neighbor’s problem. Environmental Action Civics is an effective model for this type of community-based learning as it provides students with autonomy and a tangible sense of belonging.

We see you, social studies educators! Earth Force program staff Krysten, SJ, and Taylor discuss how Environmental Action Civics (EAC) bridges science and social studies. They highlight how science and social studies come with different lenses, both offering an ideal learning space for young people to understand and address local environmental issues.

Listen in for district examples in Denver and DC that demonstrate how EAC can be integrated into existing curricula by supporting civic action projects, connecting to frameworks like C3, and using real-world issues (such as protest movements and urban heat islands) as entry points for student inquiry and action.

In this episode of Field Chats: Environmental Action Civics Essentials, Alyssa McConkey talks with Dr. Antonio Gonzales of Albuquerque Public Schools and Erin Blaz and Theresa Aragon from the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District about what authentic student learning looks like in New Mexico.

They share how place-based experiences help students connect classroom learning to their own communities and see themselves as environmental stewards.

The conversation highlights how EAC moves beyond teaching about environmental problems to empowering young people to investigate issues, work with community partners, and take meaningful action to improve their communities.

Show links:

• Ciudad Soil and Water District
• Albuquerque Public Schools - Dr. Antonio Gonzales
• Earth Force’s Three Essential Experiences

What does it take to move from youth interest in climate to state-level policy change?

In this episode of Field Chats: Environmental Action Civics Essentials, we sit down with Mary Seawell, CEO of Lyra Colorado, to unpack the story behind Colorado’s Seal of Climate Literacy — a high school diploma endorsement created through Senate Bill 24-014.

Mary shares how a small team, strong relationships with educators, and youth-led testimony helped pass statewide legislation without a lobbyist — and why centering student voice was the most persuasive strategy of all.

We explore:

• What the Seal of Climate Literacy requires (coursework + experiential, community-based action)

• How rural and urban communities alike helped shape and champion the policy

• Why flexibility and district-level ownership matter

• How existing frameworks (like Environmental Action Civics) can align with and strengthen the seal

• What it means to design climate education that is hopeful, place-based, and rooted in community values

In its first full year, more than 420 students earned the seal — with participation expected to triple. This conversation is a powerful reminder that when young people are trusted as civic leaders, systems can shift.

Learn more about Lyra Colorado.