2023-24 Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship (ESTF):
Revive and Recharge: Our Students, Ourselves, Our Planet 

The 2023-24 Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship (ESTF) honors the need for teachers to revive and recharge themselves, their students, and the planet, while also learning how to incorporate solutions to climate change into their curriculum and teaching practice. The fellowship will include classroom and outdoor nature experiences and is available to TK-12 teachers at every grade level and subject area. At different times in the program, participants will have the opportunity to connect with colleagues in smaller, more job alike settings: TK-2, 3-5, 6-12 by subject area, and secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE, which is a special focus area this year - focusing on green careers). 

Stipends and Continuing Education Units Available!

First-Time Fellows ($1,000 stipend)

Senior Fellows: Return participant - transition to instructional leader and coach
($1,500 stipend for San Mateo County Senior Fellows)

THREE (3) CEUs available from St. Mary's University

• Key Focus: San Mateo County communities are experiencing climate change issues first-hand, including high heat, droughts, and storm-based flooding. How do teachers address the topic of climate change in their standards-based curriculum, and create solutions-based opportunities to empower students to think globally and act locally on the climate crisis? This fellowship will not only empower teachers to lead students through design challenges to create their own solutions to the climate crisis, but it will also give teachers a chance to engage with the outdoors as a healing practice, and as an enrichment opportunity for their students. The focus will also include community partners who can provide curriculum and field trips in the outdoors, as well as connections to local, sustainable businesses to learn about green careers. 

• Requirements: Choose ONE of the following: 

  1. • Develop and implement a solutions-based unit (minimum 5-15 lessons) that integrates an environmental topic: climate change, environmental justice, energy, food, waste, ecosytems, green careers (CTE focus), etc. 

     • Integrate environmental/climate literacy and solutions-based teaching throughout the school year.