Expanding Opportunities for Climate Education in Schools

Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Program To Encourage Climate Education in Maine Public Schools (2022)

Sponsors: Lydia Blume

LD 1902

LD 1902 establishes the Climate Education Professional Development Pilot Program in direct response to the needs of Maine teachers. Recognizing that Maine students must be prepared to respond to the climate crisis, the state’s climate action plan recommends increasing public education offerings related to climate and energy (Strategy H) – and in the 2019 Census for Community-Based Environmental Learning in Maine, teachers identified climate education as the area they most need help. LD 1902 establishes a three-year pilot program within the Department of Education to provide grants for professional development for K-12 educators on climate science, encourage partnerships between schools and community organizations, and support the preparation of courses on interdisciplinary climate education. The state budget allocates $2 million to the pilot and the Department of Education may supplement that with outside funding.