UCI’s School of Education relaunches the Environmental and Climate Change and Literacy Projects

MEDIA ADVISORY

EVENT:  The School of Education at the University of California, Irvine, will host a relaunch event for the Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects, a partnership between the University of California and California State University systems. The ECCLPs are focused on advancing pre-kindergarten to 12^th grade environmental and climate change literacy, justice and action. Stakeholders will learn about several new UC-CSU initiatives for research, teaching, learning and community partnerships from several keynote speakers.

WHEN/WHERE:  3:30-6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15 at The Cove at UCI at 5279 California Drive #100 (near building K in grid I4 on this campus map: https://parking.uci.edu/maps/documents/2021-UCI-MainCampusMap.pdf)

INFORMATION:  This event will be held in-person and virtually on Zoom. The School of Education anticipates nearly 250 in-person and up to 1,000 virtual attendees, including deans of schools of education, higher education leaders, students and youth leaders, educators, superintendents, government leaders, community-based partners, environmental justice and indigenous knowledge specialists, scientists and climate field specialists, and philanthropic partners.

UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC President Michael V. Drake and CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester are providing messages of support. Frances Contreras, UCI dean and professor of education, and Richard Arum, UCI professor of education, are among the 19 confirmed speakers for the conference, found here:  https://www.ecclps.net/ecclps-2022-event-speakers 

Media planning to attend should contact Cara Capuano at 949-501-9192 or [email protected] by Wednesday, Sept. 14 for both parking and event credentials. Face coverings are recommended indoors, but not required, regardless of vaccination status, per state guidance. 

BACKGROUND:  The collective mission of the ECCLPs is to educate all California high school students to be literate and informed decision-makers in climate change and environmental justice issues and solutions by their graduation. Comprehensive efforts will center on exciting the next generation of youth about science and nature; preparing current and future teachers to address climate crisis issues in the classroom; and outreach and engaging regional community partners to create student-focused, culturally relevant and responsive solutions.

The ECCLPs is the nation’s first partnership to connect public universities through a systemic and concerted approach to meet the large scale and urgency of the climate crisis. It is comprised of UC-CSU educators, faculty and researchers – as well as environmental advocates, policymakers and nonprofits, including key community partners like Ten Strands.

More information on the event can be found here:  https://www.ecclps.net/ecclps-relaunch

The reception and interactive event are made possible by a transformational $3 million gift from longtime UCI supporter Stacey Nicholas. More information on that gift here:
https://news.uci.edu/2022/06/13/philanthropist-stacey-nicholas-pledges-3-million-to-school-of-education/

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https://news.uci.edu/2022/09/08/ucis-school-of-education-relaunches-the-environmental-and-climate-change-and-literacy-projects/