From Cohort to Classroom: Climate Justice in Action

Date: September 16, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Ballroom F

This workshop features educators from the CTA-IFT Climate Cohort, who will share stories from the field. Participants will leave with concrete examples, inspiration, and a clearer understanding of how to implement climate justice education in the science classroom. California science educators are navigating rising expectations to integrate climate literacy and justice into instruction, expectations that are grounded in statewide priorities such as AB 285 California Climate Science Education Toolkit 2024 and the California Environmental Principles and Concepts, as well as increasing demand from students themselves for learning that feels relevant, actionable, and connected to their lives. At the same time, educators face a persistent challenge: student engagement in traditional academic settings is becoming more difficult, particularly when instruction feels disconnected from real-world issues. This session directly addresses these gaps through a statewide case study brought to life via educator storytelling. Participants will hear how teachers in the CTA/IFT Climate Justice Cohort translated these policy and framework expectations into practice through culturally relevant, justice-centered, and hands-on learning experiences. By leveraging project-based learning, outdoor education, and community-connected investigations, educators were able to re-engage students and foster deeper investment in their learning. The session also highlights how a Community of Practice model, paired with dedicated implementation funding, supported educators in moving from intention to action. Teachers gained not only knowledge, but also the confidence and resources to design instruction that centers student voice, identity, and agency. By sharing authentic classroom examples, this workshop offers practical, replicable strategies to meet current instructional demands while advancing rigorous, NGSS-aligned science learning that is meaningful, inclusive, and responsive to California’s diverse student population.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Attendees will be able to:

• Analyze real classroom examples from CTA/IFT cohort educators across diverse contexts and apply insights from teacher stories to their own classroom, school, or system-level context
• Identify strategies for translating professional learning into student-centered, justice-driven instruction
• Reflect on how funding, collaboration, and ongoing support can enable implementation
• Attendees will have an opportunity to network and learn about work happening across the state.

Speaker:
Andra Yeghoian, Chief Innovation Officer, Ten Strands