Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan

OSPI and Washington community partners, along with school and district leaders, led the development of the Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan. The plan aims to build on and leverage programs and initiatives already underway in Washington state. Our goal is for each and every student in Washington to increase their environmental literacy and enhance their academic achievement through real-world, integrated, project-based learning. Additionally, we want to ensure that Washington state is well-positioned to obtain private and public funding to support this work. The plan includes goals to support content integration and assessment of learners.

Literacy Plan

• 2022 Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan
• 2022 Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan Appendices
• 2011 Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan
• 2011 Executive Summary

Environmental Literacy Grants

In 2021-23, OSPI released $493,000 to support the implementation of Washington's 2022 Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan. The grants provide professional learning for educators and expand outdoor learning opportunities for youth across Washington this spring. Time spent learning outdoors boosts student engagement, academic achievement, social-emotional learning, and health outcomes.

• Neah Bay Students Learn Traditional Skills Outdoors
• Peshastin Students Enjoying Nature In Their First Outdoor Classroom
• Olympia Students Plant Trees to Restore Watersheds

The following State-Tribal Education Compact (STEC) schools expanded outdoor learning for students and professional development for educators.

• Lummi Nation | Lummi Nation School
• Puyallup Tribe of Indians | Chief Leschi Schools
• Quinault Indian Nation | Taholah School District

Three Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Pacific Education Institute (PEI), Garden-Raised Bounty (GruB), and Tilth Alliance, provided professional development for educators and administrators.

PEI distributed mini-grants to the following school districts. The three case studies for Olympia, Peshastin, and Neah Bay highlight project impact. District plans included outdoor classroom development/expansion, professional learning, and purchasing essential outdoor learning supplies such as rain gear, binoculars, microscopes, field guides, and garden tools.