Resources Index (headings expanded upon below):

  • K-12 topics
    • Curriculum
      • Sustainability (multi-topic)
      • Energy
      • Solar
      • Wind
      • Supply Chain/Living School Yard/School Gardens
      • Biomimicry
    • School Resource Audits (energy, water and waste)

    • Science Fairs/ Family Engagement

    • Learning Standards

    • Grants

  • Community topics
    • Get Involved!
    • Being Green at College
    • Being Green at Home
    • Being Green at your Business
    • Energy Education and Training
    • Books, Video, Speakers, and Social Media

K-12 Curriculum: Sustainability (multi-topic)

AASHE.2012. Resources on Sustainability Curriculum AASHE.

ASU Global Institute of Sustainability. 2014. Sustainability based lesson plans for energy, water, food, waste, landscape, quality of life and supply chain.

Curriculum for Global Sustainability Education Facing the Future. 2015. Sustainability curriculum for grades K-12 (for purchase).

Green Education Foundation. 2017. K-12 Lesson Clearinghouse. Free sustainability lessons for K-12.

Green Schools Initiative Sustainability Curricula Directory. Sustainability links for teachers. Tips for a sustainable classroom, and curriculum.

K-12 SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION RESOURCES. Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. A PDF file which contains links to various sustainability resources.

Sustainable Schools Project. 2011. A 116 page Introduction to Sustainability unit with lessons.

National Environmental Education Foundation. 2018. A number of links called STEM toolkits that include topics: Engineering a Sustainable World, gardening, technology, and taking it outside.

K-12 Curriculum: STEM (multi-topic)

Concord Consortium. 2018. Free STEM learning resources for the classroom aligned with NGSS. Includes important environmental topics.

STEM Science Kits by Thames and Kosmos. Hands-on science kits for purchase. Various topics, NGSS aligned.

Vernier. STEM curriculum, kits, and lab equipment available for purchase.

Discovery Education. Free STEM resources for all grades. For purchase options available as well.

K-12 Curriculum: Energy

California Energy Commission. 2018. Science Buddies. Over 40 energy K-12 based projects.

California Energy Commission. 2017. Energy Quest. An interactive site for kids that includes teacher resources.

National Energy Education Development Project. Official website for NEED contains curriculum, student information and parent information.

U.S. Department of Energy. 2018. Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy education home page includes numerous links to everything energy for the classroom.

K-12 Curriculum: Solar

Home Training Tools. 2018. Solar Power & Alternative Energy Science Kits for purchase.

Solar Energy International. 2018. Includes a plethora of valuable links that include curriculum, climate change, energy conservation, and teacher training.

SunWind Solar Industries Inc. SunWind Solar Car Kits and Solar Energy Education.

K-12 Curriculum: Wind

KidWind Project by Vernier. 2018. Wind energy engineering kits and curriculum for purchase.

K-12 Curriculum: Supply Chain/Living School Yard/School Gardens

Edible school yard project. 2018. Connects teachers to create and share edible curriculum.

Green SchoolYard America. 2017. Green school yard America is a national organization that facilitates and encourages the sustainability of school yards.

KidsGardening.org. 2017. Starting school gardens.

UNESCO Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future. A UNESCO program for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable which provides teachers with curriculum development and education policy making.

K-12 Curriculum: Biomimicry

Biomimicry Group, Inc. 2016. Biomimicry 3.8 is the for-profit leg of Biomimicry, but this site provides the most current links to innovations and professional development in this field.

Biomimicry Institute. 2015. Biomimicry Education Resources: Curricula and Resources. The non-profit wing of Biomimicry provides K-12 and university lessons.

Ask Nature is a database of biological strategies and existing bio-inspired innovations. Excellent resource for various school subjects, part of the Biomimicry Institute.

The Center for Learning with Nature. 2018. Biomimicry/Bio-inspired Engineering curriculum for 3rd-12th grades. Register for free access to the curriculum. Teacher training available and highly recommended.

K-12 Resource Audits

Calrecycle. Waste reduction resources for California Schools

Conduct a Waste Audit. Stop Waste. PDF's available for download for instructions and supplies, data recording sheet, and planning sheet.

San Mateo Office of Sustainability an example of local government empowering students to conserve resources and protect the environment through a variety of interactive programs. See the Kids Page for educating kids on the importance of resource conservation.  

Trash Can Quiz. The Green Schools Initiative. The perfect activity for a segue into a waste audit; provides metrics behind each category of waste through an interactive guessing game.

K-12 Science Fair/ Family Engagement

Discovery Education. 2013. Science Fair Central. All things to consider in preparing for a Science Fair (for non-science teacher)

NEED. Energy relevant Science Fair Projects consistent with the NEED kits according to Primary, Intermediate and Secondary grades.

Energy & Power Science Fair Project Ideas. Science buddies contains a list of project ideas starting from beginners to advanced.

Energy Science Fair Projects and Experiments.Julian's Science Fair offers science fair ideas categorized by topic.

Science Fair Project Topics in Solar Energy. Science fair projects concentrated on solar energy.

South Carolina Energy. 2005. The Best of Science Fair Project Guidebooks: A Resource for Students, Teachers and Parents. Extensive learning guide that includes 20 worthwhile energy related projects in a science fair format

Google Science Fair. 2014. Site has a plethora of cutting edge ideas and approaches, although requires considerable access to resources and technology. This link offers a thorough process for a student (Intermediate and Secondary) to reflect and improve their project throughout the process.

K-12: Professional Development/ Grants

California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC). Professional development and grant opportunities.

CSTA. 2017. California Science Teachers Association

Constellation: Energy to Educate Grant Program for Middle School, High School, and College. Student energy projects.

NSTA. 2015. The National Science Teachers Association is dedicated to improving the science instructions and awareness of science in schools.

NSF. 2015. The National Science Foundation offers a wide variety of funding options.

U.S. Department of Education. 2015. Available Grants.

K-12: Learning Standards

OSPI. 2014. Education for Environment and Sustainability. Includes learning standards, environmental and sustainability literacy plan, and sustainable design projects.

California Department of Education. 2015. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The homepage for the California Science Teachers Association.

California Department of Education. 2015. Common Core.

National Academy of Science. July 2011. A Framework for K-12 Science Education.pdf.

The Next Generation Science Standards. NGSS. The Official site for the next generation science standards by state.

NSTA. 2014. National Science Teachers Association in connection to NGSS.

Facing the Future: Standards Correlations. 2015. The site offers correlation between standards in each state.

The Concord Consortium: Finding your Path Through the Standards.2013. Concord consortium offers help for teachers to better understand NGSS Standards. 

NGSS for California Public Schools(standards arranged by core ideas and topics). 2015. The California Department of Education. For California Public Schools and the transition to NGSS.

Bozeman Science – Next Generation Science Standards . Bozeman Science lists science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts and Physical science core ideas.

Phenomena in NGSS. NGSS and phenomena resources from the San Diego County Office of Education.  

Community: Get Involved! 

Building Sustainable Communities. 2011.Office of Environment and Heritage. Published in Australia, but provides comprehensive steps on building community and addressing sustainability issues.

Cal Poly Center for Sustainability. 2015. Sustainable Agriculture is their main agenda, but site includes many related things to do categorized by month.

Ecology Center 2020 based in Berkley, CA. Resources for Food, Zero Waste, Climate, Youth, and Sustainable Living. 

Community: Being Green at College

Aquinas College. Sustainability Center includes various programs.

California College of the Arts. 2015. Case Study: The homepage for CCA with various links on sustainability on their campus.

Campus Sustainability Blogs. 2012. Association for Advancement in Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). A plethora of blogs (mostly current) from universities around the US regarding either what they are doing to make an impact on the planet, or what you can also do.

Our Sustainable Future Institute for Sustainable Development. 2010. Chico State University. Case Study in best practices.

Center for sustainability. 2011. Santa Barbara City College. Case Study: Curriculum and on campus efforts.

Sustainability. 2015. California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. Facilities and sustainability frameworks across California Community College networks.

The Green Life: How to be Environmentally Conscious in College 2021 Article by EduMed. Outlines why students should care about being green, how colleges and individual students can make a difference. Includes a list of college degrees with positive environmental impacts. 

Community: Being Green at Home

Green building and sustainable architects San Luis Obispo. The official site for San Luis Sustainability group, which offers green architecture.

Green Home Solutions. Solutions for home sustainability and the financial benefit.

Semmes & Co. Builders Inc. The Central Coast's leading green building builder 

SLO Clean Energy. 2018. Official website for the San Luis Obispo clean energy coalition.

US Green Building Council California Central Coast - Home. The webpage for the USGBC central coast chapter.

Community: Being Green at your business

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2013. Green Technologies and Practices. Now defunct program, but reports through 2013 are available for download that include surveys on green practices, etc. Throughout this website are also links to green job outlooks.

Green Business Certification. The green business program encourages businesses to go green by making the place of business more sustainable and efficient with resources. 

Green Business Network .The homepage for Green Business Network for environmentally responsible businesses.

Solstice Publishing.2012. Green Business Directory of the Central Coast

Community: Energy Education and Training

CalCERTS - Training and certification of Home Energy Rating System raters.

California Renewable Energy Overview and Programs. Overview of California’s renewable energy efforts.

Cuesta College about Cuesta College Energy Tools and Training

eere Energy Education and Workforce Development Home Page

Solar Training and Renewable Energy Education Schedule - Solar Energy International

Solar Living Institute.2010-2014.Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Training and Education Renewable Energy Jobs Solar Living Institute - Solar Training

Community: Books, Video, Speakers and Social Media

Mr. Eco

Nathan Shedroff. 2015. List of videos and readings in the realm of sustainable business and design.