Field Chats: Environmental Applied Civics Essentials

Today we’re talking about how to bring EAC projects to the next level and incorporate larger civic change. If you’d like to help your students become more comfortable with asking for systemic change, this is the episode for you! 3:20 - Engage with partners to make a project more focused on systemic change 4:55 - Example of Fairfax students reducing single use of plastic water bottles 7:17 - Specif...

We’re talking about how environmental justice is one of the roots of Environmental Action Civics! We believe that everyone has the right to live in a safe environment and deserves to be included in the decision making that affects their community. In this episode, we talk through the ways justice shows up in the EAC Process. 6:48 - How does justice tie into EAC? 9:02 - How a justice lens helps stu...

Today we’re giving you a pep talk with practical tips for when implementing Environmental Action Civics feels hard! Remember, you are doing important work. Even when it’s hard, even when it feels invisible—your efforts are planting seeds that will grow. What’s one thing you can do today to move forward? Share your struggles or wins with our podcast community - leave a voice note on Spotify, or ema...

"Let’s make it authentic then students will care". - Join in this conversation with veteran environmental educator Trisha Smrecak! We talk about authenticity in learning and helping young people be present in their local environment.

Today we’re talking about the importance of young people choosing a clear issue when they're using Environmental Action Civics and some practical tips to help them get there! 0:45 - 5:20 Opening/What gives you a sense of community? 5:49 -7:01 Start with a pre-determined phenomenon or topic or subject 7:08 - 9:09 Ground yourself and students in place-based education: “What do you notice, what d...

This episode features Dr. Martha Monroe and Dr. Megan Ennes from the Community Action Projects for the Environment (CAPE). After collaborating with Earth Force, the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences adapted EAC for 4-H groups, and they're now implementing it across 20 organizations in the southeast U.S. Florida Extension is now embedding Community Acti...

Hello and happy new year! Today we’re answering three of the most frequently asked questions about Environmental Action Civics. Leave us a comment or a voice message if you have a question you'd like us to answer next time! 3:24 - Can EAC projects help students meet academic standards or earn certifications like CO’s Climate Literacy Seal? 6:11 - (side discussion on a new way to say "two birds wit...

In this episode, you'll get a glimpse into a more equitable and human-focused way to conduct evaluations, featuring Evan Kuras from Data+Soul. Earth Force has partnered with Evan as we refine our evaluation and build an equitable community of practice. Enjoy! Mentioned in the show: ⁠https://www.dataplussoul.com/studio/p/data-equity-deck⁠ ⁠https://www.dataplussoul.com/studio⁠ ⁠https://evaluation.na...

We're back with another example of Environmental Action Civics in the wild! This episode features Rochelle Tkach, a 7-8th grade educator in the District School Board of Niagara in Ontario and her experiences guiding young people through an incredible process. We also hear from her collaborator and Earth Force partner Dr. Xavier Fazio of Brock University , who speaks to the power of Environmental A...

Today we’re talking about ways to build youth-adult partnerships! Youth-adult partnerships are a huge component of Environmental Action Civics. In simple terms, it means youth and adults sharing power. This can take so many different forms but there are some optimal ways to start and we’ll share 3 of them today, based on research and years of application from EAC Practitioners.

Environmental Action Civics meets standards and increases civic efficacy and 21st century skills, but it's also...fun! Program Managers Taylor and SJ share stories from the field of joy among young people and educators as they go through this life-changing process.

Welcome! In this episode, we hear from two incredible Everglades Champions educators and Alicia Torres, K-12 Champion Schools Program Manager at the Everglades Foundation.

Hello and welcome to Field Chats, Environmental Action Civics Essentials, brought to you by Earth Force. Today we’re hosting our quarterly Office Hours - answering the questions you’ve asked us! Can I do EAC with younger or older kids? (early elementary or high school + beyond?) How does it look different? What are the key experiences youth need to have Question from the CoP: What can I do with En...

Welcome to Field Chats, Environmental Action Civics Essentials, brought to you by Earth Force. Today, on Constitution Day in the US, we’re replaying a conversation our CEO Vince Meldrum hosted during Environmental Action Civics Week with Larry Paska, Executive Director of the National Council for Social Studies . Enjoy!

Today we’re giving our hot take about process AND product. Often we focus on the outcome of youth environmental civic action projects - the numbers of people impacted, knowledge the students gained, etc. But also focusing on the process nurtures a long-term commitment to civic participation, as students see themselves as change-makers, not just project-completers! The messy, iterative nature of th...

Welcome to Field Chats: Environmental Action Civics Essentials, brought to you by Earth Force! Today we’re talking about how to get started with Environmental Action Civics when it might just be you. We’ll cover four of our most common tips!

Today we’re excited to talk with one of Earth Force’s newest collaborators - Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake. Our Chief Program Officer Alyssa McConkey chats with Sarah Redden, their Program & Outreach Coordinator. Sarah shares about the intergenerational value of Environmental Action Civics and how it’s helping to meet their mission. Enjoy!

Join Alyssa and Krysten as they dive into all you can expect during Environmental Action Civics Week - April 29- May 3, 2024! This quick overview shares all you need to know and how to get tickets. See you there! Learn More: earthforce.org/eacweek

On today's episode, we're talking with Darren Bagley! Darren is a youth leadership, civic engagement and science educator serving Arenac, Bay, Genesee, Lapeer, Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties. Darren is experienced in youth civic engagement and how adults can share power with youth. Enjoy! Learn more about Michigan State University and Darren here .

On today's episode, we're talking with Hannah Barg (they/them), the Climate Network Manager at The Wild Center! Hannah supports a network of youth climate summits and has a wealth of experience in sharing power with youth and convening young people for peer-to-peer engagement around climate issues. Enjoy! Learn more about The Wild Center: wildcenter.org Instagram @wildcenter X @wildcenter...

Take a deep breath. We're here, answering educator FAQs about implementing Environmental Action Civics! And offering you reassuring advice about process over product. You're doing awesome! 2:18: How do I balance youth voice with what I need to cover? 4:24: What do I do if I'm on a condensed timeline? 7:23: What if we get hung up on making a decision? 10:15: What if youth get told no wh...

Welcome Field Chats, Environmental Action Civics Essentials Episode 14, brought to you by Earth Force. Today we’re excited to share a new voice with you on the podcast - 10th grade English teacher Jamie Breitner. (Side note: we love featuring Earth Force educators who teach non-environmental subjects! Proof that you can do Environmental Action Civics anywhere!) Jamie uses the Earth Force Process w...

Welcome to Field Chats, Environmental Action Civics Essentials, Episode 13, brought to you by Earth Force . We’re excited to ring in 2024 by talking about equity in Environmental Action Civics, and specifically the lens of sharing power with young people. Check out Hart's ladder of youth involvement here !

Today we are excited to feature our CEO Vince Meldrum and share a bit about how Environmental Action Civics is being used internationally!  Vince recently traveled to Japan to meet with one of our partners in Japan - Dr. Tomoko MORI, an Associate Professor in Environmental Studies, Tokyo City University. Two years ago, Dr. Mori launched a pilot of Environmental Action Civics. The program is now be...

Dig into one of Earth Force's most popular resources - the Root Cause Tree! It helps young people dig deeper to identify the true environmental issue they're seeing in their community. Listen this week to learn how to help your students shift their focus to think about the systemic root causes of their concern and how your community is affected. Resources mentioned: Root Cause Tree 5 Whys...