- Advocating for legislation that would, if enacted, advance opportunities for youth involvement in Colorado’s environmental justice advisory board.
- Removing cheatgrass, an invasive species that is prone to increasing the risk of wildfires, in various areas around Boulder.
- Working with community partners to research the impact of various strains of fungi mycelium on soil health - in other words, looking to nature to solve problems caused by humans.
- Researching opportunities for sports venues to not only adopt more sustainable practices, but also play a role in educating thousands of people who attend sporting events about the effects of climate change.
- Creating a collaborative website where youth can share ideas to live more sustainably with one another, starting with clothing.
- Raising awareness about the mental health impacts of climate change, fueled by a student’s loss of their own home in the 2021 Marshall fire.
These are just some of the projects completed by seniors in Boulder Valley School District who are being conferred the Seal of Climate Literacy Diploma Endorsement this spring. For students in Boulder Valley School District, climate change is not a future problem - it’s a problem that is already impacting their lives, and they are determined to make a difference now.
On April 23, 2025, twenty graduating seniors convened with district leaders, school board members, parents and families, educators, state legislators, members of the BVSD Green Youth Council, and community partners to receive the Seal of Climate Literacy in a ceremony, share about their experiential learning projects with the community, and celebrate the impact of their work.
The students represented different high schools across the district, including Arapahoe Ridge High School, Boulder High School, Boulder Universal K-12 Online School, Broomfield High School, Centaurus High School, Fairview High School, Monarch High School, New Vista High School, and Peak to Peak Charter School. While many of the students had not previously met one another, they were all united by their commitment to making a difference in their communities.
Erin Greenwood, BVSD’s Science Coordinator, and Dr. Ghita Carroll, BVSD’s Sustainability and Energy Officer, have led the implementation of the Seal of Climate Literacy across the district - going the extra mile to ensure that students across the district have the opportunity to earn the Seal of Climate Literacy.
About the Seal of Climate Literacy
The Seal of Climate Literacy was signed into law in May of 2024, and is being conferred by approximately fourteen Local Education Providers (school districts, charter networks, and individual schools) across the state. Lyra initiated the legislation that created the Seal of Climate Literacy, and recognized that the bill being signed into law represented just the beginning of a statewide push for youth opportunities around climate change learning. In order to help Local Education Providers catalyze the implementation of the Seal of Climate Literacy, Lyra offered mini-grants, technical support, and in-kind materials to districts, networks, and schools across the state.
Boulder Valley School District is one of fourteen Seal of Climate Literacy Implementation Fund grant recipients, receiving funding to kick-off the work needed to take a new education policy and make it a reality for students. Boulder Valley School District was quick to implement the Seal of Climate Literacy because it resonated with work already happening within the district under the Green BVSD Action Plan. Additionally, BVSD’s GradPlus Framework aims for each graduating senior to receive something in addition to their diploma at graduation to support their post-secondary options, such as College Credit, Work-Based Learning, Industry Certification, the Seal of Biliteracy, or now, the Seal of Climate Literacy.
BVSD Implementation Process
Not only did Boulder Valley School District implement the Seal of Climate Literacy in its first year as state law, they also set a high bar for students, ensuring that earning the Seal requires completing a rigorous combination of coursework and projects. In order to earn the Seal, BVSD students must complete an application requiring them to connect a local climate problem to at least five climate learning experiences from grades 6-12 to climate literacy standards, as well as representing at least two of four categories: additional coursework or certification; work, volunteer, or intern; co-curricular or extra-curricular activities; and leadership, activism, and action.
From there, each student’s application is reviewed by a committee of district leaders, Green Youth Council members (including middle and high school students), and community members. The application review team decides if a student’s application is complete or not, and provides feedback to help students improve their applications before its final consideration.
Each student at the event had not just one project to showcase to the community, but multiple, reflecting Boulder Valley School District’s approach to climate change as a problem that has not just one solution, but many. According to Erin and Ghita, offering students an opportunity to create a portfolio of their work around climate change over time allows students to understand climate change action as an individual and collective act, both short and long term. This is more rigorous than the legislation requires - according to the bill, students need only complete one experiential learning project to be conferred the Seal.
For some of the students, earning the Seal of Climate Literacy is personal, and they aren’t letting overwhelm prevent them from taking action. One student, Camdyn, shared, “Instead of getting overwhelmed and backing down, I ask myself two things - what else can we do, and how else can we do it?” Another student, Carlo, is searching for ways to connect his culture with the environment, sharing that he intends to become a park ranger to “steward the same land of his ancestors”. Additionally, Poppy, a student who lost her home in the devastating Marshall fire, shared that she asks herself, “how can I make sure nobody else experiences this?” Poppy shared that having the opportunity to earn the Seal of Climate Literacy helped her heal from the trauma of losing her home in a climate-related event, as it empowered her to take action.
Other students are thinking of innovative ways to connect climate change with various other sectors. One student, Wesley, shared a bold idea - using sporting venues as spaces to educate the public about a changing climate. He shared, “40,000 people are already there using up energy. Entire cities unite around sports teams - so why can’t they unite about climate change too?” Another student, Annabelle, wrote an original song called Broken Earth with the intention of “raising awareness, promoting a positive mindset, and inspiring change”.
What’s next for this remarkable group of graduating seniors?
Many of them are headed to college this fall - planning to pursue degrees in fields such as environmental science, political science, forestry, sports management, physiology, applied mathematics, marketing, business, music, and data science, at higher education institutions such as Harvard College, University of Vermont, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Washington, George Washington University, Dartmouth College, and Smith College, just to name a few. Regardless of what their future holds, each student will be entering their post-secondary opportunities with not only an advanced understanding of climate change, but a proven commitment to taking action in their communities.
Through the Seal of Climate Literacy Diploma Endorsement and the dedication from school leaders and students like those in Boulder Valley School District, a more sustainable, resilient world is not just possible - it’s already in the works.
Read more about BVSD's first Seal of Climate Literacy recipients in this recent Boulder Daily Camera article.
For further details about Boulder Valley School District and greenBVSD, visit https://www.bvsd.org/departments/operational-services/sustainability.
