As a retired teacher and CELF supporter, I value the mission of CELF and the role they have in transformative education. The student symposium was inspiring to attend and learn all about the community action projects that advocate for change. It was evident that the students were not only passionate about their issues but also knowledgeable on the topic and informed citizens of their community. CELF is clearly a leader in this field as they prepare students to become stewards of their environment and support teachers to have the resources to integrate sustainability into everyday learning.
This past summer, I was fortunate to attend two of CELF’s amazing Summer Institutes. The Narrating Our Place in Nature and NY Education for Sustainability institutes were impactful and just what I needed to get inspired about climate change education efforts at our school.
At those workshops, we explored how narratives can be a powerful tools to inspire students to engage in climate action, and we visited local farms and green spaces. I was able to experience the role of connecting to “place” when we teach and learn about environmental stewardship. These training sessions were socially responsive, deeply relevant, and full of actionable resources.
That was for me the beginning of a wonderful relationship with this organization. The technical, logistical and financial support from CELF has been invaluable. Thanks to CELF, four teachers at our elementary school have started a food waste reduction project with 4th graders. The generous grant from CELF will allow our students to start a composting program, learn from experts in the industry and go on field trips to learn about waste management efforts in our area.
CELF has also connected me with other teacher leaders who are also committed to empowering our school communities about sustainability. The professionals at CELF are kind and respond to the needs of educators. They are now designing a much needed leadership fellowship program to help cultivate a community of practice among K-12 practitioners and sustainability leaders in Westchester County. It is going to take a village to prepare our students for the challenges of a changing planet. Thank you CELF for all you do to support educators!
I feel so fortunate to have met CELF at a sustainability event at Muscoot Farms over the summer. They were extremely welcoming and ran an informative and inspiring workshop. After that experience, we developed a relationship and they offered to help support my school in developing a new civic science project about the wind renewable energy transition on Long Island. This is the first year we are embarking on this journey and, as a result, there is a lot to learn and develop. CELF has helped us every step of the way from providing resources to running workshops for our teachers to connecting us with professionals in the field. Furthermore, they awarded us a grant that has allowed us to purchase equipment for a field trip, sponsor speakers and acquire supplies to host a research symposium at the end of the year. They are kind and easy to work with and it is evident that they are passionate about their cause of educating our students for a sustainable future. I look forward to maintaining this relationship and working with them in years to come!
Participating in CELF’s Summer Institute strengthened my ability to incorporate project-based learning through the Inquiry to Action framework. The program provides valuable tools to guide students in conducting environmental research in our school community, particularly exploring green infrastructure like rain gardens and permeable pavements. I deeply appreciate CELF’s support and the sense of community fostered among educators striving to make an impact in their respective schools and neighborhoods. By connecting these projects to the curriculum, students analyze real-world data, explore issues and challenges, and design actionable solutions. The emphasis on civic engagement and community partnerships allows students to present their findings to peers and the community, inspiring them to become active changemakers addressing sustainability challenges. Amazing! This approach has enhanced my ability to create meaningful, place-based STEAM projects that foster critical thinking and active participation.
I cannot say enough about the exceptional professional development provided by the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF). As an educator, I have had the privilege of participating in their workshops and programs, which have been transformative for both my teaching practice and my understanding of integrating sustainability into education.
Through CELF’s professional development, I have gained valuable knowledge and practical strategies that I continue to apply in my classroom. Their commitment to making education a tool for sustainability is evident in every session. Each training emphasizes critical thinking, real-world problem-solving, and interdisciplinary approaches that resonate deeply with students and teachers alike.
What sets CELF apart is their passion for fostering a sustainable mindset. They empower educators not only with information but with the inspiration to bring meaningful change to their schools and communities. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue collaborating with CELF and look forward to further growing through their impactful programs.
If you are an educator looking to expand your professional growth and make a lasting impact on your students while addressing pressing global challenges, I highly recommend CELF’s professional development opportunities. Education and sustainability truly come together with CELF’s outstanding support and resources.
As both a supporting environmental education provider and a school district, we have been incredibly pleased to collaborate and partner with the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation. The entire team has a tremendous depth of knowledge and expertise in environmental literacy and education, and their range of real-world experiences with educators and students deeply informs their practices. We are excited to be partnering with them on projects as large as Regional Sustainability Consortia work and for anything and everything in between.
As a science educator, it's important to see and utilize programs that follow and stay true to their mission. CELF provides programming that focuses on their mission, not just for the today, but for the sustainable future. I'm so impressed with the dedication of the staff and of the continued high level programming that CELF offers to educators and administrators (across multiple states, and growing). I know how hard they work behind to scenes to provide hands on experiences for educators that will last into the future of their curriculum planning and how hard they work to provide ideas and inspiration for the lucky educational communities that get to experience CELF's support.
CELF help with our project -based learning in the AP Environmental Science classroom by framing it into Civic Science. This was a tremendous experience because not only they offer support to teachers to implement it but they offer Grants to support the projects. The students were inspired and exposed to scientists in the field, collaboration with fellow students globally in Ghana via Zoom that had a similar project working on.
In the summer, I was able to attend their summer institute for free. It's great professional development which helped me to keep sharpen my Teacher skills. I had so much fun on the farms and gain new friends in the field.
As someone who had the privilege of helping host the CELF Summer Institute at Muscoot Farm, I can confidently say that CELF is an outstanding organization dedicated to supporting educators in meaningful ways. Their commitment to providing teachers with the tools and resources they need to succeed is evident in every aspect of the Institute. The hands-on, collaborative approach helps educators gain practical strategies for integrating sustainability and environmental education into their classrooms. But what stands out most is how CELF fosters a sense of confidence and curiosity in teachers. By creating a supportive, engaging environment, CELF encourages educators to explore new ideas, ask questions, and embrace innovation. The experience at Muscoot Farm was not only enriching but also a reminder of the power of community in professional development. It was truly inspiring to see teachers leave the Institute feeling more equipped, excited, and empowered to bring new concepts back to their students.
It was powerful and inspiring to work with this small and mighty team of expert facilitators. The work that CELF is doing is invaluable - not only are they providing important learning opportunities in topics related to civic science and sustainability, but they are also fostering relationships between teachers and providing spaces for them to reconnect to the essential work they do in their classrooms. There should be a team of CELF facilitators in every state!
Our school's experience with the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) has been nothing short of exceptional. Their dedicated team has played an instrumental role in enhancing our students' understanding of environmental issues and sustainability.
One of the standout aspects of our partnership with CELF was their invaluable assistance in securing a grant from the DOE Office of Sustainability. With their support, we were able to acquire air quality testers that proved to be an essential component of a hands-on, eye-opening air quality experiment. This enriched our students' scientific knowledge and underscored the importance of air quality in our daily lives.
CELF's commitment to our school extended beyond grant writing. They provided us with powerful mapping tools that became integral to our year-end project on creating a sustainable NYC in the future. Furthermore, CELF brought a highly respected and skilled resource speaker from the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to our classroom. This speaker's insights into green careers and advocacy for the environment left an indelible mark on our students. They learned about the diverse range of career opportunities in the field and gained inspiration to become advocates for the environment themselves.
In sum, our school's partnership with CELF has been a transformative experience. Their unwavering commitment, expertise, and the resources they brought to our students have enriched our curriculum and broadened our students' perspectives on environmental literacy. We look forward to continuing this partnership and empowering our students to be informed, engaged, and passionate advocates for a sustainable future. We extend our deepest gratitude to the CELF team for their invaluable support.
CELF provided top notch workshops to our entire faculty and helped us reflect on our sustainability goals as an organization and as educators. Their professional development coaching was superior; they modeled excellent teaching practices through their work, they were communicative, cooperative, open minded, flexible and consistently professional. We look forward to continuing our work with CELF and celebrating the learning outcomes our students will achieve now that our team is even more grounded in the work.
CELF has been instrumental in my career not just the training that supports my students but for my own personal growth. The support I receive goes beyond a typical training. No matter the trajectory of my career. I feel confident in knowing I can depend on them.
CELF has been critical keeping our school on track in developing its identity as a Magnet. They worked with our teachers and leadership team to create a vision that incorporated sustainability as one of its pillars. Over the years, CELF has also been a source of inspiration to teachers, who have relied on their expertise to integrate environmental literacy in their curriculum. They have facilitated staff development sessions and one-on-one workshops that resulted in valuable lessons, projects and classroom activities. We could not be more pleased with an organization that is focused, highly professional, and serious about their commitment to transform teaching and learning.
I interned for CELF this past summer and it was a wonderful experience. Everyone there is extremely encouraging and hardworking and I learned a lot about the non-profit sector. They do really great work for environmental education and advocacy around the country, and I am excited to see what they accomplish in the years to come.
Eco Club at W.L. Morse is a parent volunteer run environmental club. CELF has collaborated with our Eco Club for 2 seasons by providing lessons to help club members (1st and 2nd grade students) better understand our connection and relationship with our environment. For example, with their instruction and guidance we made paper from reused paper to then create seed papers for gifting and planting. Several important environmental issues were addressed in this lesson such as reusing materials to reduce waste and the importance of growing and maintaining native wild plants to support the health and biodiversity of our environment. Not only were these lessons fruitful but very enjoyable! We really appreciate the contribution CELF has made to our club and we look forward to continue collaborating with them in the future.
We at Moonflower Farms in Houston Texas have been working with CELF for several years now. We are a hydroponic farm using rainwater capture, hydroponics, and sustainable techniques to provide produce to the Houston market. CELF has been invaluable at helping us to meet with local schools and other environmental groups. They are always very positive and super resourceful. We look forward to working with CELF for years to come. They are brilliant!
We have been working closely w CELF since 2021. They have been enormously helpful as we provide training and presentations to local schools about our hydroponics mission. They have made some great introductions for us and are great ambassadors for environmental literacy and sustainability. We look forward to working with them for years to come. Houston is much brighter with CELF helping schools.
CELF is a wonderful organization that provided support for our school district through coaching support with Environmental initiatives and planning for our teaching staff. They also provided meaningful workshops for our Youth Climate Summit, supporting PK-12 students from 7 different school districts across state lines. Thanks for all your help, CELF team!
I have had the pleasure to collaborate with CELF in several professional development opportunities for teachers. This strong team of intrepid women use frameworks that encourage educators to incorporate topics of environmental justice and literacy into their practice. They have created an amazing network of teachers that are willing to showcase their work and inspire others. The facilitators are incredibly resourceful and often encourage educators to reframe material they are already working with, instead of creating something new.
CELF was a wonderful resource and very professional team! Together, our organizations are building broader, better educational programming centered on sustainability and the environment, and CELF's ability to support our educators and other teachers (by providing CTLE hours) is hugely beneficial.
CELF is an incredible non-profit organization that prioritizes sustainability-centered professional development. Their programs are diverse, accessible, affordable, inclusive, and creative for all types of educators. I attended the Virtual Civic Science 2022 Summer Institute and a CELF in the Field with Strawtown Studio even this past summer. During the institute, I had the opportunity to *virtually* meet and engage with educators from all over the US as well as from Ghana. I learned so much not only from the CELF staff and programming but also from the other participants. The event with Strawtown Studio was an amazing day filled with various creative sensory and art-inspired programs. It was such a unique and rewarding opportunity to learn about and experience sustainability in this way.
I strongly encourage all educators -- and/or anyone with a keen interest in and passion for sustainability -- to participate in an upcoming CELF event. I promise you will walk away not only with practical sustainability-related professional resources but also motivated and inspired to practice sustainability in your daily life.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to talk more about my positive experiences with CELF.
Thanks,
Hana Epstein
I had the pleasure of being asked to serve as a grant evaluator for a funded civic engagement teacher education project conducted by CELF. I was truly impressed by how CELF provided teachers with the tools o make science relevant to students by linking the class content to solving environmental justice issues. CELF systematically guided the teachers through a turn-key curriculum that teachers can use meet mandated student outcomes while making science interesting and important to students. After working many years training scientists how to work in environmental justice situations, I was amazed to see how CELF made this type of training for teachers and children effortless. CELF showed me that children will readily take abstract scientific content and apply the science to realistically resolve environmental justice issues identified by the students.
CELF has done amazing work for years and I'm so excited to be interning with them this fall! My experience has been incredible — they care so much about environmental education and justice and are taking actionable steps to make the world a better place. Amazing organization that I can't recommend enough.
CELF fills a much needed gap in the sustainability education field. The educators are setting the standard with sustainability curriculum in the classroom.
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I've been fortunate to be a CELF board member for a number of years and feel honored to be supporting this talented, passionate education team. It has been incredibly powerful to watch students become inspired to make sustainable changes in their communities and the world thanks to teachers who brought the CELF training and curriculum back to their students. CELF is helping all students become sustainability leaders.
Our K-12 school in New York City has worked with CELF for several years, and we recently joined their membership program. Our faculty in all three divisions have found the summer institute and programming during the school year to be invaluable in integrating sustainability education across subjects. Our students continue to grow in their understanding of the systemic and interdisciplinary nature of sustainability studies and activism, and we are deeply grateful for our partnership with the visionary educators at CELF.
I've been so impressed with how thoughtfully CELF's staff works with teachers and school systems on sensitive and important issues related to environmental justice. Every school department should ask for CELF's help incorporating these concepts into their lesson plans.
CELF is exponentially impacting communities of need by giving educators the tools and training to develop our next generation of environmental leaders - all with a small, efficient and skilled management team.
I've seen CELF's work in person several times. First, at my daughter's school working in support of teachers. Eventually, I experienced the Student Science Symposia and watched students present their work to help mold their communities. And finally I have seen teachers collaborating to build and adapt their curricula to suit the needs and goals of their students, across the country. It's a great organization which is doing timely and essential work.
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I interned with CELF during the Winter/Spring 2022, and I loved my time with the team! The team has so much passion and it really shines through their work. As an Environmental Studies student, it was so encouraging/inspiring to see the impact that CELF makes in so many different communities. I look forward to seeing how their programs and impact continue to grow!
I have worked at CELF as an intern for the last three months, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the team. The CELF team is welcoming, passionate, and highly skilled in what they do. What I love about working at CELF is that they allowed me to pursue whatever pathway I was interested in, whether it was creating educational resources, maintaining the CELF website, or posting on social media platforms. I learned several valuable skills this summer, such as using Wordpress and programming on Excel, and I am lucky to have been mentored along the way. If you have the chance to work/intern here, I definitely recommend interviewing — the CELF staff is so helpful and understanding! They are truly dedicated in promoting sustainability in education, and they deserve more recognition!
I attended CELF's 2022 Civic Science Summer Institute - it was GREAT. Their readings were high level and pushed my thinking on the limitations of citizen science and the potential for "civic science" - driven by communities. The Google Site they put together ahead of time with the week's resources was impressive, and it was one of the more organized and well-resourced professional developments I've been too (props to the interns too!). The PD was well thought out, and well executed, very respectful of our time. There was plenty of work time as well, which was helpful in thinking about how to take this into our own classrooms. Their team also made themselves available for one on ones, and they were incredibly helpful in thinking through logistics of air sensors which was just one of my issues and questions.
They have a wide library of case studies at this point so you don't need to reinvent the wheel. I also love their framework - inquiry to action, which I think is key to empowering students. And they also brought in awesome guest speakers, and students involved in amazing, INSPIRING work. I'm so glad I signed up - each day flew by and I was more productive in 2.5 hours than in some of the whole day PDs I've been too. Thank you to the CELF team for your support! It's rejuvenating to see your impact and know we're not alone in trying to realize the potential of education to inspire and empower our students!
I've gotten to know CELF as a board member over the last couple of years. The small-but-mighty team has a strong commitment to contributing to sustainability progress, through teachers and students. CELF's approach, commitment to building relationships and finding ways to incorporate sustainability topics into a variety of curricula, are all oriented toward their core mission: establishing sustainability as an integral part of the K-12 experience across the country.
Possibly the most impactful environmental non profit in U.S., given everything they accomplish and the extent to which financial support goes directly into programming.
During my time interning with CELF this summer, It quickly became clear that it would be incredibly difficult to find another organization that could match the welcoming, dynamic, and inspiring community that CELF fosters among its staff and the educators who participate in the programming. The CELF team is so passionate about their work – they are more than eager to put in additional hours behind-the-scenes to ensure that they're meeting each educator where they're at on their particular environmental literacy journey. The students and educators that CELF collaborates with are highly engaged with the programs and activities that CELF helps facilitate, which is another testament to the effectiveness of this organization. You bet I'll be attending a CELF Summer Institute if I ever become a teacher!
The CELF team is a passionate and driven group that truly cares about bringing Education for Sustainability to teachers and students. Their professional development programs and Summer Institutes have clear lasting impact on the teachers they are working with. It's truly inspiring to watch teachers learn how to empower their students for sustainability.
CELF helped so much with framing a civic science project to provide my students place based learning and greater engagement. Resources and encouragement are freely given!
The summer institute was a very good way to bounce ideas around. It helps narrow down our projects and what we want to study. Having others give feedback is a great way to finalize projects .
Thank you CELF for a wonderful experience on how to get our students excited and engaged with environmental stewardship.
Even the most resistant teachers will be opened, inspired, and motivated to bring new learning to the classroom with a focus on Sustainability! The ideas you will walk away with will change your classroom and your community!
As any teacher can relate too, teaching during the pandemic has been challenging. The CELF summer institute offered invaluable resources and a great supportive community for exploring and collaborating during this stressful time. As a teacher of 17 years, this summer’s CELF program has inspired me to continue this important work during the school year. The institute provides inquiry based ideas, phenomenal speakers, relevant feedback, and the time to work together to enhance our project based learning activities. CELF also encourages and facilitates the focus of place based education into the classroom while using the framework of inquiry to action evolving your curriculum. Participating in CELF enhances your current work and thinking to another level. Anyone who is passionate about our place in this world and the environment through the lens of education will thrive in these programs.
I had the honor to work with CELF and experience first-hand their hands-on approach with teachers. CELF's professional learning approach provides meaningful strategies to teachers that work with both students and entire learning communities. Teachers can build their own lessons as well as exchange lessons with other participants. Most importantly the work teachers engage in with CELF can be readily implemented with students. CELF models building community through their own learning community. They understand that effective instructional practices are often articulated through experienced teachers.
CELF is an amazing organization, doing authentic, innovative, and inspiring work to create space for educators' ongoing learning about all aspects of sustainability. The Summer Institutes I experienced from the perspective of an intern were engaging, insightful, and productive. It was great to see teachers learning about how to implement sustainability in their work in a very nuanced and practical way.
I first was introduced to CELF by a colleague who invited me to join her at the CELF Summer Institute. This was an inspirational springboard to further develop my EFS practices in my own classroom. Many years later I had the honor of joining the CELF team as a professional development facilitator. Working with CELF as a classroom teacher definitely paved my way into the world of professional learning in Education for Sustainability in many contexts and roles.
I am fortunate enough to be the Autumn 2020 intern for CELF and I couldn’t think of a better working environment.The CELF team is incredibly supportive and so welcoming. Even though everyone is mostly working remotely, I have felt extremely connected the whole team. Moreover, I am able to work on meaningful tasks that contribute to CELF’s overall operations. In addition to this, they are very flexible with my ideas and vision for the work that I want to accomplish. I only started working here very recently, and I have already gained a wealth of knowledge from the team. If you ever have the opportunity to work with or for CELF, I highly recommend taking it!
CELF provides teachers with tools, and guidance to effectively motivate and engage students as they become environmental stewards. I came away from CELFS Summer Institutes with the confidence to support my students as they learn, that within them lies the ability to lead the charge on sustainability and conservation.
My kids had a lot of fun completing the different activities. The Nature Challenge was well organized, the activities and guest speakers were great, and everything was well paced. We hope to do it again!
CELF Houston has an amazing duo. These educators know how to encourage and lead teachers through Project-Based Learning. They have amazing ideas to connect children to nature. And the summer workshop, albeit long & pricey, brings some amazing speakers.
Amanda and Lisa have been great partners for Lantrip Elementary! They go above and beyond to provide resources and information to our teachers. We loved having CELF conduct our G/T training for this school year.
CELF is a great partner in our work in working towards equitable access and connection to nature for children. They are always willing to work together in meaningful ways.
They have also worked hard during the COVID crisis to rethink what they do and still serve their community and developed great innovative programming.
I worked with CELF while teaching high school in the Houston area. Not only did CELF show a genuine interest in providing resources for my classes, they wanted to know how they could help, specifically, with what I was already teaching. Often, when teachers work with outside organizations, it seems that those organizations are pushing an agenda; that is not the case with CELF. They provided me with an air quality monitor, along with ideas on how to implement it in my classroom, but ultimately the decision on how to use it was my own. In addition, CELF advocates for authentic learning and they provide an annual conference platform for students to share their voice. This is a great way for a student to cement the year’s learning experiences.
The Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) nonprofit organization has a summer institute that I attended with the purpose of writing an interdisciplinary plan and collaborate with likeminded colleagues. I expected to only learn more about ways to plan project based curricula, about Big Ideas of Sustainability to assist my scholars. What I gained was an extremely positive, collaborative group of colleagues who are a part of my network, are encouraging, feel more life family members, and who have committed to collaborating together throughout the school year. To me, CELF has provided a valuable experience. Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation is a nonprofit that has expert personnel who plan, implement learning experiences and have not only impacted my professional community of colleagues in my network but their personnel have also impacted my personal family and community. Within the collaboration, the personnel pour into the participants of the summer institute in a way that is authentic and powerful. I am grateful for CELF and have been spreading the “good news” that CELF nonprofit organization is a premier organization through which to learn grow and teach others what is learned when participating in the collaborative planning.
I have had the privilege of working with the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) staff both in New York and in Texas and both online and in person. Katie Ginsberg and her team have created a phenomenal organization that focuses on educating the community about sustainability and civic science engagement practices. They are always available and helpful while working with me and the teachers within my district. This year, together with the CELF staff, we are working to build student knowledge about sustainability and promote self-awareness of the world around and how students can affect change in their local environment, which impacts the global environment.
I was extremely lucky to participate in TWO summer institutes AND a school PD from CELF. I am so impressed with the professionalism, their goals and easy lessons to bring back to the classroom. I can not recommend them enough to any district, school, or individual that wants to make a difference in our world. The sustainability focus is relatable and I can't even think of how I used to think before my training. I was excited that I could help bring them to our school and I am a cheerleader for their summer institute. It was a life changing experience! One that I would want everyone to have!
CELF has been a great asset to our school and community. I was lucky enough to attend a summer institute and participate in a PD at our school. It has helped our students become more aware and accountable in creating a more sustainable future.
CELF continues to provide resources and professional development that are geared toward integrating curriculum around the idea of sustainability. Having been a part of CELF’s summer institute as well as PD at my school, their ideas are simple to implement and have made a long lasting impact on our science instruction and curriculum!
CELF is hands down the best professional development organization focused on sustainability. I have been working with and supporting CELF for many years because they make a needed difference for schools and student outcomes. Their teacher trainings are deep and thorough. They help schools with systems thinking needed to create whole school change, and teachers with the connections they need in the large themes of sustainability to make teaching relevant. I am a current Board member because no organization meets schools and teachers where there are as well as CELF. At this moment in time it is particularly critical because we students need be prepared to meet the global and climate challenges they currently and will face.
This past summer I had the pleasure of attending my first CELF Seminar at Manhattanville College and was introduced to a new way of thinking and empowered to take it back to the classroom with the . assurance that support would be readily available to us even after the conference. I am a seasoned professional and appreciate well run professional development. CELF ranks at the top of my experience. I met many new peers and colleagues and came away with a wealth of new ideas for sustainability and the care of our world. My young students benefit from the wealth of materials I returned to school with and look forward to putting into practice the many ideas we planned together.
I have been consistently in touch with CELF from 2012 . I live in Sharjah , UAE . I had a wonderful opportunity to attend the summer institute in 2012 and 2019 . The learning that I have acquired enabled me as an administrator and an instructional leader to improve sustainable best practices in the school that I work with . From lesson plans to projects, campaigns ,morning assemblies and parent engagement activities , I was able to bring in a lot of innovation and creativity by integrating areas such as place -based education , system thinking , geo-enquiry and UN Sustainable Goals that I learnt . The CELF staff work with perseverance and determination to frame the summer classes every year. Each day is made memorable with unique and informative sustainable activities . I wish to keep in touch with them always for improving my learning each year .Best wishes to CELF in their future ventures .
I am writing this review because over the summer I was fortunate to spend several days learning and growing as a teacher with the CELF's program. CELF brought in wonderful guests speakers, from book authors to motivational speakers to school administrators. All of their guests had such a positive impact on me that it moved me to improve my teaching strategies. I learned so much from CELF I could not wait for the school year to start so I could apply some new strategies.
During the summer program I met great people that love teaching. I highly recommend taking a CELF course and I look forward to their school visit this year.
Stacey
As an elementary educator, CELF has helped me raise the level of my teaching in order to better meet the needs of my students. They supported me as I went through the grant-writing process and then went above and beyond to help fulfill the goals of our grant. CELF worked with me to reinvigorate our elementary school's nature walk program by creating a curriculum aligned to the new science standards that connected to hands-on, place-based learning. Their summer institute and the connections I developed while there were incredible, too.
I am the Asst. Supt of Warwick Valley Central School District. We have done a lot of work with CELF for the last 5 years. However, the most impactful was when they were able to help us with attaining the Federal Green Ribbon Award. All four schools have won this prestigious award and we have been the only school district to win the last two years in the state of New York. CELF was an integral part of the third pillar of the Green Ribbon award, which centers around education. They were able to work with our teachers and create performance task units at every grade level and/or subject area. They also helped me as a leader to grow the sustainability effort throughout the District.
I attended my first CELF conference last summer. Without a doubt, CELF cares deeply about children and the environment. Their work with teachers and schools is something to be emulated. Their staff is knowledgeable and organized. When it comes to sustainability and environmental education, no task is too great.
Our partnership with CELF has helped to create discussions surrounding sustainability in our district. Working with our K-12 science vertical team, the CELF staff developers have taught key concepts around sustainability and had the team look at our surroundings in a new way. A small team of teachers also attended the CELF summer institute and left that week inspired to bring new learnings back into our district. We are looking forward to working with CELF for a second year.
Gail Duffy
Director of Curriculum- Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
I have worked with and for CELF over the past 5 years in various manners. Collectively, we have helped train high school age students to organize and take action against injustices around the world, raise funding to send water treatment materials to schools in countries without access and train teachers on how to help support education for sustainability in their classrooms and surrounding environments. Anyone involved with leading children toward a more conscientious and sustainable future should strongly consider working with CELF to improve your effectiveness and scope of knowledge. Aside from their expertise in these fields and quality work, all the individuals involved are simply a joy to work with. Most recently they have helped provide a focus for our school district and have helped lead to some important breakthroughs for our buildings. I always look forward to opportunities to work with their talented and dedicated staff and strongly urge you to consider adding them to your network going forward.
I began my work with CELF a few years ago through the partnership my school district formed with them. I attended the Summer Institute with no expectation other than to possibly better understand sustainability. However, I have to say I gained so much more than that. Through CELF's guidance and support, I was able to better understand the Big Ideas of Sustainability, and therefore share those connections with my students. With their support, I was able to help find curriculum connections in all subject areas. We have done an enormous amount of work within the district to bring more awareness to students and the community. All of this was possible because of the work we were able to do with CELF. They helped to jump start our sustainability efforts and have helped to empower teachers and students alike. I am now a co-chair of my district's Sustainability Committee, helping to promote sustainability K-12. If you ever get the opportunity to work with CELF, I highly recommend it!!
The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) has been, and still is, an oasis in the environmental and nutritional desert of East Harlem. CELF encouraged the sustainability efforts in our former school, that was eventually closed, during its most challenging years, with a positivity, and can-do/hands-on attitude and follow through, that was authentic, contagious, and inspiring. They provided Professional Development (PD), expertise, and support for our sustainability team school during the years I spent fundraising for the Vito Marcantonio Community Peace Garden and throughout the time we spent securing and nourishing 15 trees we received from the Million TreesNYC program. And they have backed every effort to 'green' our school environs and asphalt yard. I met my most progressive and thoughtful colleagues while attending their workshops. The deep-hearted intelligence and generosity of its staff members, the thoroughness of its curriculum and PD workshops, and the flexibility of its programming to custom fit the unpredictable and sometimes chaotic school setting, exemplifies what it means to be sustainable. They enter the fray and get their hands dirty–they literally helped us build our outdoor raised beds and shovel the mountain of soil we received from the New York City Parks Department. For the last two years, the Citizen Science project that CELF introduced to our middle school students has awakened their interest and curiosity about air pollution in their neighborhoods and how it contributes to wide spread asthma. Their emerging environmental literacy empowers them and raises the likelihood that they will make a difference in their communities and their lives. Central Park East 2's principal, Naomi Smith, who leads the school community for the second year in a new building, has recently welcomed a re-energized partnership with CELF. Their mutual passion and commitment to sustainability is a propitious sign for the new year.