Seal of Climate Literacy Diploma Endorsement

The Seal of Climate Literacy Diploma Endorsement (Senate Bill 24-014) Implementation 

Please find answers to frequently asked questions about the seal of climate literacy diploma endorsement below:

What does a student need to do to earn the seal of climate literacy diploma endorsement?

1. Complete two courses that align with the area of climate literacy (one of these must be a science course)

2. Completion of a final project that:
   a. demonstrates learning through the practical application of climate literacy that addresses local climate issues present in the student’s community.
   b. is presented to an individual or group selected by the student and the learning provider, or local education provider.

What can districts consider if/when implementing the seal of climate literacy diploma endorsement?

To Implement the Seal of Climate Literacy, a district could: 

• Coursework: Align coursework with the definition of Climate Literacy as put forward in Section 1 (a): Climate Literacy means an understanding of the essential principles of the Earth’s climate system, assessing scientifically credible climate information, learning to communicate about the climate in a meaningful manner, and making informed and responsible decisions regarding actions that may affect the climate.

  • Conduct an internal audit of your current science courses to determine which align with the area of climate literacy as it is defined above. Consider what gaps must be addressed for a science course to align.

  • Repeat this audit process for your CTE courses- as well as any other courses such as but not limited to social studies or art- that may align with the area of climate literacy as defined above.

• Communication: Generate a district wide list of courses that align with the area of climate literacy as defined above (see Coursework), as well as general background information on what students need to do to earn the seal, and distribute this list to students and caregivers of students between 6-12 grades.

• Final Project: Take stock of any external community partnerships or existing internal structures that could be leveraged to facilitate students’ final projects.

  • Consider accessing an existing list of Colorado providers to generate a list of partners.

  • Also consider evidence-based instructional materials and strategies that will aid educators in guiding students through complex final projects.

  • Final projects must be approved by either the district or external learning partner before a student begins.

• Reporting:

  • Work with key district stakeholders to figure out how to track and report out to CDE the following data:

    • Schools that awarded the Seal
    • Number of students that earned the Seal
    • Types of Final Projects:
      • Capstone project centered on students’ community
      • field experience or practicums related to coursework
      • internship/externship/employment with experiential learning provider
      • community project with a experiential learning provider
      • hands-on lab experiences
      • original artwork or writing
      • student led design programming that affects community

  • Important reporting dates to remember:

    • Data collection takes place on or before July 1, 2025, and every July 1 thereafter.

    • Data submission to the Colorado Department of Education via this form, takes place on or before October 1, 2025 and every October 1, thereafter. 

Additional Resources 

• Access the full SB24-014 legislation here.
• Access a one-pager that summarizes the legislation here. 
• Access more information about the reporting component of this legislation by contacting Alexa Enamorado Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Specialist at Enamorado_a@cde.state.co.us
• Access more information about graduation guidelines and capstone projects here. You may also contact Angela Landrum Principal Assessment Consultant at Landrum_a@cde.state.co.us 
• Access instructional materials, tool kits, case studies, and many more implementation resources on the LyraColorado website here. 

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