CONTACT:
Carolyn Phenicie, cphenicie@edtrust.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON – Within this new administration, “climate crises” and “environmental quality” are considered banned words. That doesn’t mean that climate change isn’t real, or that it doesn’t need to be solved. During Earth Month, we need to recognize that climate change is not only a global issue, but it affects students across the country.

Research from EdTrust and UndauntedK12 released earlier this year shows that of the 725,000 students kept out of class during the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, 3 out of 4 students came from low-income backgrounds and 2 out of 3 are Latino. Today, in a new EdTrust report, we argue that advocates of both climate issues and education equity must intentionally link the two.

Read the Report

The impact of a changing climate on schools isn’t merely a theoretical concern. Schools have shuttered due to events like the historic flooding in North Carolina in fall 2024 that kept more than 76,000 students out of school, and in increasingly frequent school closures due to extreme heat.

These closures have a real impact on students. When schools are closed for weather events, research shows students lose between two and four weeks of learning for every week they’re out of class. Even when schools remain open, research shows that learning drops as the temperature rises and students study in buildings without air conditioning.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the brunt of those impacts usually falls on communities of color and those living in concentrated poverty in “fenceline” communities that are more susceptible to natural disasters and subject to man-made pollutants. This has been happening for decades.

“Environmental justice is an education equity issue,” said Kristen Hengtgen, Ph.D., a co-author of the report. “Students experiencing poverty are more likely to attend schools in districts that require major upgrades. As climate change continues to worsen, states and districts must ensure that all students have access to safe, resilient, sustainable schools, and consider other ways in which schools can adapt to a changing climate and ensure more equitable outcomes for students.”

“The environmental impacts on student learning are undeniable. Education equity advocacy that does not take climate change into account will miss the forest for the trees, especially as climate effects worsen and federal regulations and dollars fade,” said William Rodick, Ph.D., the other co-author.

EdTrust believes there are six key principles that states and districts can adopt to promote educational equity in their response to climate change:

1. Student Agency: Schools should ensure students have access to information and support that increases climate literacy and opportunities to make their voices heard.
2. Resource Equity: Schools should consider energy-efficient upgrades and ensure access to safe outdoor spaces, with priority for schools in low-income neighborhoods.
3. Social, Emotional, and Academic Development: Schools should integrate social-emotional development with academic learning, particularly as it intersects with racial injustice and concerns about climate.
4. High-Quality Curricula and Instruction: States and advocates should push for the adoption of climate change standards in schools and ensure teachers have adequate professional development.
5. STEM Identity: Schools should foster interest in STEM by emphasizing climate content relevant to students’ local contexts and offering students a sense of agency and hope.
6. College and Career Readiness: States and districts should support career and technical education that prepares students for jobs in a clean economy.

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About EdTrust

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.