I’ve written previously about the IL law (PA 103-0837) that requires K-12 public schools to provide climate change education (starting this school year, 2026-2027!) and the great free, vetted resources to support that effort in the form of the Illinois Climate Education Hub, an online repository maintained by SubjectToClimate.

Now the time has come for teachers across all grade levels to get back in the classroom and add another responsibility to their already full plates. But not to fear–check out the free K-12 Teacher Guides at https://illinoisclimateeducation.org/teacher-guides. These provide easy, ready-to-use activities, and are “packed with teaching tips, ideas for differentiation, and real advice from real teachers.” You can also sign up for the SubjectToClimate newsletter at https://subjecttoclimate.org/newsletter and indicate you’re from the IL state hub on the form. You’ll receive regular updates with IL-specific resources in your email inbox from Katie Nahrwold, Illinois State Lead.

Overviews of the Illinois Climate Education Hub will be provided in a couple of upcoming webinars. The first is scheduled for September 15, 2026 at 4 PM CST, and is hosted by Seven Generations Ahead’s Zero Waste Schools team. In addition to learning more about the Hub directly from Katie Nahrwold, you’ll learn waste reduction strategies from the SevenGen team. Learn more and register at https://illinoisclimateeducation.org/professional-development/zero-waste-schools-back-to-school-webinar.

You may also be interested in “Navigating the Illinois Climate Education Hub: Ready-to-Use Science Resources and Lessons.” This webinar, scheduled for November 9, 2026 from 4-5:30 PM will be hosted by the Illinois State Board of Education, and will include interactive exploration of the Hub. Participants will also be part of “grade-level breakout discussions to collaborate with peers, explore the Hub, and curate resources tailored to their instructional needs.” Learn more and register (via your Educator Licensure Information System, or ELIS, account) at https://apps.isbe.net/pdplus/index.html#/educator-activity-reg?id=24938.

Educators will also want to check out “Climate Change Education for Classroom Teachers,” a course offered by University of Illinois. This is “a job-embedded Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved microcredential designed for K–12 educators who want to confidently integrate climate change education into their teaching. Developed in response to Illinois’ new climate change education requirement, this course will support you in building practical resources you can use immediately, including age-appropriate conversation starters, a hope-in-practice classroom checklist, a standards crosswalk, a whole-school climate education action plan, and a lesson or unit that you will teach and reflect upon.” Instructors include Dr. Samantha Lindgren, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Carine Verschueren, Postdoctoral Research Associate. Participants based in IL will earn 40 Professional Development Hours and have the microcredential attached to their Professional Educator License (PEL). Participants outside of Illinois receive a certificate of completion. Learn more at https://illinois.catalog.instructure.com/browse/college-of-education/epol/courses/climate-change-education-for-classroom-teachers.

The final resource I want to highlight is training available to anyone, not just educators, who want to understand more about climate change and how to communicate with others about it in a way that bears the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of this complex suite of challenges. I was fortunate to be able to participate in this training myself in 2024. University of Illinois Extension is offering its Illinois Extension Climate Stewards training this fall: https://extension.illinois.edu/climate/illinois-extension-climate-stewards. Registration for this course is open and sessions begin on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Sessions are being held at five county Extension offices (Adams, Cook, Champaign, DuPage, and Johnson). If the sessions aren’t available in your area, or you don’t have the time right now but are interested in future offerings, be sure to sign up for the waitlist (link available at the URL above).

It’s exciting to know that students in Illinois will be gaining climate change literacy, and preparing for the challenges that lie ahead of us all. It’s also gratifying to know that there are so many resources available and organizations ready to assist our educators in this important work. And through Extension’s efforts, we can all participate in expanding knowledge about our changing climate and how we can all be part of solutions.