Purpose

The bill creates a voluntary Climate Literacy Seal for high school students in Minnesota. It aims to recognize students who understand climate science, can evaluate credible climate information, communicate about climate issues effectively, and make informed decisions about actions that affect the climate. The seal is designed to give students a sense of personal control over how climate change affects their lives and communities.

Key Definitions

• Climate literacy: Understanding the earth’s climate system, evaluating credible climate information, communicating about climate in meaningful ways, and making informed, responsible decisions about actions that affect the climate.
• Climate literacy experiential learning provider: A group that helps students complete their final project. This can include schools (districts, charter schools, cooperatives), clubs, local media, businesses, nonprofits, or other organizations focused on green skills.
• Climate literacy final experiential learning project (final project): A student project focused on climate change effects in the student’s local community, completed to earn the seal.
• Green jobs: Jobs that reduce climate harm, help communities adapt, address climate impacts, and support environmental sustainability and resilience.
• Green skills: Knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes to live in and support a sustainable, resource-efficient society.
• Participating school: A school district, charter school, or cooperative unit that offers the climate literacy seal to students.
• Technical green skills: Skills that support the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy.

What the Seal Is and How It Works

• The climate literacy seal is voluntary. Schools may choose to offer it and may note the seal on a student’s transcript or diploma.
• It recognizes students who: (a) meet graduation requirements plus other locally adopted requirements, (b) complete at least two approved climate literacy courses, and (c) develop and complete a climate literacy final experiential learning project that demonstrates mastery.
• A school must not charge a fee for the seal.

Student Requirements to Earn the Seal

• Meet standard high school graduation requirements and any additional local requirements.
• Successfully complete at least two approved climate literacy courses.
• Obtain approval for a climate literacy final experiential learning project proposal and complete the final project.
• Notify the school about pursuing the seal and gain approval for the final project proposal.
• The final project may include a capstone on local climate issues, field experiences, internships, community projects, hands-on labs, original artwork or writing, and student-led programming that impacts the community.

The Final Experiential Learning Project

• The project must show an academic understanding of climate literacy and apply its principles to address local climate issues.
• Students present their final project to an audience identified by the climate literacy provider or the school.

Workforce and Community Partnerships

• Schools may partner with local businesses, nonprofits, and industry leaders to support climate literacy and help develop a workforce with technical green skills.

School Responsibilities

• Each year, a school decides whether it will offer the climate literacy seal.
• Schools must inform students and guardians about the seal’s requirements and the allowed courses.
• Schools must evaluate or authorize the final project proposal before the student begins the project.

Data Collection and Reporting

• By July 1, 2027 and every year after, participating schools must collect data on climate literacy seal participation, including:
  • Which school sites awarded the seal
  • Number of students who received the seal
  • Types of final projects completed
  • Names of providers that approved, supported, or facilitated projects
  • Courses completed to earn the seal
  • Other relevant information requested by the commissioner
• Schools must submit an annual report to the state Department of Education (the commissioner) with the collected data.
• The commissioner must prepare a yearly report to legislative committees about the data, starting January 15, 2028, and may work with nonprofits, industry partners, and higher education institutions to help analyze the data.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Establishes a new, voluntary statewide program creating a Climate Literacy Seal for high school graduates.
• Introduces defined terms related to climate literacy, green skills, and partnerships that did not exist in this form before.
• Requires new course requirements (at least two climate literacy courses) and a structured final project to earn the seal.
• Creates mechanisms for school-level decisions, project approval, and data reporting to the state, plus ongoing legislative reporting on program results.

Additional Notes

• Participation is optional for districts and schools.
• The seal is designed to be a credential that acknowledges students’ climate literacy and readiness for green jobs or further study.

Relevant Terms - climate literacy - green jobs - green skills - technical green skills - experiential learning provider - final experiential learning project - climate literacy seal - participating school - capstone project - internship/externship - community projects - transcript/diploma notation - data reporting - commissioner of education - environmental sustainability - low-carbon economy - credible climate information - local climate issues