Purpose

This bill creates a voluntary Climate Literacy Seal for high school students in Minnesota. The seal recognizes students who demonstrate understanding of climate science, ability to work with credible climate information, and skills to communicate and act on climate-related issues. It aims to empower students to understand or adapt to climate change and to encourage learning and workforce readiness in green skills.

Key Concepts and Terms

• climate literacy
• climate literacy seal
• climate literacy experiential learning provider
• climate literacy final experiential learning project (final project)
• green jobs
• green skills
• technical green skills
• participating school
• final project proposal
• final experiential learning project
• transcript notation and diploma seal (optional)

What would be established

• A voluntary climate literacy seal for graduating high school students in Minnesota.
• A framework where schools voluntarily offer the seal and may not charge a fee for it.
• A process to recognize students who meet the requirements through transcripts and potentially diplomas.

Student requirements to earn the seal

• Meet all standard high school graduation requirements and other locally adopted requirements.
• Complete at least two approved climate literacy courses.
• Obtain approval for a climate literacy final experiential learning project proposal.
• Successfully complete the final climate literacy project.

Final experiential learning project (the final project)

• May be a capstone project focused on local climate issues.
• Could include activities such as field experiences, internships, externships, or employment with a climate literacy provider.
• May include community projects, hands-on lab work, original art or writing, or student-led programming that affects the local community.
• Must demonstrate academic understanding of climate literacy and apply climate literacy principles to local climate issues.
• Must be presented to an individual or group chosen by the provider or school.

How schools would support and implement the seal

• Schools can work with local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and industry leaders to support climate literacy and build a workforce with green skills.
• Schools must decide each year whether to offer the seal.
• Schools must inform students and guardians about the seal, the requirements, and the approved climate literacy courses.
• Schools must evaluate or authorize the final project proposal before the student begins the project.
• Schools should collect and maintain data on seal participation and projects, including where the seal was awarded, number of students, types of final projects, providers, and courses completed.
• Schools may place the seal on the student’s transcript and may affix the seal to the diploma if offered by the school. No fee can be charged for the seal.

Data collection, reporting, and oversight

• By July 1, 2027, and each year afterward, participating schools must collect data on seal participation and related details and submit an annual report to the state Department of Education.
• The annual report to the commissioner must include specified data (locations, counts, project types, providers, courses, etc.).
• The Department of Education must, by January 15, 2028, and annually thereafter, report to the legislative K-12 committees, summarizing the data. The department may collaborate with nonprofits, industry, and higher education to evaluate data.

Significant changes to existing law

• Establishes a new, voluntary climate literacy seal program in Minnesota for high school graduates.
• Creates defined terms and structures for climate literacy education, projects, and partnerships with external providers.
• Introduces annual data collection and reporting requirements to track participation and outcomes.
• Encourages integration of climate literacy with workforce development through green skills and technical green skills.

Relevant terms climate literacy seal; climate literacy; climate literacy final experiential learning project; climate literacy experiential learning provider; green jobs; green skills; technical green skills; participating school; final project proposal; final experiential learning project; transcript notation; diploma seal; field experience; internship; externship; community projects; local climate issues; data collection; Department of Education; commissioner; advisory partnerships.