Modulo

California Education and Environment Initiative

Recommended Ages

K-12th Grades

The California Education and Environment Initiative (EEI) is a free K–12 curriculum developed by the state to integrate environmental concepts into science and social studies. Units use California-specific case studies—like watersheds, forests, and agriculture—to teach broader ideas about ecosystems, resources, and sustainability. Created by educators and environmental experts, EEI materials are standards-aligned and classroom-tested, making them robust enough for full units or supplements. Parents and teachers appreciate that everything is freely available online, including student readers and teacher guides. It’s especially strong for upper-elementary through high school students studying environmental science or civics, in California or beyond. Because the examples are region-specific, families outside the state may need to add local connections. For best value, pair EEI lessons with field trips to local parks, recycling centers, or waterways to ground big concepts in your own community.

A great fit for upper‑elementary through high‑school students who enjoy real‑world case studies, current events and hands‑on investigations, and for families wanting a secular, standards‑aligned way to study environmental issues in more depth without buying an expensive textbook.

Pros

Free, state‑developed K–12 curriculum embedding environmental principles into science and social studies using California‑based case studies—watersheds, forests, agriculture—to teach broader concepts like ecosystems, resources and sustainability; materials include teacher guides, student readers and assessments, and have been reviewed and approved at the state level and praised by environmental education organizations, making them a strong secular option for ecology and civics units even outside California. 

Cons

Written primarily for classroom teachers, so homeschool parents may find the lesson plans longer and more detailed than they strictly need; many examples are California‑specific, requiring some adaptation if you live in another region; PDF organization on the website can feel overwhelming at first; and there is limited explicit math integration, so you’ll need separate resources for quantitative environmental science work at the high‑school level.

As an official California state curriculum, EEI units are provided free of charge to California public-school teachers and many homeschoolers who register, meaning families do not need ESA or charter funds to access the materials; printing or supplemental field-trip costs, if any, are handled locally. 

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California Education and Environment Initiative
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Skills

What kids will learn
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Science
Science
Earth Science
Earth Science
Nature Study
Nature Study
Social Studies
Social Studies
Geography
Geography
History
History

California Education and Environment Initiative Mission

The mission of the California Education and Environment Initiative (EEI) is to build environmental literacy across the state by teaching academic standards through the lens of real-world environmental issues. Its K–12 curriculum uses California’s Environmental Principles and Concepts to help students understand the relationships between human systems and natural systems while mastering required content in science, history–social science, and English language arts. By integrating environmental topics into everyday lessons, the initiative aims to prepare students to make informed decisions, participate in civic life, and help create a more sustainable future for California and beyond.

California Education and Environment Initiative Story

The Education and Environment Initiative was created through a collaboration between California state agencies, including the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education, in response to legislation calling for stronger environmental education. Over several years, teams of classroom teachers, content experts, and curriculum designers developed a comprehensive set of units that teach state academic standards using case studies drawn from California’s diverse ecosystems, communities, and industries. After field testing and revisions, the EEI Curriculum was released as a free resource for teachers, complete with student materials and teacher guides. Today, it continues to inform environmental literacy efforts and has helped inspire similar initiatives in other states.

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FAQ: Additional Details about California Education and Environment Initiative

In an EEI lesson, students might analyze how a local watershed works using maps and diagrams, read a short narrative about California’s water history, and then conduct a simple simulation or hands-on investigation at home or in the community. There’s plenty of discussion, data interpretation, and connection to real California places—coastlines, forests, farms, and cities.

California’s Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) is a state-developed K–12 curriculum that embeds environmental literacy into science and history-social science through 45 standards-aligned units. Teachers and homeschoolers can access complete lesson plans, student readers, and assessments that integrate topics like ecosystems, natural resources, and climate with required California academic standards, using inquiry-based activities and local case studies. Materials are designed to be used as a core or supplemental resource within an existing course of study. 

In a homeschool context, parents present lessons, lead discussions, and supervise investigations or projects. When used in traditional classrooms, parent involvement may come through homework support or participation in field experiences.

Units are written for specific grade levels with built-in scaffolding, so the main prerequisite is that students are working within the targeted grade band and can handle the reading and math demands of their level.

This free curriculum uses real‑world environmental themes, which can strongly engage eco‑curious kids, including gifted and autistic learners who care deeply about justice and the planet. Lessons can be text‑heavy, so families may want to read aloud, chunk activities, and add visuals or hands‑on projects for dyslexic, ADHD, or younger students.

The EEI curriculum teaches science and social studies through the environment, using real-world issues, maps, and visual aids that can help sensory-sensitive kids connect learning to concrete, familiar places.

Because EEI materials are distributed free by the state, there is no purchase price and thus no refund policy; any costs associated with printed copies from third-party printers or vendors would follow those printers’ return terms.

Probably not ideal if you want a very open‑and‑go, short daily workbook; early elementary kids may need material heavily adapted or simplified; families opposed to learning about topics like climate change or resource management from a scientific perspective may prefer a different program.

Similar free or low‑cost options include local extension‑office materials, Project Learning Tree, Project WET, citizen‑science projects, or standard environmental science texts paired with documentaries and field trips; for secular homeschool courses, look at programs like Oak Meadow’s environmental science or online providers that specialize in ecology.

The EEI curriculum has been aligned with newer California Science and History–Social Science standards and now sits within broader statewide initiatives for environmental literacy, with digital access and supplemental resources added over time.

Start by choosing just one or two units that match your current history or science focus, download everything into a dedicated folder, and highlight or trim lessons to a 2–3 day weekly rhythm—EEI shines when used as a rich unit study, not when you try to cover every single page back‑to‑back.

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Meet EEI Team

The California Education and Environment Initiative is guided by a multidisciplinary team working within state agencies and partner organizations rather than a single founder. Environmental scientists, curriculum specialists, classroom teachers, and policy leaders contributed to the development of the EEI Curriculum, ensuring that it is both scientifically accurate and instructionally sound. This team continues to support educators in using the materials and in embedding environmental literacy into broader school and district initiatives, keeping the focus on empowering students as informed stewards of their communities and environment.