UC-CSU Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs)

What UC-CSU Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs) does

ECCLPs is a collaborative, non-profit partnership initiative between the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems, established in October 2018 to advance PK-12 climate and environmental literacy, justice, and action across California. The initiative engages all 33 public higher education institutions in both university systems, which collectively provide teaching credentials to nearly half of all PK-12 educators in the state. Since its September 2022 relaunch, UC Irvine School of Education has served as the administrative hub, with Kelley Lê as Executive Director; California State University Dominguez Hills is planned as the first CSU hub in year two. Its core outputs are educational rather than software-based, including the ECCLPs Framework for Climate Teaching and Learning (6 Paradigm Shifts, 7 Key Design Components), Content Resource Sheets co-developed with UCI faculty and graduate students, a video library with 50+ faculty interviews spanning 12 UCI departments, the UCI Campus Task Force, Resource Toolkits, an Annual Forum Symposium, and the ECCLPs Education Hub, a digital platform built in partnership with SubjectToClimate.

The initiative operates as a free program with no fees for educators, schools, or community organizations. Its revenue model is exclusively philanthropic: donations are processed through UC Irvine's giving platform (coordinated by Senior Associate Director of Development Sarah Garcia), supplemented by in-kind contributions and coordinated efforts across the UC and CSU systems. Programming is delivered via a community-led go-to-market motion anchored by campus meetings (23 convened statewide October 2022–February 2023), community-based partner meetings (12 convened October–December 2022), the CalTeach preservice teacher program at UCI (which now requires climate literacy coursework for all math and science credential candidates), the Educators Network for Climate and Environmental Action (ENCEA), and the Climate Champions regional initiative in San Diego.

ECCLPs serves a distributed base of PK-12 educators, students, schools, and community-based organizations across California, with strategic partnerships spanning UC and CSU leadership, Ten Strands, SubjectToClimate, California Department of Education, CalEPA, WestEd K-12 Alliance, CalRecycle, and the California Subject Matter Project. The organization maintains a small central staff (73 employees listed) supplemented by a broader Executive Committee drawn from university leadership, nonprofit partners, and subject-matter experts across climate science, education policy, and environmental justice.

Name

UC-CSU Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs)

Legal name

UC-CSU Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects

Website

https://ecclps.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ECCLPs is a UC-CSU partnership initiative advancing PK-12 climate and environmental literacy across California through 33 public universities, serving educators, students, schools, and community organizations with free research-based curriculum, professional development, and convening programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Support: ECCLPs accepts donations through UC Irvine's giving platform, described as an investment in the partnerships and strategies that will educate California's high school graduates to be literate in climate and environmental justice issues and solutions. Contact for donations is through Sarah Garcia, Senior Associate Director of Development at UC Irvine.
2. Partnership-Based Resource Contribution: The initiative operates through in-kind contributions and coordinated efforts from UC and CSU systems, with activities distributed across both university systems and partnering campuses. No direct revenue is generated from products or services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ECCLPs is a collaborative UC-CSU partnership initiative that develops research-based climate education frameworks, curriculum resources, and convening programs to advance PK-12 climate and environmental justice literacy across California. It distributes the Framework for Climate Teaching and Learning (6 Paradigm Shifts, 7 Design Components), Content Resource Sheets, the ECCLPs Education Hub digital platform, the UCI Campus Task Force, the Annual Forum Symposium, and statewide convenings connecting 33 universities with community-based partners.

Product overview

ECCLPs is a collaborative initiative partnership between the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems, representing 33 higher education public universities in California. Rather than a unified software product, ECCLPs functions as an educational programs portfolio comprising the ECCLPs Education Hub (a climate education resource platform partnered with SubjectToClimate), the Framework for Climate Teaching and Learning (6 paradigm shifts and 7 design components for climate education), the UCI Campus Task Force (regional solutions for PK-12 schools), Content Resource Sheets (simplified environmental concept guides for educators), and an ongoing Joint UC-CSU Center Proposal initiative. The organization focuses on advancing PK-12 climate and environmental justice literacy through teacher preparation, professional learning programming, and community-based partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECCLPs Education Hub: A partnership between ECCLPs and SubjectToClimate providing climate action resources for educators
• Joint UC-CSU Center Proposal
• ENCEA

Products and services

• ECCLPs Education Hub A climate education resource platform developed in partnership with SubjectToClimate, providing PK-12 educators with frameworks, tools, and resources for teaching climate change and environmental justice across curricula at no cost.
• ECCLPs Framework for Climate Teaching and Learning (6 Paradigm Shifts and 7 Key Design Components) A transformative research-based framework developed with 100+ network leaders, outlining 6 paradigm shifts (Activate Student Agency, Interdisciplinary, Transdisciplinary, Intersectional, Centers Equity and Justice, Honors Historic Community and Indigenous Knowledge) and 7 key design components for embedding climate literacy across disciplines. For PK-12 educators, curriculum designers, and teacher preparation programs.
• UCI ECCLPs Campus Task Force A cross-sector campus network co-led by ECCLPs and the UCI Sustainability Resource Center that develops regional solutions supporting local PK-12 school districts in Orange County and surrounding communities, producing faculty interviews and community partnerships. For PK-12 districts, educators, and community-based partners in the UCI region.
• Content Resource Sheets Educator-accessible resource sheets co-developed with UCI faculty and graduate students that simplify complex environmental concepts such as kelp forests and invasive species, making them accessible for PK-12 teaching. For PK-12 educators and curriculum developers statewide.
• Annual Forum Symposium (AFS) An annual forum symposium featuring keynote speakers, featured sessions, and professional development opportunities for California educators, convened by ECCLPs to advance PK-12 climate literacy practice.
• UCI CalTeach Climate Literacy Coursework Requirement Required coursework in environmental and climate literacy for all UC Irvine CalTeach preservice math and science teachers as part of their credentialing program; provides ECCLPs-aligned instructional content.
• Achieving Climate Stability and Environmental Sustainability Report Foundational report written by faculty and administrative leaders of education from the UC and CSU systems in partnership with key stakeholders to support advancing PK-12 environmental and climate change literacy; underpins ECCLPs implementation and scaling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 220 stakeholders participated in inaugural 2019 summit focused on climate literacy
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• UC San Diego (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD contributes to ECCLPs through Climate Champions initiative, working with San Diego County Office of Education, CREATE center, and Birch Aquarium. Dr. Ram Ramanathan was a founding leader of ECCLPs.
• San Diego County Office of EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Partner in Climate Champions initiative with UC San Diego, supporting climate teaching and action in the San Diego region through teacher communities of practice and curriculum field-testing.
• University of California (UC) SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018UC and CSU systems partnered in October 2018 to create ECCLPs with the goal for all California high school students to be literate in environmental and climate change issues. The UC system provides teaching credentials to a significant portion of PK-12 educators in California. UC Irvine serves as the primary hub for ECCLPs initiatives.
• California State University (CSU) SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018UC and CSU systems partnered in October 2018 to create ECCLPs. CSU provides teaching credentials to nearly half of all PK-12 educators in California. California State University Dominguez Hills is planned as the first CSU hub in year 2 of the initiative.
• Ten StrandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Karen Cowe, CEO of Ten Strands, was among the founders of ECCLPs. Ten Strands is a California-based nonprofit focused on strengthening partnerships and strategies to bring environmental literacy to all California K-12 students. Ten Strands hosts the California Environmental Literacy Initiative and serves as a key strategic partner in ECCLPs initiatives.
• UCI School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Irvine School of Education serves as the primary hub for ECCLPs. Executive Director Kelley Lê leads ECCLPs from UCI while also directing the UCI Science Project. The school hosts the UCI Campus Task Force and coordinates initiatives across the university.
• UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA served as the host for the 2019 inaugural ECCLPs Summit and is a key partner alongside UC Irvine in promoting climate and environmental justice literacy. Dean Marcelo Suárez-Orozco was among the founders of ECCLPs. UCLA faculty contribute to curriculum development and teacher education programs.
• California Subject Matter ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network of discipline-based projects providing professional development for teachers. Executive Director Claudia Martinez serves as UC's liaison to the initiative. California Subject Matter Projects staff participate in ECCLPs campus meetings and initiatives.
• California Science ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network supporting science education. The UCI Science Project and California Science Projects support the Educators Network for Climate and Environmental Action (ENCEA), a K-16 science network for advancing climate literacy.
• California Environmental Literacy InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide public-private partnership launched in 2016 to advance environmental literacy for all California students. Karen Cowe of Ten Strands serves as project director. ECCLPs aligns with and advances the initiative's goals.
• ENCEA (Educators Network for Climate and Environmental Action)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-16 science network launched by UCI Science Project with support from California Science Projects, connecting regional science projects, environmental agencies, county offices of education, and industry professionals for climate literacy events and opportunities.
• UCI Sustainability Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leads the UCI ECCLPs Campus Task Force alongside ECCLPs to develop and implement regional solutions supporting local PK-12 school districts and communities. Director Garrett Hurley serves as co-chair.
• CREATE (Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment and Teaching Excellence)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC San Diego center partnering in Climate Champions initiative to connect university, K-12, and community for climate teaching and action.
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of OceanographysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC San Diego aquarium partner in Climate Champions initiative, contributing to climate education and outreach programs.
• Climate ChampionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional initiative based at UC San Diego aiming to get more climate teaching, learning and action in the San Diego region, centered on climate justice. Inspired by ECCLPs report recommendations, the initiative connects university, K-12, and community partners.
• WestEd K-12 AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJill Grace, Regional Director for K-12 Alliance at WestEd, serves as In-service Subcommittee Co-chair for ECCLPs Summit. WestEd contributes to California NGSS implementation and environmental literacy initiatives.
• California Global Education ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Emily M. Schell serves as In-service Subcommittee Co-chair. The project supports global education initiatives that align with ECCLPs climate and environmental literacy goals.
• Orange County Department of EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with UCI ECCLPs Campus Task Force to build partnerships and support local school districts in Orange County region.
• CalEPA (California Environmental Protection Agency)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulie Henderson, Deputy Secretary for Health and Public Policy at CalEPA, served on ECCLPs Summit Steering Committee, contributing policy perspective on environmental issues.
• California Department of EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarbara Murchison, Director of Educator Excellence and Equity Division, served as Curriculum Subcommittee Co-chair. The department oversees K-12 education policy in California.
• CalRecycle Office of Education and the EnvironmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristy Porter, Senior Environmental Scientist, served on ECCLPs Summit Steering Committee, contributing expertise in environmental education resources.
• Seventh Generation AdvisorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeslie Tamminen, Director of Ocean Program, served on ECCLPs Summit Steering Committee. Organization focuses on climate solutions and policy.
• Comite Civico del VallesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJose Flores, Civic and Environmental Advisor, served on ECCLPs Summit Steering Committee, representing environmental justice perspective from Valley region.
• Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCyane Dandridge, Executive Director, served on ECCLPs Summit Steering Committee. SEI implements energy conservation and sustainability education programs in California.
• UC Center for Climate JusticesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecently launched UC system-wide center hosting climate education workshops and developing climate justice courses that build on Bending the Curve curriculum.
• Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate AdaptationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTamara Wallace, Sustainability Programs Manager at CSU, represents CSU with this regional climate adaptation alliance.
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTamara Wallace is an elected member and current chair of AASHE Steering Committee. ECCLPs aligns with AASHE's sustainability benchmarking and STARS reporting initiatives.
• UC Berkeley Institute of the Environment and SustainabilitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeter Kareiva, Director, served on ECCLPs Summit Steering Committee, contributing to climate and sustainability expertise.
• Change NarrativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Call to Action storytelling initiative, providing video tips and guidance for climate story submissions to ECCLPs newsletter.
• SubjectToClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create the ECCLPs Education Hub, a comprehensive platform synthesizing insights from field leaders, researchers, educators, and learners for climate action through teaching and learning.
• Unbounded AssociatessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ECCLPs to synthesize input from over 100 leaders across the network into the 6 Paradigm Shifts framework for climate teaching and learning.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SubjectToClimate: Direct peer and core partner of ECCLPs; SubjectToClimate operates a digital climate education resource hub for K-12 educators and is the platform provider for the ECCLPs Education Hub, addressing the same audience with overlapping curriculum content.
• Project Learning Tree: Environmental education curriculum and professional development provider for K-12 educators; comparable audience (teachers, schools) and content area (environmental and climate literacy), with a national network of state coordinators.
• Facing the Future: Nonprofit developing interdisciplinary curriculum and resources for K-12 educators on sustainability and global citizenship topics; comparable in providing standards-aligned curriculum content and educator professional development.
• Ten Strands: Founding partner of ECCLPs and a California-focused nonprofit advancing environmental literacy in K-12 schools; comparable mission, California scope, and partnership-driven GTM model.
• The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education: K-12 sustainability and climate education organization developing curriculum frameworks and teacher professional development, closely comparable in offering standards-aligned content and educator training in climate and sustainability topics.
• California Environmental Literacy Initiative: Statewide public-private partnership administered by Ten Strands to advance environmental literacy for all California K-12 students; highly comparable scope (California K-12) and partnership model, and an explicit partner of ECCLPs.
• Green Education Foundation: K-12 sustainability education nonprofit offering curriculum, lesson plans, and teacher resources for environmental literacy; comparable mission and target audience of PK-12 educators.

Broad incumbents

• EarthEcho International: Environmental education nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr., providing K-12 STEM and climate education resources and youth engagement programs; broader national/international scope but overlapping mission on youth climate literacy.
• National Wildlife Federation (Eco-Schools USA): Established national K-12 sustainability education program operated by a large national nonprofit; comparable in serving PK-12 educators with environmental literacy frameworks, but operates at broader national scale rather than a single-state system partnership.

Emerging players

• California Subject Matter Project: UC system-wide network of discipline-based projects providing teacher professional development; overlapping audience of California K-12 educators and overlap on ECCLPs climate literacy efforts, though broader in scope than climate/environment only.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECCLPs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecclps
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecclps1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UC-CSU Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs)