Good day, Minister,
Subject: Creation of a climate change and sustainability curriculum
The British Columbia School Trustees Association is a champion of good governance practices
among school boards, providing exceptional professional development and working with
partners to ensure the success of every student across British Columbia. As the sole
nonpartisan organization representing democratically and locally elected boards of education,
BCSTA has been a steadfast champion for good governance in public education for 120 years.
We were grateful that you were able to join us at BCSTA AGM 2025 in April of this year. During
the business portion of our event, members passed a motion requesting the Ministry of
Education and Child Care to develop a Climate Action and Sustainability Curriculum, as well as
provide funding for teacher training.
The BCSTA addressed the request for additional funding for teacher training through our written
submission to the Select Standing Committee of Finance and Government Services. However,
members were clear in their direction that a Climate Action and Sustainability Curriculum is
needed in our public K-12 education system.
The current provincial curriculum embeds climate change within science courses; however,
there is a lack of a dedicated climate action curriculum, leaving students with knowledge about
climate change but unprepared to effect the necessary change in our world.
Climate action and sustainability curriculum development will encourage learners to change
their attitudes and behaviour, and assist students in using their critical thinking and
communication skills while working and learning from community agencies and partners to
understand complex ideas around climate change and action broadly.
Ensuring students have a deeper understanding of the climate crisis and how they can
contribute to positive change for the future will help them contextualize their own lives within the
larger world and combat climate anxiety.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Tracy Loffler
President
British Columbia School Trustees Association
