December 2, 2025

The EcoLearn Project grew out of more than two decades of mentoring young people who care about the environment. Long before EcoLearn existed as an organization, students were already learning from each other through hands-on projects, classroom visits, and youth designed lessons. Over the years, about 100 students participated directly in this work and together reached more than 1,000 younger learners in their schools and communities.

For more than twenty years, my friend and colleague Sally Hanft and I mentored these students and helped them turn environmental topics into clear, age appropriate lessons. We focused on building student leadership, supporting strong research habits, and helping students practice explaining complex ideas in simple, engaging ways. Many of the lesson formats and teaching strategies that EcoLearn uses today were first tested and refined in these student led projects.

EcoLearn’s lesson library continues this tradition. High school and college students help develop and improve lessons on climate, food, waste, ecosystems, and environmental justice. They research topics, draft activities, test games, and suggest improvements after trying lessons with younger grades. Their work keeps EcoLearn grounded in real classrooms and youth experience.

We are especially grateful to our current intern Angel, a 12th grade student in Interlake High School’s International Baccalaureate program, who has contributed to updating and expanding the food and sustainability lessons. Angel’s work helps make the materials clearer, more engaging, and easier for other students to teach.

EcoLearn exists because students have shown that real change happens when young people teach and inspire one another. Their ideas and efforts shape every lesson we develop and guide how we think about environmental learning, leadership, and community.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making EcoLearn real.

Viccy Salazar
Director, The EcoLearn Project