Our Structure

The Coalition for Climate Education Policy is a diverse and multi-sector coalition of organizations advocating for federal policies and cross-agency efforts to advance climate literacy in the United States. As a non-partisan network, we are working to advance climate change education and ensure that education and engagement are part of the toolbox of solutions to build more resilient communities, advance justice, and equity, and create a climate-ready workforce.

DRAFT GOVERNANCE*

Secretariat: NAAEE will serve as the Secretariat for the Coalition for Climate Education Policy. In this role, NAAEE will convene and facilitate weekly or bi-weekly calls, take notes, and help move the Coalition's work forward. NAAEE will convene the coalition meetings with input from the Steering Committee members. NAAEE staff will support coalition activities and outreach and share all documents to ensure that members of the Steering Committee and the broader Coalition can review progress and priorities and provide input. 

Steering Committee: The Steering Committee is the working group of the Coalition. Through regular calls, this small group of organizations will help support the Coalition's work of advancing climate literacy through our collaborative policy work. The committee will work bi-weekly to advise on administrative and legislative priorities and outreach strategies. The committee will provide expertise in content, policy, education, and government affairs. Members of the Steering Committee will have opportunities to lead discussions and help frame the agenda for the calls and the work of the Coalition. They will also be spokespeople for the Coalition. 

Working Groups: To get the work done, the Steering Committee will periodically create small working groups to tackle specific issues. Any members of the Steering Committee and others are welcome to serve on one or more working groups and may pull in additional experts to join the discussions. The working groups will report to the steering committee during bi-weekly calls. 

Members of the Coalition: The members of the coalitions are organizations, corporations, universities, individuals, and agencies who care about advancing climate change education policy. We encourage organizations that care about addressing climate change and education to join. As part of this effort, we will leverage NAAEE's existing Action Network to build a large-scale and diverse Coalition of organizations and individuals representing every state and Congressional district. NAAEE's monthly Action Network calls will include dedicated time for updates and action items specific to a policy agenda for climate change education and other policy updates. Steering Committee members will also help identify and recruit coalition members. 

Fundamental Principles and Guidelines for Working Together

As members of the Steering Committee, we agree to:

• Help build trust among the core partners and treat all members with respect. 
• Always consider equity and justice in our collective work.
• "Lower logos and egos" for the good of the Coalition.
• Ensure that everyone has a voice and thinks about "why am I talking" and "why am I not talking."
• Track and celebrate accomplishments.
• Be transparent in decision-making; strive for consensus, but if that is not possible, consider consensus +2 or a vote of the members on a call. 
• Stay informal and have just enough structure to get work done.
• Be flexible to evolve structure, accommodate overlapping coalitions, and respond to changing circumstances.
• Acknowledge and address conflicts of interest as necessary; if needed, bring in an outside facilitator to help us work through challenging issues or create a smaller group to address a problem and bring it back to the group.
• Maximize benefits and minimize costs of collaboration (e.g., reduce transaction costs, set clear and achievable goals, accommodate different levels of participation, etc.)

Communication Outlets

• The Secretariat will update the coalition website and post additional information. Members of the Steering Committee are welcome to assist and help write up sections as needed. 
• The Secretariat will also post Google docs that outline working groups efforts and updated work plans, as well as notes from Steering Committee calls. 
• All members of the Steering Committee will be ambassadors for the Coalition.
• Coalition members can opt-in as supporters of communications (letters) for specific legislative or administrative asks.

*The Steering Committee will periodically review this governance proposal and evaluate any changes that may be necessary to be more effective, inclusive, and transparent in our work.