What we are working on now
The United States has made fighting the climate crisis a top priority. UndauntedK12 is working to ensure national, state, and local climate and education leaders place America’s K-12 schools at the center of efforts to equitably decarbonize our infrastructure and create the clean energy workforce of the future.
White House Summit on Sustainable and Healthy Schools
The Biden Administration will host school leaders, state agency representatives, and key national stakeholders next week for the first-ever White House Summit on Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds. Join a livestream of the opening plenary and panels on April 26th from 1 – 3:30 p.m. ET.
The IRS’ elective pay portal for schools to claim clean energy tax credits is open.
The IRS launched the pre-filing registration portal for schools to begin claiming clean energy tax credits through the elective pay (also known as direct pay) provision of the Inflation Reduction Act.
2023 - A Year In Review
We are so grateful for our partners working for equitable, healthy, sustainable, and climate-resilient school buildings and grounds. Learn about UndauntedK12’s work in 2023 here.
Climate Action Toolkit for School Board Members
We are proud to introduce, in partnership with This Is Planet Ed and School Board Partners, a new resource designed for school board members to advance climate solutions and empower schools to become leaders in climate resilience and sustainability.
Making Climate-Smart HVAC Investments
In partnership with AASA, UndauntedK12 and RMI led a webinar highlighting the opportunities for Superintendents to improve school HVAC systems using new financial resources from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Convening Partners to Make the Most of the Inflation Reduction Act
We’ve been hosting a regular convening of national partners to shape a timely and coordinated approach to engage schools and states about opportunities within the Inflation Reduction Act.
Undaunted and partners provided comments to the IRS on the first round of IRA Direct Pay guidance
UndauntedK12 coordinated with a group of national partners to provide comments on the new IRS's Direct Pay guidance so that schools are better positioned to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Workshop at the U.S. Department of Education’s 2023 Green Ribbon Schools National Convening
In partnership with our colleagues at This is Planet Ed we hosted a workshop for Green Ribbon Schools participants on actions school leaders can take to advance Climate Ready Schools.
Workshop for School Board Members on Leading Climate Ready Schools
Presentation with FEMA to School Board Members on Leading Climate Ready Schools at Our Collective Power hosted by School Board Partners
23 Climate Levers for 2023
In our latest blog, we present 23 levers for climate action in K-12 education for 2023. They are organized into three areas: governance and leadership; buildings and grounds; and teaching and learning. Scroll through this quick reference to discover a building block that’s within reach in your state or district!
Celebrating National Healthy Schools Day
UndauntedK12 is proud to celebrate National Healthy Schools Day and urges policymakers, lawmakers, and school district leaders to modernize HVAC systems and invest in other technologies to support healthy schools.
Presenting, Connecting, and Celebrating Success at the 2023 Green Schools Conference
In late February, Undaunted’s co-founders Jonathan Klein and Sara Ross met up in New Orleans to attend the 2023 Green Schools Conference.
Climate-Resilient California Schools: A Call to Action
Over the last several months, a statewide coalition of nearly 50 experts – including doctors, medical and environmental health researchers, educators, youth and community groups – worked together to explore the challenges of climate change from the perspective of children’s health and education. Our insights and recommendations were published in Climate-Resilient California Schools: A Call to Action.
See You at the Green Schools Conference!
The Green Schools Conference (GSC) is the only event to bring together all the players involved in making green schools a reality: people who lead, operate, build and teach in schools.
HVAC Choices for Student Health and Learning
“HVAC Choices for Student Health and Learning,” shares big ideas relating to school HVAC technology, offers a framework for evaluating costs and obtaining funding, and provides an overview of the benefits that come with all-electric HVAC systems.
2022 - A Year In Review
We are so grateful for our partners working for equitable, healthy, sustainable, and climate-resilient school buildings and grounds. Learn about UndauntedK12’s work in 2022 here.
UndauntedK12 OpEd: Time for Massachusetts to Make All Schools, Green, Healthy and Carbon-Free
Read our latest OpEd written with Jason Acosta Espinosa, a student at Dartmouth College and a former Massachusetts climate fellow at Our Climate.
Undaunted K12’s Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act is an important and badly needed step towards protecting future generations from the worst impacts of the climate crisis. UndauntedK12 is deeply thankful for the climate activists and climate justice advocates who have persevered for decades to reach this milestone, and we know our work is not done. Schools have a tremendous role to play in combating climate change and in educating tomorrow’s climate leaders. We will continue to advocate for climate action in the places where all young people live, learn, and play.
Opinion: Schools are missing from the state’s climate plan
One out of every 6 Americans visits a school daily but they are conspicuously absent from Massachusetts’ recent landmark climate bill. While the legislature acknowledges that school buildings play an important role in addressing the climate crisis, this bill falls short of making an action plan.
Clean and Healthy Schools are Electric: Our Report with Rewiring America
In “Clean and Healthy Schools are Electric: Aligning California’s School Infrastructure Investments with our Climate and Health Goals,” our new report with Rewiring America and UC Santa Barbara, we make the case for upgrading to all-electric HVAC systems with advanced filtration. This transition can deliver enormous educational and health benefits to California’s students and school staff, all while cutting operating costs.