By Julie Hilborn, Director of Environmental Literacy and Sustainability at the San Mateo COE

California faces a broad set of environmental challenges including wildfires, extreme heat, air quality, and water supply.

Students are understandably asking questions, yet many teachers have felt unequipped to teach about environmental issues due to the lack of California-specific instructional materials. Enter Seeds to Solutions. This free, open set of resources equips California educators with age-appropriate environmental lessons for grades K–12. 

Developed by the San Mateo County Office of Education and environmental literacy nonprofit Ten Strands, Seeds to Solutions transforms classroom learning into discussions that go beyond school. The lessons are designed to inspire students to become environmental solutions seekers, and empower them to explore those solutions with confidence. In coordination with the California Department of Education, each unit was designed to align with state standards and Environmental Principles and Concepts to explore California-specific environmental challenges and solutions.

Seeds to Solutions provides an equitable and comprehensive approach to education through a high-quality, well organized set of materials that are available online at no cost. The units feature developmentally appropriate topics for each grade level, focusing on student-led investigations. When students are empowered to understand topics like what happens to uneaten food, where our water comes from, and how wildfires occur, they can work to help develop solutions. When students are environmentally literate, they become engaged community members with the hope and confidence that they can protect the people and places they love.

Author

Julie Hilborn is the Director of Environmental Literacy and Sustainability at the San Mateo County Office of Education. She joined SMCOE in September of 2022 after a multi-faceted career in the formal and informal science and environmental education sectors across K-12 and university levels. Julie directs the Environmental Literacy and Sustainability program at SMCOE, which provides support to San Mateo County schools in prioritizing environmental literacy and integrating environmental sustainability and climate-ready practices across school campuses, curriculum, community, and culture. In 2025 she led SMCOE to become the first county office of education to receive Green Achiever recognition through the California Green Ribbon Schools program. She also worked internationally as an Instructor for Outward Bound Zimbabwe, and in the private sector as an environmental consultant on large-scale construction projects. Julie holds a BA from Stanford, an MA from San Jose State, an administrative credential from SMCOE and a teaching credential from San Francisco State.

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