Welcome to Change is Simple’s Climate Change Education Online Resources

APPROACH
DONATE
Mobile Lab SCiLL


Do you want to do more to help our planet?

At Change is Simple, we work to answer this question every day in classrooms, showing kids that positive environmental actions and changes can be simple! Yet, it may not always feel that easy. In our everyday lives, we know it can feel overwhelming or discouraging when it comes to our climate and knowing how to help. We want to extend our impact beyond the classroom and empower our students and their communities to build the safer and more sustainable future that everyone deserves. 

A little goes a long way, so whether our actions can impact the larger world or simply how we live at home, it all adds up. Try some of our activities below to take action towards healthier people, planet, and community. 

If you have a Change is Simple student, ask them about their Change is Simple Classroom Challenges! Each year we challenge our students to complete different categories of classroom sustainability challenges to supplement learning between visits. Every challenge is designed to empower our students to start making simple changes at their school. Explore our list of activities below to join in on the fun and help your student continue making simple changes not only in schools but in all corners of our lives!

Did you complete an activity? Send us a photo to lark@ cis.org to be featured in our community spotlights, and make sure to subscribe if you don't want to miss it and to see other community highlights.

    • Try cleaning and saving some containers you might usually throw away. Find the nearest refill or zero waste stores near you and see if you can make some switches.

    • Try checking out thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, or other forums first before opting to buy something new. You can also try creating listings (even for free) before throwing your own items away — you never know what people may need and your trash could be someone else’s treasure!

    Got something you don’t know how to throw away? Check your town's local Zero Waste Days and see if you can drop it off then. For example, find the Zero Waste Day website for Boston here.

    • Educate yourself on your local government, election days, and candidates. Make sure to check candidate backgrounds to ensure their policies align with your values and what you want your home and your future to look like.

    • Divest financially. Check where your bank is investing your money — can you find alternative institutions that invest in sustainable initiatives? 

    • Check commute routes to you and your family’s favorite places. Can you make the switch to public transport options?

    • Try out composting. For starting an at-home compost, all you need is a bucket. Too messy for you? Find a local composting facility that you can join or explore kitchen composter options.

    • Plant a pollinator garden to increase pollinator pathways and green spaces. It may depend on where you live, but try and pick plants that our native pollinators love.

    • Teach yourself and your family to identify local invasive plants and species. Go on an invasive species scavenger hunt hike.

    • Check local nature conservancy events. Volunteer opportunities are great ways to get outside, give back, and spend time together!

    • Calculate your households carbon footprint online. Are there any areas where you can make some changes? 

    • Check out where your food comes from and how far it travels. Maybe try to make a seasonal grocery list! Learn what produce is in season now and where you can buy it locally. You can also buy extra and freeze or dry it for the off seasons.

    • Do you know which native Indigenous tribe used to live where you do now? If so, how did they live? Which local plants, animals, or natural features did they use to sustain themselves?

    • Artificial Intelligence is hard to avoid these days, but AI usage and AI data centers have very large water and carbon footprints, which even under best-case scenarios are predicted to continue increasing in the future (Xiao, et. al 2025). This water is used to cool the servers in data centers and often cannot be reused. Install AI overview blockers on your search engines and reduce your use!

    • Your home may qualify for free or reduced solar panel installation! Check your government policies. 

    • If you live somewhere wet and rainy, a rainwater collection tank can be a great addition to your home. Save the water from storms for later use in your home, garden, or lawn. 

    • Home energy audits are a great way to check the efficiency of energy usage in your home, — many states offer them for free! They may not only help you save some electricity but save money too.