Maine Celebrates First Recipients of the Seal of Climate Literacy

Freeport High School seniors, Class of 2026, receive their 2026 Maine Seals of Climate Literacy.

A new generation of Maine students is demonstrating a commitment to understanding and addressing environmental challenges through the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) newest diploma endorsement, the Maine Seal of Climate Literacy.

The Seal of Climate Literacy is awarded to students who complete two high school courses focused on climate and environmental literacy concepts and standards, as well as an experiential project that demonstrates and publicly communicates their understanding of environmental literacy, green career exploration, and/or place-based climate action. In its pilot phase in the spring of 2026, the Seal was awarded to 57 students from nine schools across the state, recognizing their knowledge, skills, and dedication to creating a more sustainable future. The program will officially launch statewide in September for the 2026-2027 school year. 

Students working to earn the Seal took a wide range of classes to apply to it, including AP Human Geography, Earth Science, and Early College U.S. History. Students completed projects, allowing them to explore their interests and delve deeper into community-based solutions.

For example, at Mount Desert Island High School, a senior earned the Seal by taking Biology and Honors Environmental Science. She was also the Student Representative of the Bar Harbor Climate Task Force. The mission of her project was to reduce Bar Harbor’s carbon footprint and make the town more sustainable.

“Having the Seal has given me a chance to show my community that I am well educated around environmental topics and that it is super important to me,” the student said.

Another student from Orono High School found the most accurate way to predict basal area, enabling foresters to make accurate tree-harvesting plans. A few students from Bangor High School evaluated the effects of fast fashion, spread awareness of the environmental impact, and encouraged sustainable clothing habits through a research poster.

“The Seal of Climate Literacy allowed students to be honored for participating in something that I hold to be of the most critical importance in education: authentic learning that benefits our community and our planet,” a science educator from Poland Regional High School shared.

This summer, the Maine DOE will launch a website to provide resources to guide students and teachers in implementing the Seal and determining classes and project guidelines. Included in these resources will be example projects, the Maine Learning Results that schools use to award the Seal, and a database of community-based organizations and partners for student projects.

If your school administrative unit (SAU) is interested in getting involved with the Maine Seal of Climate Literacy, please complete this form.

With questions about the Maine Seal of Climate Literacy, please contact Maine DOE Climate Education Specialist Teddy Lyman at Theodore.Lyman@maine.gov.