Q&A with Emily from EarthDay.org

Heidi Hill
Apr 28
5 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

We are so excited to share our interview with Emily, senior education coordinator at EARTHDAY.ORG.

Following the 55th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22), we caught up with Emily to talk about her background as a classroom teacher, what Earth Day means to her, and how teachers, librarians, and parents can take the energy around Earth Day and expand it into important summer projects and events! Thanks, Emily! Keep in touch with Emily on social media, @eathdayeducators!

"The ultimate goal is to bring awareness to the importance of talking about the planet as our home and then create opportunities to take action in peoples local communities."

EMILY WALKER has a Bachelor's Degree from George Mason University in Anthropology with a minor in Linguistics. She went on to get her Masters in Education from The College of William & Mary. Emily has a love for people, places, and education. Her academic background has allowed her to view the field of education with a holistic lens, from conducting second language acquisition research to educating students on native flora and fauna on the Potomac River. Her love for learning & development in K-12 schools, has given her years of hands-on classroom experience teaching a variety of young learners. A focus of hers in the classroom was science and the art of storytelling. These two subjects together can expand the minds of students and provide them with the skills and knowledge they will need to tackle climate change at any stage of their future careers. It was this same love for sharing knowledge that lured her out of the classroom and brought her EARTHDAY.ORG, as our senior education coordinator, supporting educators in diverse educational systems across the US and beyond. She has been a speaker at a variety of educator conferences and summits such as NSTA in support of climate change education at all levels. Providing climate education and advocacy resources for environmental minded educators. Emily has written curriculum guides, a report on solar energy in schools, and she regularly speaks and in classrooms, talking to children and students about the importance of understanding our changing climate. She is especially passionate about the power of reading and books and curates a wonderful selection of environmental books, for all ages K - 12, on the EARTHDAY.ORG website. A believer in the power of education, she continues to bridge the gap between climate science and teaching pedagogy.

Q&A with Blue Dot Kids Press

Blue Dot Kids: What is the mission of EARTHDAY.ORG in your own words?

Emily: The mission of EARTHDAY.ORG is to educate people about the environment, provide avenues for people to get involved through action, and create lasting investment in our planet. I like to think that we are an anchor to something tangible, which is Earth Day itself. Earth Day is a day to remember, celebrate, and take action with our communities. It is one of the biggest unifiers of people and planet.

Blue Dot Kids: Tell us why you joined EARTHDAY.ORG.

Emily: Before I was with EARTHDAY.ORG, I was a classroom teacher teaching students between the ages of five to seven years. At this age, children are learning about the world around them and their place in it. I loved being able to guide them to be curious and grow their knowledge. It is the best age to teach, in my opinion. I also loved to incorporate topics about the environment—we did composting, nature journaling, and nature walks. It allowed students to experience learning in a way that immersed them in their learning by using their senses in different ways.

One of the biggest challenges in my teaching career was when we experienced the Canada wildfires. The air quality was so bad we could not go outside for a whole week. It was not safe. I had to talk about it with my students. It was a difficult topic to discuss with five-to-seven-year-olds. However, they wanted to understand more. So I leaned toward more class discussions and using books to talk about these topics. I loved using the book We Are All Connected by Gabi Garcia to really emphasize our connection to the planet and our own community. This really showed a gap for me with how climate change does not become real for many, until they experience it firsthand.

"Children are learning about the world around them and their place in it. I loved being able to guide them to be curious and grow their knowledge.”

Blue Dot Kids: Can you tell us more about the Climate Education Initiative at EARTHDAY.ORG, and how teachers and schools can get involved?

Emily: The Climate Education Initiative focuses on supporting robust, comprehensive climate education standards. We take a two-fold approach to climate education by focusing on policy and working with educators and schools. On the policy side, we work with groups to pass climate education legislation in states across the US and beyond. We also work with organizations that are actively supporting schools and their communities with climate change topics. The ultimate goal is to bring awareness to the importance of talking about the planet as our home and then create opportunities to take action in people's local communities.

Blue Dot Kids: What are some other educational programs from EARTHDAY.ORG you think teachers, librarians, and parents should learn about?

Emily: At EARTHDAY.ORG, the climate education team focuses on building resources and sharing these resources to school communities. We have many wonderful groups we work with like SubjectToClimate, which creates lessons for teachers. Together, we have created an Earth Month Calendar that has a month’s worth of lessons and activities for all ages. We also have curated resources including book lists, toolkits, advocacy packets, and so much more. I encourage school educators to check out our climate education page and explore our website for fact sheets, quizzes, and reports on a variety of topics.

Blue Dot Kids: Summer is coming, and kids in the USA will have a bit more time on their hands. What are some concrete ideas and programming that parents and kids can take with them to do over the summer?

Emily: Summer is a great time to continue learning while keeping kids active. There are always events happening in communities. We have a wonderful activities map that shows what kinds of events are happening around you.

Additionally, I encourage parents and kids to create their own activities like going on nature walks, nature journaling, and conducting cleanups. Take a notebook and draw what you see. It is a great opportunity for families to pick a walking trail or hiking trail and get to observing! It not only keeps students engaged but develops skills like critical thinking, communication, and mindfulness, to name a few.

"Summer is a great time to continue learning while keeping kids active.”

Blue Dot Kids: As book lovers ourselves, we love to see the Earth Day Educator Book Hub on your website. How did you select the books, and how are you seeing educators using these books in their classrooms?

Emily: The book hub is ever-changing and growing! We provide not only K–12 books but higher education/adult reads. We take recommendations from educators, librarians, parents, and students, who have given a stamp of approval. We also want to create a wide variety of books that connect to all communities. Many of these books I also own and bring with me to seminars, conferences, and events we do. It is such a great connection point. Books are a way to make complex topics digestible—their magic.

Blue Dot Kids: What's the best way to keep in touch with programming for kids, parents, and educators at EARTHDAY.ORG?

Emily: The best way to keep in touch with what is happening is to sign up for our newsletter, which goes out monthly. Additionally, we have an educator-specific Instagram account @earthdayeducators, where we share educator-specific information on the topics of climate education and Earth Day.

Earth Day 2025 Poster by environmental activist and artist Alexis Rockman.