Youth Advocate for Heat Safety in Schools Interview: Natalie
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Provided by: Ten Strands|Published on: February 20, 2026
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This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource contains an interview with a Sacramento Girl Scout, Natalie, discussing her project to petition for a safety lesson on the dangers of heat-related illness for all students in the school district.
- The resource also includes a video of Natalie presenting her motion to the school board and providing testimony from other community members.

Subjects: Civics, Health
Authors: Ten Strands
Region: California
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will be inspired to fight for change in their own communities.
- Natalie is an excellent example of persistence, passion, and bravery.
Prerequisites
- Teachers may want to provide students with background knowledge on heat-related illness.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can make connections to climate change by explaining how rising temperatures due to climate change make heat safety an increasingly prominent issue.
- Students can analyze the components of Natalie’s public speaking that make it an effective example.
- Teachers can use data to show students how prevalent heat-related illness is.
- Teachers can connect this resource to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.
This resource is an interview with a young advocate for heat safety education for students, accompanied by a video of testimony before the Sacramento City Unified School Board. The interview shows young people that they can effect change in their communities, and the video connects heat illness to climate change. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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About the Partner Provider
Ten Strands
Ten Strands is a California–based nonprofit established in 2012. Their mission is to strengthen the partnerships, strategies, and systems that advance environmental literacy, ensuring all California TK–12 students thrive in sustainable, resilient schools and engage in meaningful environmental learning experiences, both in and beyond the classroom. They operate with a small, diverse, and nimble staff and strategic partners throughout the state. Ten Strands utilizes the largest and most diverse institution in California—the public school system—to impact 58 county offices of education, more than 1,000 school districts, approximately 10,000 individual schools, over 300,000 teachers, and 5.8 million children.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →

