Our Purpose - Why Did Green Ninja Start?

It started over two decades ago when climate scientists including me became increasingly concerned about the future health of our planet. Although various technologies exist to reduce the impact of climate change, one solution often overlooked and undervalued is education.

In 2010, I started working with other scientists, educators, and practicing teachers to develop materials that help youth connect personally to climate change. What we discovered (e.g., see publications here, here and here) was that education, if done well, can equip students with both the critical thinking skills and the social/emotional development to create effective solutions to our climate crisis.

In 2016, we leveraged these discoveries, alongside a quirky cast of characters, to help us create the Green Ninja curriculum. In 2018, we were granted approval by the California Department of Education (CDE), and today we work closely with a wide group of school districts and individual teachers primarily located in the west coast. 

At Green Ninja, our purpose is to empower environmental leadership through a deep understanding of science. This may sound like an aspirational goal, but it’s actually central to how we got started and everything we do today. I hope that as our community of teacher colleagues continues to grow, so does our shared understanding that education can be relevant, purposeful, and transformative for all of our students in ways that benefit society.   

Sincerely, 

Eugene

Dr. Eugene Cordero
Founder & Director, Green Ninja