Field Chats Podcast

Real field conversations.
Proven best practices. Under 20 minutes.

Whether you’re just getting started or deep in implementation, Field Chats serves as a living library of best practices, insights, and stories shaping the future of how young people learn best.

This Week: Episode 62 - August 25, 2026

Community Inventories: A Practical Guide to Environmental Applied Civics


16 Mins

How do you help students move from “What’s the problem?” to meaningful questions about their community?

What does Environmental Applied Civics look like in practice? We're kicking off Season 4 of Field Chats with a behind-the-scenes look at the brand-new Environmental Applied Civics Educator Guide.

From the six-step EAC process and practitioner competencies to pacing tools, reflection prompts, accessibility features, and classroom-ready resources, we’re highlighting what’s new and how it can support educators in creating meaningful, youth-led learning experiences.


Previous Episode

New Environmental Applied Civics Educator Guide: A Walkthrough!

What does Environmental Applied Civics look like in practice? We're kicking off Season 4 of Field Chats with a behind-the-scenes look at the brand-new Environmental Applied Civics Educator Guide.

From the six-step EAC process and practitioner competencies to pacing tools, reflection prompts, accessibility features, and classroom-ready resources, we’re highlighting what’s new and how it can support educators in creating meaningful, youth-led learning experiences.

Previous Episodes


One Year Later: Chickens & Civic Change

We're in the field for an update on a crowd favorite Environmental Applied Civics legacy project at Katherine Johnson Middle School! Young people set up a closed-loop food system - reducing landfill trash from school lunches by 75% thanks to chickens. Tune in to hear directly from young people and their teacher Ms. Alam on how they intend to ensure project sustainability, what they've learned, and how this work has affected their community.

Empowering the Next Generation of Water Leaders

This episode explores the ⁠Water Education Exemplars Project,⁠ a Colorado initiative bridging the gap between state water policy and youth engagement.


Episode 60 - June 16, 2026


Building Resilient Communities with Leia Lowery

In this episode, Earth Force CEO Vince Meldrum talks with Leia Lowery, Founder and CEO of ⁠The Climate Initiative⁠ (TCI). Leia shares how TCI grounds massive global climate issues at the local level to give students direct access to community action. They discuss the power of place-based education, how environmental action combats loneliness, and why students who struggle in traditional classrooms often shine the brightest when taking action.

Be a guest on the Field Chats Podcast! Share your EAC story or your expertise in authentic youth-led learning and education ecosystems.

Featured Playlists

We curated themed playlists from the archives of 60+ podcast episodes. Dig in and start learning!

Capsule 1: Environmental Applied Civics Fundamentals

Delve into practical tips and deep dives into the key parts of Environmental Applied Civics

We gather insights and tips from diverse leaders supporting authentic youth-led learning with real civic engagement

Capsule 3: Field Leader Interviews

Tune into interviews with leaders in the EAC field and beyond

We gather insights and tips from diverse leaders supporting authentic youth-led learning with real civic engagement

Capsule 2: Environmental Applied Civics in Social Studies

Learn best practices for bringing student-led learning into your social studies curriculum.

It’s a natural fit - explore the alignment of Environmental Applied Civics, Social Studies, and the C3 Framework.

Capsule 4: Office Hours

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions about Environmental Applied Civics

The Earth Force team answers your questions about EAC - from facilitation strategies to climate seal integrations.

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