Olivia Wahl
15 May 2026
What if the secret to student engagement, student motivation, and inspiring students wasn't a new app or a new behavior system, but storytelling? In Part 2 of my S5E37 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Xochitl Bentley (author of Helping Students Become Climate Stewards) walks us through what climate stewardship projects look and feel like in real classrooms: from a Green Ambassador Grant field trip to TreePeople Eco Park in LA to a student-led postcard campaign to city representatives. These aren't assigned projects. They're sparked by genuine encounters with stewardship, and they ripple outward into the community. You’ll learn: ✦ How to make the case for environmental justice education in any classroom ✦ The "read with the grain / read against the grain" strategy for counter-storytelling ✦ Flash fiction + news stories = student agency in climate narratives ✦ What a real climate stewardship project looks like, start to finish ✦ The 3 questions every student should carry with them for life 💫Make sure to watch Part 1 & check out some resources mentioned: ➡️Flash fiction technique borrowed from writer Kathy Fish: thinking like a mosaicist ➡️The Great Pacific Garbage Patch as a springboard for student flash fiction writing ➡️Louisiana's Cancer Alley as a case study for rhetorical strategies in ELA ➡️Field trip to TreePeople eco park in Los Angeles Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction & Part 1 Recap 1:45 – The "Read With / Against the Grain" Strategy 4:00 – Banking Student Questions as Visible Inquiry 5:30 – Flash Fiction + News Stories = Student Agency 8:00 – Making the Case for Environmental Justice in Any Classroom 10:30 – Environmental Hazards as Public Health Emergencies 11:30 – The Green Ambassador Grant Project 12:30 – TreePeople Eco Park Field Trip 14:30 – Student-Led Community Showcase & Postcard Campaign 15:45 – Defining "Climate Steward" 17:00 – The Three Questions for Future Ancestors 18:00 – Reading from the Book's Preface 19:30 – Olivia's 3 Big Takeaways 21:00 – Next Episode Preview 📧 Book a coaching session with me here if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Next Week: International educator and author Rachael Thrash is about to challenge everything you think you know about what student leadership looks like. She makes a compelling case in her new book, Let the Learners Lead, for why handing real power to students doesn't just change schools, it changes the world. When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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