Shared Purposes
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We partner with schools, community organizations, nature centers and religious places of worship to support teachers and equip young people with the literacy skills of critical thinking, and environmental knowledge to read their world, write their response, and in time plan thoughtful action. Every child deserves a seat at the table where decisions about their future and the planet are made.
By blending critical thinking, reading, writing, about complex environmental issues through the springboard of children's picture books and digital media, Green Literacy its companion The Green Literacy Handbook inspire earth stewardship, empowering youth to understand systems, speak up, and become stewards. |
Shared Visions
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We see you and your students developing continuous shifts in perspective, a magnification of thought, more compassion for the natural world, and an ability to grasp and respect our connections to each other and all living things.
We believe future generations will need to be able to see many sides and the big picture if they want to solve environmental justice challenges. We envision The Green Literacy Handbook as a tool for all teachers and students who want to engage with environmental challenges presented in the familiar formats of children’s books and digital media, which act as springboards for critical thinking and critical dialogue. We view the practices found within The Green Literacy Handbook as a portal of empowerment for young people to cultivate their own voices, articulate the voices of others, and, through this process, create their own critical stance on social justice and environmental issues that affect the world they live in. |
Shared Inspirations
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At Green Literacy and in the Green Literacy Handbook, we believe that literacy is more than reading words on a page—it’s about reading the world around us. One of our greatest inspirations comes from author Richard Louv and his groundbreaking book Last Child in the Woods. Louv reminds us of the growing “nature-deficit” many children face today and shows how nature play can spark curiosity, creativity, and a deeper connection to the planet. His vision aligns closely with ours: through stories, hands-on exploration, and time outdoors, Green Literacy empowers young learners to discover, imagine, and see themselves as caretakers of the Earth.
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Our Story as Co-AuthorsWe come from different parts of the United States and met at the first Green Schools National Conference (now called Green Schools National Network) as two strangers. We connected over a shared concern: we watched colleagues show up ready to teach while children spent more time inside, disconnected from the living world. We saw that literacy could be the bridge to deepen learning and invite young people back into relationship with nature, with questions, and with each other. We also knew teachers needed real support to do that work in ways that felt authentic and sustainable. From that connection grew our partnership and the framework we call Green Literacy and from that formed The Green Literacy Handbook.
Our work with Green Literacy has been a long and unexpected path and one we carry with gratitude. Along the way we have moved to different states, celebrated children graduating from college, seen new corners of the world, spoke and shared our work with teachers, community organizations, presented with professors, marked love with marriage, learned to play the ukulele, published books and articles, built community gardens, joined environmental boards, and sadly buried people we loved dearly. Through all of it we kept returning to Green Literacy and what we believed in: that children's picture books can fuel critical thinking, reading, and writing about urgent environmental issues and, when rooted in experience and connection, have the potential spark real action for a sustainable, greener planet. Green Literacy grew out of that continuing commitment of asking questions and seeking multiple perspectives. The Green Literacy Handbook is the place where all those pieces come together. |
Jen & Mary celebrating friendship and Green Literacy at Mary's Big Birthday Bash.
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More About Us
Jen Cullerton Johnson Mary K. Gove
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Jen Cullerton Johnson, MEd, MFA, is an educator, author, and environmental advocate who believes in the power of stories to inspire change. Her passion for trees has taken her from the neighborhoods of Chicago to community planting projects in Kenya. With nearly two decades of classroom experience, Jen weaves together literacy, environmental justice, and critical thinking to support young learners and the educators who guide them. She’s the author of Seeds of Change and The Story of an Environmentalist (Lee & Low), both available in Spanish. Her writing has been supported by the Illinois Arts Council and recognized with grants and fellowships from Open Books, the Ambassador’s Award, and the Morton Arboretum. Jen shares her work nationally through talks and workshops on Green Literacy, equity in education, and environmental storytelling.
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Mary K. Gove, PhD, is professor emeritus at Cleveland State University and a longtime advocate for literacy, teacher learning, and ecological education. A former classroom teacher and reading specialist, Mary brings a deep commitment to supporting educators, especially in urban schools. She is coauthor of Reading and Learning to Read, a widely used textbook in literacy education, and has led many grant-funded programs focused on action research and teacher growth. Her writing includes articles, book chapters, and a coauthored piece with Jen Cullerton Johnson in The Age of Inference (2023) titled Green Literacy K–5: Nurturing a Scientific Mindset. Mary continues to share her work at national conferences, focusing on literacy, critical thinking, and environmental connection. She lives in a co-housing community and believes deeply in collaboration—both in learning and in life.
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