Change is Simple

Change is Simple

Change is Simple | Climate Education Nonprofit | Beverly, MA

About Change is Simple

Change is Simple is a nonprofit organization based in Beverly, Massachusetts, dedicated to instilling lifelong social and environmental responsibility through experiential climate education that inspires action. Founded in 2011 by Lauren and Patrick Belmonte, the organization began in a single classroom and has grown to reach more than 65,000 students across Eastern Massachusetts. Furthermore, all programming is delivered free of charge to students and families — because the belief that drives everything Change is Simple does is that this education belongs to every child, regardless of background or zip code.

Our Experience

Since 2011, Change is Simple has worked in more than 83 schools across 13 communities in Eastern Massachusetts, including communities with significantly under-resourced populations such as Lynn, Salem, and Revere. The program returns to classrooms throughout the school year — some students participate for seven or more years — creating a continuity of learning that builds in scope and complexity at every grade level. Additionally, an independent program evaluation conducted through Northeastern University’s Evaluation Institute demonstrated measurable improvements in student understanding of core subjects and increased engagement in learning. A longitudinal study of alumni more than ten years removed from the program showed lasting behavioral change rooted in environmental responsibility.

Core Offerings

• Free, in-classroom climate and sustainability workshops for grades K-8
• Grade-level aligned curriculum spanning kindergarten through middle school
• SCiLL — Sustainability and Climate Innovation Learning Lab, a mobile science lab
• Multi-year, sequential programming that builds year over year
• NGSS-aligned curriculum developed in partnership with classroom teachers
• College student educators serving as mentors and role models
• Community event outreach and engagement
• Professional development opportunities for teachers
• Online extension materials for classroom use

Change is Simple Climate Curriculum

The curriculum is organized by grade level, building in complexity from kindergarten through middle school. A few highlights by grade:

• Kindergarten — What is the Environment, Animal Habitats, Compost Critters, Human Impacts on Trees
• 1st Grade — Changing Seasons, Noise and Light Pollution, Human Impacts on Animal Adaptations
• 2nd Grade — Pollination, Coding with Native Bees, Monarch Migration, Endangered Animals
• 3rd Grade — Human Impacts on Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Ocean Health, Weather and Climate
• 4th Grade — Wind Energy and Engineering, Nonrenewable Energy, The Race Against Waste
• 5th Grade — Watersheds and Conservation, Global Food Systems, Reducing Greenhouse Gases
• Middle School — Solar Mapping, Electric Vehicle Engineering, Green Chemistry, Coastal Engineering, Albedo and Sustainable Cities

SCiLL — Sustainability & Climate Innovation Learning Lab

Launched in 2022, SCiLL is Change is Simple’s mobile science lab — a state-of-the-art learning environment that brings students inside a hands-on laboratory experience focused on sustainability, biodiversity, and pollution. Moreover, SCiLL allows the organization to extend its reach beyond the classroom and into community events and new school settings.

Change is Simple’s Approach

Every workshop is led by enthusiastic college student educators who serve as approachable role models for younger students. Lessons are hands-on and project-based — students conduct experiments, build models, analyze data, and design solutions to real environmental challenges. Consequently, learning is active, memorable, and directly connected to students’ daily lives around food, water, energy, and natural resources.

What Makes Change is Simple Special

Change is Simple is not a field trip or a one-time visit — it is a multi-year journey that grows with each student from kindergarten through middle school. The program is free, built around public school curricula, delivered inside classrooms by trained college mentors, and proven through independent research to create lasting behavioral change. In addition, a recent longitudinal study of alumni showed that the environmental habits and values developed through the program have stayed with students well into adulthood — exactly the outcome the organization was built to achieve.

Contact Change is Simple

Address: 100 Cummings Center, Suite 227Q, Beverly, MA 01915
Phone: (978) 344-2150
Email: info@changeissimple.org
Website: changeissimple.org
Instagram: @changeissimple
Facebook: changeissimpleinc
LinkedIn: Change is Simple Inc.
YouTube: @changeissimple

When children understand their impact on the world, they grow into adults who act with intention, responsibility, and hope — that is the change Change is Simple is working toward, one classroom at a time.