Earth Day 2026 Activities: A Call to Action for Sustainability

The History of Earth Day

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, marking the birth of the modern environmental movement. It was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was inspired by student anti-war efforts to create a day that would harness a groundswell of enthusiasm in building awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. Since then, Earth Day has grown into a global event, with millions of people around the world participating in activities to promote environmental protection and sustainability.

Earth Day 2026 Theme: Our Power, Our Planet

The theme for Earth Day 2026, OUR POWER, OUR PLANET, affirms that environmental progress is real, resilient, and ongoing despite policy uncertainty. Innovation, education, and community problem-solving remain durable. Local systems, such as our cities, schools and Tribal nations, continue implementing solutions that strengthen energy reliability, conserve resources and reduce risk because they’re grounded in economic sense and public safety. This Earth Day is an opportunity to commit to taking action to restore our planet and create a more sustainable future for all.

How You Can Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved in Earth Day activities and make a positive impact on the planet. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

• Educate Yourself and Others: Learn more about environmental issues and share your knowledge with others to raise awareness. Discover the benefits of solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and tidal power by visiting the UC San Diego Center for Energy Research and earthday.org. 
• Make your Pledge: Sign the EDO Our Power, Our Planet Renewable Energy Petition and the Global Plastics Treaty to help mobilize global action in calling for a healthier, more sustainable and equitable future powered by renewable energy and a waste-free world.
• Invest in Advocacy: Contact your state legislators today and urge them to prioritize renewable energy investments.
• Join a Cleanup Event: Participate in a local cleanup event to help remove plastic litter and pollution from your community.
• Support Sustainable Practices: Choose products and companies that prioritize sustainability and eco-friendly practices.

For more ideas, reference the UC San Diego sustainability calendar.

UC San Diego Extended Studies Courses on Environment and Sustainability

For your personal and career growth, UC San Diego Extended Studies offers several Environment and Sustainability programs, with a wide range of courses that can help you deepen your understanding of environmental issues and sustainability.

Presenting options within the categories of Environmental Management, Sustainability, Marine Conservation and Urban Planning and Preservation, and providing several professional certificates, UC San Diego Extended Studies is committed to providing cutting-edge training to address the challenges of sustainable development.

Whether you're seeking a broad and basic overview of sustainability science and practices, want to develop your knowledge about business and policy measures, or you’re interested in leading change in industry or community organizations, there's a course for you.

Explore programs and certificates:

• CEQA Practice: This certificate is designed to offer professionals a unique opportunity to gain the knowledge to manage California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) projects and teams.
• Facilities Management: Gain the knowledge, training and tools necessary to make effective and sustainable facilities management decisions.
• Interdisciplinary Marine Conservation: Immerse yourself in a 9-week, in-person journey of discovery into the intricate world of marine conservation, offered in partnership with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
• Measuring Sustainable Impact: Learn how to develop programs and projects that activate behavior change and promote sustainable outcomes

Here are some examples of courses offered:

• Conservation Psychology: Experience an engaging guest speaker series where leading experts in behavior change share valuable insights on sustainability topics.
• Behavior Change Strategies for Sustainability: Explore the strategies and tools needed to change individual behavior and promote environmental protection.
• Introduction to Sustainability: This course provides the basics about environmental sustainability and scientific methods for measuring the effectiveness of eco-friendly practices.
• Sustainability and Behavior Change: Learn how to measure the impact of sustainability programs and create a plan for making changes for a business or organization.
• CEQA in Practice: This course focuses on the practical application of CEQA requirements to a real-world scenario.
• The Sustainable Supply Chain: Understand how actions taken within supply chain processes impact the global resources and learn about successful supply chain best practices.

Pre-College Courses for the Next Generation of Sustainability Champions

Earth Day presents an opportunity for youths of all ages to explore sustainability practices that will influence their generation's future. UC San Diego Extended Studies offers pre-college programming with hands-on, experiential education to empower young people to understand and advance ideas for a healthy planet.

Some key programs include:

• Research Scholars Hawai'i: Offers a transformative educational experience on the island of Oahu, where students engage deeply with place-based knowledge and enviromental education.
• Research Scholars: Marine Science: Empowers high school students to share learning, network with peers, and become environmental advocates.

From Sally Ride Science Academy @ UC San Diego:

• Elementary School: Tiny Houses: Students learn about architecture, social responsibility, and community as they envision and design their own tiny houses.
• Middle School: Envisioning and Designing Sustainable Cities of the World: Participants discover the synergy of city planning and sustainability.
• Middle School: Beyond Stone Soup-Planetary Cuisine, Climate, and Cultivation: Students explore food’s journey from Earth to plate, deliciously.
• High School: Envisioning and Designing Sustainable Cities of the World: Participants design their future cities, blending ancient wisdom with modern sustainability.

Conclusion: Earth Day is Every Day

Earth Day 2025 reminds us that we all have a role to play in protecting our planet each and every day. We can effect change through our different spheres of influence by taking dedicated actions at home and at work to protect and restore our Earth. By seeking education through courses like those at UC San Diego Extended Studies, we can become actively engaged in solutions to creating a more sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.

This Earth Day, UC San Diego Extended Studies challenges you to make a commitment to the planet and join us in working together to build a healthier, more sustainable world.

Learn more about UC San Diego Extended Studies courses and certificates by visiting extendedstudies.ucsd.edu/sustainability.