Achieving sustainable development goals requires that individuals in the community possess a strong understanding of environmental issues. One of the most effective approaches to enhance this understanding is by incorporating environmental education at all levels of schooling. The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental awareness of high school students in Rudbaro County, as well as their environmental behaviors, since they represent the young generation and the future builders of our country. To accomplish this, a questionnaire was developed focused on three key components: ecosystem protection, waste management, and general environmental awareness. The students completed this after confirming its validity and reliability score of 0.870. The results indicated that the average environmental awareness of tenth-grade students in all three areas is significantly lower than that of eleventh and twelfth-grade students. This finding suggests a notable increase in environmental awareness as students progress from tenth grade to higher grades. Conversely, comparisons between eleventh and twelfth grades showed no statistically significant differences. This suggests that students' levels of environmental awareness remain relatively constant after reaching eleventh grade, with no significant increase by twelfth grade. According to the results, the trend of increasing environmental awareness mainly occurs from the tenth to the eleventh grade. Tenth-grade students were identified as having the lowest level of awareness, which suggests a need for environmental education programs to target this educational level. Conversely, the stability of awareness levels between eleventh and twelfth grades may indicate that students have reached a plateau in their knowledge within the current educational framework or that there is a lack of new and effective content in environmental education in the twelfth grade. Integrating a comprehensive curriculum that includes environmental studies into the formal education system can significantly enhance individuals' environmental awareness and performance. Developing practical activities, such as using images, simulation games, board and card games, and puzzle-solving tasks, is an effective way to engage adolescents and young people in understanding environmental issues like water scarcity and pollution. The findings of this study can assist policymakers and planners in creating educational initiatives and promotional programs aimed at increasing environmental awareness.