EE News Tips Spotlight: The Environmental Literacy Center

 

Did you know our office maintains the Environmental Literacy Center? The Environmental Literacy Center (ELC) is located in the Nature Research Center, the new wing of the Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. We have 2000+ holdings of books and DVDs such as educator guides, environmental curricula, North Carolina field guides, naturalist books, environmental non-fiction and children's books. Subject areas include environmental science, popular natural science, conservation, sustainability, museum and non-formal education practices and science education. The ELC is available for use upon appointment. It can be used as a meeting center and/or a resource center for anyone in the field of education. It's a great place to do research or plan environmental education programs or events. The resources can be used by educators and preservice teachers or for student research but the holdings are only circulating for DENR employees at this time. Learn more about it at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/resource-center-elc.html

The New Environmental Education is Good for All of Us

We are always on the lookout for news and commentary on environmental education. This piece caught our eye and we thought it warranted a feature in News Tips. Andy Hart is the executive director of the Nevada Outdoor School. Andy begins:


Twenty years ago, the term Environmental Education left a sour taste in most people’s mouths.  Perhaps it still does for some, but it shouldn’t.  Most everyone in my current profession will agree that Environmental Education hasn’t always been done well and in the 1980’s and 90’s, even when it was; the term had been hijacked in popular culture by agenda-based organizations and lobbying groups. 

Moreover, anything accompanied by the word environmental was often assumed to indicate a negative for industry, agriculture or progress in general.  It is long overdue for us to recommit to the word ‘environment’ for what it really is, the space in which we all live and rely upon as an endless provider. Read the rest of Andy's opinion piece in the Silver Pinyon Journal. 

Environmental Education Certification Program Update

Lauren, an education naturalist at the Western NC Nature Center, is one of North Carolina's
 most recently certified environmental educators. 

Congratulations to the following individuals for earning their North Carolina Environmental Educator Certification:


Jennifer Fuller
North Carolina Baptist Assembly, Fort Caswell 

Lisa Marochak
Durham Soil and Water Conservation District 

Maria Hitt
Orange County Partnership for Young Children 

Wendy Patoprsty 
North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Watauga County

Lauren Pyle
Western North Carolina Nature Center, Asheville

Jenni Heartway 
Learning Outside, Pittsboro

Cynthia Stephenson
Forsyth Country Day School



To learn more about these and other recently certified individuals visit http://certifiedenvironmentaleducators.blogspot.com/ 

In other news, the online certification management system is currently undergoing a major upgrade. By mid-summer, enrollees and certified individuals will find  more options and increased usability in tracking their credits. 

The North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program, managed by the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, has certified more than 1,000 individuals. This 200-hour program recognizes professional development in environmental education and establishes standards for professional excellence in the field for formal and non-formal educators. It consists of workshops, field experiences, teaching experiences and an environmental education community partnership project.

To more about the program, including the enrollment process, are available at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification--about-the-program.html

The EE Grants Page Pays Off Again (and Again and Again)

We recently received great news that two organizations applied for and were awarded grants they found on the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs EE Grants page. It's an honor to help great organizations and agencies locate grants that further environmental education and help their communities. Please let us know if you receive a grant you found on our website or email listserv. 

Kendyll Collins, environmental educator and outreach coordinator for the Bald Head Island Conservancy recently announced they had received Outdoor Nation's Paddle Nation Grant. The Conservancy was one of only 25 projects in the nation to receive the grant and the only recipient in North Carolina. It will fund the Women Paddling Into Science project that will offer kayaking expeditions for month and daughter pairs over a seven month period. The trips will focus on kayaking skills, estuary ecology and water quality. It will also involve a salt marsh clean-up. Congratulations Kendyll!

Kendyll doing some early scouting for their upcoming Women Paddling Into Science Program, funded by a grant they found on the EE Grants page. 

Leslie Van Hoy, grants director for Johnston Community College, also learned of the National Wildlife Federation's Tree Bank program through our site. The college was able to use this program to continue the long leaf pine restoration at its Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center. This is the second grant JCC has found an applied for from our page. The first, from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, allowed the JCC Arboretum to plant a working fruit orchard to provide produce for local food charities. 

Volunteers plant long leaf pine seedlings at Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center. The  trees were provided by the National Wildlife Federations Tree Bank Program that Johnston Community College learned of on the EE  Grants page.

Alexander Wilson Elementary E.C.O. Campus Opening Featured on News 14 Carolina

On Earth Day, Alexander Wilson Elementary (Alamance-Burlington School System) officially cut the ribbon on its new E.C.O Campus. Time Warner Cable News 14 Carolina was on the scene:

Click photo to view the video

The E.C.O. (Educating Children Outdoors) Campus features a butterfly garden, a frog habitat, a nature trail, a bird sanctuary, an air quality monitoring station and an outdoor classroom. The school also plans to use more native plants on campus, increase on-site recycling and several other conservation initiatives.


Alexander Wilson is listed as one of the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs   "EE Schools."   Follow the link to learn more and to find out how other schools can apply.

Remember: Love of Nature Precedes Caring for the Environment

This post written by Mariah Grant originally appeared on our EcoSmart Parent blog, but we thought out EE News Tips readers would also find it of interest. EcoSmart Parent (always available on www.eenorthcarolina.org) provides information and N.C. environmental education events and resources of interest to parents, caregivers and educators of younger children.


Remember: Love of Nature Precedes Caring for the Environment

Source: Nature Explorers http://ncbg.unc.edu/

Given pressing environmental concerns, we have to remind ourselves not to relay these world burdens to impressionable young children. It is during early childhood that experiences form the values and attitudes about the world that children carry with them through life. Before a certain age, children are unable to think in abstract terms but rather learn through sensory engagement with the world. Allowing open-ended, interactive and sensory play in natural settings is recommended for young children. This is more likely to nurture a positive relationship with nature and foster empathy for the environment than trying to relay knowledge of environmental systems. Presenting problems about the environment that are beyond their cognitive ability can cause children to develop fear and anxiety of the natural world, exactly the opposite of the intended effect.

The appropriate age for imparting knowledge about environmental systems and concerns depends entirely on the individual, but most research says not until at least fourth grade or even middle school. Here is a good article that summarizes much of the research: http://www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/nurturing.shtml

Source: "Forts, land trusts, and conservation behavior"
http://bit.ly/12nKUSV

In the past, environmental education programs have received criticism for providing education too early on abstract concepts such as endangered species, acid rain and rainforest destruction. Among the network of educators and environmental education centers in North Carolina, the research has been so widely distributed that most have adopted the age appropriate perspective into their practices.

Quality environmental education events for children that focus on exploration and discovery of the natural world help foster a love of nature in children. Good examples of these types of programs can be found on the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' calendar.

Connecting environmental education and STEM

This year's theme for National Environmental Education Week was "Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors." This is part of a multi-year "Greening STEM" focus by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to show that hands-on environmental education projects can enrich learning in science, technology, engineering and math education. 

Recently, Jennifer Tabola, senior director of education for NEEF, was featured in following guest blog for Change the Equation, a "nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in the United States." http://changetheequation.org/ 

Here it is below, reprinted in its entirety with permission from Change the Equation and NEEF. 

What are the learning goals of environmental education? How are they best accomplished? How do they support the broader goals of improving students’ STEM skills?

Students have an innate curiosity – even wonder – about the natural world around them. Environmental education (EE) taps into their enthusiasm and provides them the knowledge and skills to solve 21^st-century challenges. Early connection with the environment also equips students to make everyday decisions that improve the quality of their lives and the health of our planet.

The goals of EE can be accomplished well through project-based learning and hands-on exploration of the outdoors. Local, place-based environmental projects provide relevant learning experiences for students and an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in their communities.

Through EE, students learn not only STEM content, but also develop the critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills that are critical for success in STEM careers where substantial growth is expected. Further, studies indicate that young people who experience the natural world and have more opportunities to play and learn within it are more likely to choose science or related fields as careers.

What are the opportunities and obstacles to introducing students to environmental education?

While field trips and opportunities to explore nature centers and other nonformal education settings are valuable to sparking interest and deeper knowledge about the environment, lack of time and resources can make it challenging for teachers to provide those opportunities. Increasingly, schools are investing in enriching the more accessible laboratories for learning that exist right outside the classroom door, in a nearby park, the schoolyard, school garden -- even the school building itself. Recognizing the national priority on successfully engaging more students in STEM, significantly more environmental science content is being integrated across multiple disciplines. There are expanded opportunities within the new Next Generation Science Standards to emphasize science learning through an environmental context, through content on human impacts on the natural world.

What do policymakers and decision makers need to know when thinking about STEM learning and environmental education?

Research and survey findings indicate young people have a strong interest in the environment. Total employment in STEM jobs is expected to increase by twice as much as all other jobs by 2018 and environmental science jobs are expected to grow by 25% by 2016 – the fastest among the sciences. Sources and additional statistics can be found in the new Tech & Our Planet infographic.

In 2011 the U.S. Department of Education developed the Green Ribbon Schools recognition award, which honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways. This year, as part of National Environmental Education Week, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan did a PSA that speaks to the important connection between EE and STEM.(See previous post)

U.S. Education Secretary Talks Environmental Education/STEM for EE Week

In honor of National Environmental Education Week (April 14-20), U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan takes a few moments to address the benefits of environmental education and how it complements and strengthens STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math). 

NCSU Researchers Release Environmental Literacy Study

Researchers in the N.C. State University College of Natural Resources have released a study on environmental literacy among North Carolina middle school students. Environmental, Institutional, and Demographic Predictors of Environmental Literacy among Middle School Children can be found in the in the online, open access peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE. 

CNR Research Fact Sheet 

CNR News Release: Outdoor Education Helps Minority Students Close Gap in Environmental Literacy

Complete article in PLOS ONE

The study shows that several factors have a positive effect on environmental literacy for various student groups, including time spent in outdoor learning experiences, the use of published environmental education curricula and teacher experience and education level. 

This project was funded by North Carolina Sea Grant. Kathryn T. Stevenson and Dr. Nils Peterson in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at N.C. State University partnered with members of the N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan working group during the research process. The partners plan to use this study as a baseline of environmental literacy in future research and program planning.

For more information about the N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan go to the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs website:
http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/educators--literacy-plan.html

EE Certification is Really Hopping!

Jenny Fuller from the N.C. Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell

The North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program is really on the move! New enrollments arrive weekly and the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs has recently awarded several certificates. You can read about some of our state's certified environmental educators at on our blog:  http://certifiedenvironmentaleducators.blogspot.com/

You can also access the profiles from the main EE Certification site, which also lists all N.C. Certified Environmental Educators by county. http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification--meet-certified-educators.html

The North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program has certified more than 1,000 individuals. This 200-hour program recognizes professional development in environmental education and establishes standards for professional excellence in the field for formal and non-formal educators. It consists of workshops, field experiences, teaching experiences and an environmental education community partnership project.

To more about the program, including the enrollment process, are available at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification--about-the-program.html

NAAEE Releases Status Report on State Environmental Literacy Plans

The North American Association for Environmental Education has released a report on state environmental literacy plans. Forty-eight states (including the District of Columbia) responded to the survey about the progress of their state plan. According to NAAEE, state environmental literacy plans are "comprehensive frameworks that support school systems in expanding and improving environmental education programs." The report can be viewed here: http://www.naaee.net/sites/default/files/us/affiliates/SELP_final.pdf 

North Carolina's environmental literacy plan was developed by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resoruces Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with Environmental Educators of North Carolina and the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers, with additional input from a wide range stakeholders in the education and environmental communities. The final draft form of our state plan is currently available on the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs website.

National EE Week 2013 April 14-20, 2013

National Environmental Education Week is here!

Hosted by NEEF, the National Environmental Education Foundation, EE Week is the nation's largest celebration of environmental education held each year the week before Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. The 2013 theme, Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors, will explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom. Part of NEEF's series on Greening STEM.

As part of Taking Technology Outdoors, EE Week will highlight the growing opportunity to engage today's students in learning about the environment by "plugging into nature" through new technologies that enable scientific research and 21st century skills including creativity, innovation, communication, and collaboration.

Educators who register for EE Week 2013 will be able to take advantage of:

• Free educator webinars and toolkits offering tips, tricks, resources, and ideas for using the latest technology to excite students about environmental learning in their community
• Case studies, success stories, and examples of technology in action and the teachers who are using it to enhance environmental learning and achievement in core subject areas
• Discounts, giveaways, and special offers from NEEF partners

Registration is free and easy and, in addition to the benefits above, connects you to a national network of educators dedicated to increasing the environmental knowledge of K-12 students.

http://eeweek.org

An Environmental Educator's Response to David Sobel's "Look, Don't Touch"

Some readers may remember a somewhat controversial article that appeared in the July/August 2012 issue of Orion magazine. In the article, Look, Don't Touch: The Problem with Environmental Education, David Sobel explores the idea that traditional environmental education programs--the type that are offered at the many parks, nature centers and science museums in North Carolina--have become overly sanitized and exhibit a type of "environmental puritanicalism" that prevents children from truly experiencing the natural world around them. Sobel goes as far as to suggest that "perhaps even environmental education is one of the causes of children’s alienation from nature."

Sobel continues:

Much of environmental education today has taken on a museum mentality, where nature is a composed exhibit on the other side of the glass. Children can look at it and study it, but they can’t do anything with it. The message is: Nature is fragile. Look, but don’t touch. Ironically, this “take only photographs, leave only footprints” mindset crops up in the policies and programs of many organizations trying to preserve the natural world and cultivate children’s relationships to it.

If you have not read the entire article (or need a refresher) it is still available on the Orion website, which also includes an audio clip of an interview with Sobel that is also well worth a listen.
David Sobel is a well-known and well-respected academic, teacher and author in the environmental education community. While he makes some very thought provoking points in the article and certainly offers a valid challenge to the environmental education community, some North Carolina environmental educators felt the article unfairly characterized the profession and many of the environmental education centers that offer programming.

One such environmental educator is Camilla Wilcox, who recently retired after an active thirty-two year career as an environmental educator for young children. She was so moved by Sobel's article that she decided to send the following response to Orion. As of today, it has not been published by Orion, so it is posted below in its entirety with Camilla's permission.

However, this is more than a response to a magazine article. Camilla poignantly addresses some of the core reasons as to why children do not roam and explore nature as they once did, provides encouragement and strategies for the dedicated environmental educators in the field and also offers a challenge to academics, parents, caregivers and classroom teachers. Camilla feels that it all may come down to one question: "What do children want?"

To the editors of Orion:

I retired in July of 2012 after thirty-two years as curator of education for Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I was in charge of school field trip and summer programs. Most of the children with whom I worked were in grades K through 5. This is my perspective on the article by David Sobel in the July/August issue of Orion.


When I became curator of education at a public garden in 1980, I was not long past my own idyllic childhood years, which were much like those so lovingly described by the majority of the respondents to the Sobel article, nor were the parents, teachers, and volunteers with whom I worked. There was no difference between the desires of teachers who brought their students for field trips and the education volunteers, who led them on walks through the gardens, meadows, woods, and greenhouses. We partnered to provide opportunities for children to make connections between the science of books and the tangible, intricate workings of the natural world. Most of the children we saw then were much like we had been at their age. They also played freely in their neighborhoods or did chores around the farm after school. When they came to us, they felt at home in nature. They knew that the field trip was an extension of the classroom and that they would learn information that would help them understand nature and science better. Communication flowed easily among all of us. Children did not need to attend weekend or summer programs because they generated their own adventure and exploration at home.

Over the next three decades, I created and directed a multitude of seasonally oriented, science-based field trip programs; in later years, I added weekend, after school, and summer programs. Working with hundreds of thousands of teachers, children, and parents over the years, I witnessed first-hand the crumbling of the "natural" childhood. I saw one generation become less knowledgeable about the natural world than the one before. Paralyzing fear of the outdoors gradually replaced the comfortable curiosity and sense of adventure that children had once known. Science instruction in the classroom became fragmented into activities that could be taught from a kit, regardless of the instructor’s breadth of knowledge or understanding of context. As time went on, new teachers and young parents often did not know the most basic facts about the natural world, but they still trusted that they could turn imparting this information over to us. They learned from us, alongside their children. Then, school budgets tightened and pressures on the school day increased. The nature field trip became expendable. In short order, some of this nation’s finest nature educators, our volunteers, were left standing at trailside, with very few children to lead.

As nature has been shoved into smaller and smaller places, so has the nature education of children, and so, in a sense, Mr. Sobel is right to place the responsibility of environmental education on the few who staff the parks and public gardens; after all, they often toil within places that are the last vestiges of once-vibrant ecosystems, and they are among the very few who are willing to dedicate their lives to learning about nature and to sharing their knowledge. But passing knowledge of the natural world on through generations cannot be the sole responsibility of environmental education specialists. There are so few of them; they simply cannot be everywhere at once.

If ever there has been an educational emergency, this is it: To very quickly bring an entire population—not just the children, but everyone—up to a high level of awareness of the natural world. The most vital and basic information about the earth’s functions is being lost at a velocity that would have been unthinkable only thirty-two years ago. Without very quick action, the loss will be irretrievable. Many of those who are anxious to superimpose their own memories on children of today, to grant them the luxury that we had to let the world and its wonders unfold in our consciousness slowly over long childhood years, don’t seem to realize that while they debate, wish, long, and wring their hands over what to do, the earth is out of time. Decisions that must be made now and in the very near future must be made by people who are informed about the natural world and understand the consequences of human actions on it. Metaphorically speaking, the boat that carries our generation is drifting farther and farther away from those children so contentedly building forts on the shore. The children may be reaching out to us for guidance now, but pretty soon they’ll be so involved in their play that they won’t even look up. And we’ll be gone. Then where will they be?

If we reflect on the enormous task of educating children about nature, I think we can agree that it is too great for a few dedicated people to bear alone and that, in fact, children’s learning is the responsibility of an entire population. But how can we, as a society, possibly develop a successful nature education scheme that applies to each place and is meaningful to each child? Every one of us occupies a more or less unique habitat, and each of the children who needs our help is also unique. To compound the problem, most adults now possess a very bare amount of nature knowledge. What do they have to offer?

There is no handbook, list of activities, or prescription that will solve this dilemma, but I propose that there is a philosophy that will serve us all well. It is based on this question: What do children want? I thought about this question constantly while walking with them in the woods and working alongside them in the garden; talking with their parents, grandparents, and teachers; and watching them participate in activities that I planned for them. It’s important to note that the question is not, What facts to children need to know? Quite frankly, I’m not sure anyone could come up with a list of facts that would suffice for all places, situations, and challenges and that will still be relevant in twenty years. But thinking about what children want acknowledges that they have desires that arise from deep in their souls and that these desires must be met before learning can begin.

Although admittedly it is somewhat easier for me and other environmental educators to answer a child’s question factually, it should be remembered that we haven’t always had the knowledge we have now. What we have done, and what anyone can do, is to retain or regain a sense of amazement at the intricacy of nature, to have a driving curiosity and a desire for learning throughout our lives. By keeping the question, What do children want? in mind, anyone who truly believes that nature education is vital to the future well-being of the planet will be able to educate and guide.

This is what I have learned about what present-day children want and thoughts on how we can help them:

 They want your attention. It’s commonly known that most families today experience some form or degree of chaos at home. It has been firmly established that children are not free to roam outside. It may not surprise you to learn that it’s rare now for someone in the home to take a child for a ramble in a garden or woods. Then, you might ask, who listens to their observations about nature, corrects their mistaken assumptions, applauds the baby steps they take on the way to making connections? Who makes sure that they are aware of their responsibility for life on earth, as you do with your children? At school, the "teachable moment," once pounced upon by the creative teacher, who knew how to engage students and broaden their education, is largely gone, replaced by strictly controlled time slots devoted to measurable tasks. Then, who hears what they think about topics outside of the lesson at hand and thoughtfully answers the seemingly unrelated question? The moment when a child looks into your eyes and knows that you are looking back, listening, and truly aware of him, is irreplaceable in any place or time, but especially so when you are examining nature together, when the child’s eyes open to the world around him.

 They want adventure outside the school walls. Many children essentially live at school, at least five days a week. They begin their day with an early breakfast in the cafeteria and end with dinner there. For better or worse, they are taught and cared for at school. The grounds, often described as similar to prison yards, do not invite exploration. There are no plants in the classrooms. The air is an even temperature, and there are no insects. Imagine a child in this bare, recirculated life and then think carefully about how going outside the school grounds, even for a short time, to explore nature ignites imagination and creates indelible memories.

 They want you to see them for who they are. They are children of today, not yesterday. Thanks to the often maligned, ever-present technology, they know a great deal more than we did at their age. This is their starting point, and this is where we should meet them. The "facts" they present to us may seem confused because of the global template of most of their information sources, but clarification by a knowledgeable adult helps them understand and appreciate the uniqueness of their local environment. Information shared with them may be broad, and scientific technicalities may be omitted until they can understand them, but it doesn’t have to be simplified. Oversimplification does not serve them well. They understand that the world is complex, and they are fascinated with details.

 They want to be treated with respect. They know the difference between play and learning. Because of the way they have been raised, they expect that all of their activities will be planned and that their time will be used appropriately, whether it be for a soccer game or a field trip. They know when they are being manipulated into participating in an activity that is planned to produce an expected, limited outcome or to fill an available time slot. Because children are generally kind, they’ll go along with almost any activity an adult suggests, even if it insults their intelligence, in order to please her, but they thrive when activities are based on a foundation of respect for their intellectual capacity.

 They want to know that there is order in the world, that people before them have discovered it, and that it can be understood. Nature is overwhelming to children who ordinarily see very little of it, and fear of the unknown is a very common reaction to a first visit to a public garden or
park. Countless times I watched children’s fear of entering the garden or woods disappear after a walk with a kind, comforting adult who helped them look beyond the vast wall of earth and sky and focus on the small, observable pieces that fit together to create it.

 They want to understand science; they like to know why and how scientists study the earth; how they recognize, analyze, and solve problems; and they like to think of themselves as scientists. Reynolda Gardens, where I worked, encompasses 130 acres that were once covered with forest, but the land has been changed by multiple strata of human activity. While focusing on such things as commonalities of plant families; learning which animals live in each forest layer; and seeing how wind and water change the face the earth, leaders help children learn about nature in its purest form—how it "ought" to be. Building on this knowledge, children are able to distinguish changes that humans have caused by bringing in invasive plants and animals; fragmenting habitat; and damaging geology. In a very short time, they come to see how the earth has been harmed by human intervention and what might help it recover in the future. Leaders encourage every observation that reflects scientific thinking. But how can a person without a forest preserve or scientific knowledge help a child think in this way? Think of it this way: Every single place that humans inhabit was once as it "ought" to be and has been changed. It’s easy enough to separate the world of parking lots from the world of woods. Most of the education volunteers are not scientists. They are ordinary people, who feel a commitment to share nature with children. So they learn to sketch a flower to find out how it is put together; record the activity of birds and insects in a garden; conduct an experiment on ant species; use a field guide. They write down facts that they learn and questions they want answered. They read observations about nature to children and help them write some of their own. They show the children that the most important part of thinking in a scientific way is having the desire to learn. They understand the power of close observation and live Albert Einstein’s advice: Never stop questioning. With this attitude, anyone—not just trained scientists—can help children understand science.

 They want their own perspectives and boundaries to be respected. They may or may not want to touch snakes, roll down hills, build structures, put on plays, or get their hands dirty. They want to be able to opt out. Pressure to participate in hands-on activities can be just as damaging to some children as the lack of it is for others. Fear, embarrassment, and shame are powerful teachers; they can far outweigh the momentary value of completing an activity that they they truly don’t want to do. For some children, immersion in an activity of their own or their leaders choosing is exactly the right thing to do, but others may not be ready or willing to participate. Yes, a multitude of opportunities of all kinds should be offered, but at the same time we must observe responses very carefully and be cautious with the tender, vulnerable souls, who are entrusted to us so briefly. The effect of our actions, both good and ill as they perceive it, will be part of their memories forever.

 They want to help. They hear the talk about how things will be in a few years: The world will be too hot to support life; the oceans will rise; animals will become extinct. They see dramatic examples of how change has already become evident. Children are empathetic, and they don’t separate their lives here with those of others’ around the world. They see their own faces in
those of Pacific island children clinging to their homes as the ocean rises around them; in those of the children who are trying to live as their ancestors did in rain forests that are being slashed and burned; and in those of the child refugees of drought and famine in Africa. They study distant lands and feel for the children there, but if they themselves were featured in a publication, how would they be portrayed? After all, sea levels on their continent are rising; their climate is heating; the crops that supply their food are threatened by drought and disease. This is the world they are growing up in. Does it show on their own faces yet? They want to change the outcome of these dire predictions, and they think they can, but I wonder whether or not their optimism is warranted. Generations before us assumed that their children would always know how to grow a garden to feed themselves; that they would know that water that is fouled cannot be drunk; that there is a limited amount of fuel to keep us warm in the winter. But that collective memory is largely gone now. Babies born today will be unable to care for themselves, much less the earth, by the time they reach adulthood unless we all shed our reluctance to share what knowledge we have as widely and well as we possibly can.

When the question, "What do children want?" is answered carefully and thoughtfully in each home, school, and nature center we will be able to reverse the decline of knowledge about nature. Learning about the earth will be an expression of a common value of our society. Environmental educators will be revered as the leaders I know them to be, and they will have legions of followers. But, if people are unable or unwilling to address this question, to defer their own responsibility to others; if the trend toward specialization and isolation of environmental educators escalates; and if derision and disdain for their methods continues, the profession will come to be seen by the general public as less and less relevant even as it becomes more and more necessary. I know these educators; they are like the islanders who will hang on until the surf laps their ankles, when all hope seems to be lost. But even they, eventually, will give it up, and then where will we be?

At the end of each week of our Young Naturalists camp, I always said goodbye to the children with this remark: Those of us who know something about nature have a responsibility to share our knowledge. I do, your leaders this week do, and you do. All of the teenagers and adults who have been here with you thought it was so important for you to learn about nature that they set aside the time in their busy lives to help you. After our time together, you have valuable knowledge, and it is now your responsibility to share it. When you invite a friend to explore a stream, celebrate your birthday with a group hike at a state park, explain something you’ve learned this week to your parents and siblings, or comment to a classmate on a flower growing by a sidewalk, you will be sharing your knowledge and expanding someone else’s. The children took that advice very seriously, and they are doing their part to educate others in their homes, neighborhoods, and schools.

The advice for the Young Naturalists holds for the rest of us: Those of us who know something about nature have a responsibility to share our knowledge. All of us, not just some, but all of us, are responsible for the nature education of children.

Camilla Wilcox December 18, 2012

National Council for Science and the Environment Presents to Federal Task Force on Environmental Education

The following text is a press release from the National Council for Science and the Environment. Press release with contact information

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., (12/17/12) -David Blockstein, Director of Education for the National Council for Science and the Environment was the keynote speaker at the inaugural meeting of the reconvened Federal Task Force on Environmental Education on December 10.

The task force represents a coordinated, Administration-wide approach to foster and strengthen environmental education (EE) activities in the federal government. It will help agencies to leverage EE resources, identify opportunities for collaboration and better coordinate with stakeholders.

The Task Force is chaired by the Deputy Administrator of the EPA and the Deputy Secretaries of Education and Interior and includes the Deputy leaders of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Labor, Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Small Business Administration, National Science Foundation, NASA, Council on Environmental Quality, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Dr. Blockstein urged the Task Force to take a broad view of environmental education that advances sustainable development and links with the issues of economy, security, energy, health, and climate change. Noting that there was a role for every agency, Blockstein declared that with appropriate education:

Every job can be a green job
Everyone can be a green consumer
Every home can be a green home

Dr. Blockstein reported on the rapid growth of Interdisciplinary Environmental and Sustainability Education at the college and university level. Climate and Energy Education is also starting to rise (as are global temperatures and sea level). However, quoting the late Ray Anderson, the average college student still graduates oblivious to the realities of a finite Earth.(speech at 2003 NCSE National Conference: Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future).

At the high school level, Environmental Sciences is fastest growing advanced placement (AP) course school, a lack of qualified teachers is a limiting factor.

Blockstein encouraged the agencies to look at environmental education in the context of:

technology providing more opportunities for self-directed learning;
increased scholarship on how people learn and best practices in teaching;
the Essential Principles of Literacy for Oceans, Earth, Climate, and Energy
the Next Generation Science Standards to be finalized in 2013.

Dr. Blockstein encouraged the federal government to take on big goals for the next decade:

Every Federal Worker understands the most important environmental issues in context of their own work;
Every Citizen and Resident understands the most important environmental issues in context of their own work and consumer behavior;
Every School is a Green School (meets standards of Green Ribbon School).

He noted that all of these actions will contribute to building a Green Economy and remarked that diversity remains a huge challenge in environmental education and in STEM education.

Dr. Blockstein presented Task Force members with the NCSE report - Environmental Research and Education Needs: An Agenda for a New Administration (2008). The report is a compilation of recommendations from thousands of educators, scientists, policymakers and other citizens from the first decade of NCSE National Conferences on Science, Policy and the Environment. He stated that the second term of the Obama Administration is an opportunity to move forward on the specific recommendations contained in this report.

Recognizing that the last time the federal government tried a coordinated effort on EE was 1993, Dr. Blockstein noted that an entire generation has been born and graduated from high school since this time. He urged that much more be done in the next generation.

Environmental Educators of North Carolina Announces Award Winners

Environmental Educators of North Carolina is the nonprofit professional organization for environmental educators in our state. Each year, EENC publicly recognizes environmental educators, members, organizations, and partners for their valuable contributions to environmental literacy, the field of environmental education, EENC as an organization and the environmental well-being of North Carolina. The following individuals and organizations were recognized at the EENC Annual Conference held on October 12, 2012.  Each winner was chosen from nominations from across the state for unique accomplishments in environmental education and service to EENC.

Congratulations! See the complete press release with detailed descriptions and photos of each winner on the EENC website.

 Elizabeth Burke -- Melva Fager Okun Lifetime Achievement Award
 Chip Freund -- Outstanding Newcomer
 Terri Kirby -- Outstanding Practitioner
 Sarah Yelton -- Outstanding Service
 Eric McDuffie -- Environmental Educator of the Year
 Sarah Haggerty -- Environmental Educator of the Year

  Potash Corporation of Aurora -- Outstanding Partner
  Pisgah Forest North Carolina -- Exceptional Environmental Education Program

                                                               Winners Burke, Freund, Kirby and Yelton



EE Week 2013 Theme: Taking Technology Outdoors

Classroom Earth has announced that the theme of National Environmental Education Week 2013 (April 14-20) will be Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors and will explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom.

As part of Taking Technology Outdoors, EE Week will highlight the growing opportunity to engage today's students in learning about the environment with new technologies that enable scientific research and develop 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration.

We know educators at North Carolina environmental education centers and classroom teachers are integrating technology with environmental education in innovative ways. We hope to hear your stories and share your examples.

Educators who register for EE Week will be able to take advantage of:

• Free educator webinars and toolkits offering tips, resources and ideas for using the latest technology to excite students about learning in their community
• Case studies, success stories and examples of technology in action and the teachers who are using it to enhance environmental learning and achievement in core subject areas
• Discounts, giveaways and special offers from EE Week partners, including: a 10 percent discount from Nature-Watch on any online order, a $10 coupon on purchases of $50 or more from the Acorn Naturalists online store, and a 25 percent discount on the Sustainability Specialist Certificate in K-12 Sustainability Education Strategies from the Green Education Foundation.

Schools and other educational agencies and organizations can register to participate in EE Week at their website to take advantage of these and other resources on their website.

Classroom Earth is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation made possible by the Weather Channel. 

The EE research is in...outdoor learning is good for you

A team of researchers from the University of Kansas and the University of Utah recently released a study that revealed a four-day immersive nature hiking experience increased performance on a creativity and problem-solving cognitive task by 50%. In Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings the authors note their results "demonstrate that
there is a cognitive advantage to be realized if we spend time immersed in a natural setting."

This is one of many peer-reviewed research articles archived in our newsfeed under the "EE Research" tag. Take a look and you'll find a number of articles and direct links to research journal articles that show the academic and and benefits of environmental education for children and adults. You can also find more information on our "EE Research and Data" page, including links to organizations and academic institutions that do EE-related research, resources on age-appropriate EE and links to a selected collection of especially noteworthy research.



EPA Appoints 11 New Members to the National Environmental Education Advisory Council

(US EPA Press Release)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has appointed 11 environmental education professionals to serve on the agency’s National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC). The National Environmental Education Advisory Council is comprised of representatives from organizations outside the federal government who provide EPA with advice and recommendations on environmental education. The council provides EPA with a better understanding of the needs of schools, universities, state departments of education and natural resources. The first meeting of the NEEAC is scheduled for December 13-14, 2012.

“The National Environmental Education Advisory Council provides EPA with insight from men and women with first-hand environmental education experience. This is essential to our work to support environmental education efforts across the country and help Americans understand how protecting the environment is really about protecting our health and the health of our communities,” said Administrator Jackson. “I congratulate our new NEEAC members on their appointments and look forward to continuing to work with the council.”

The NEEAC was established in 1990 under the National Environmental Education Act to provide input from stakeholders to EPA. Environmental education increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems. In doing so, it provides the public with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsible action.

The newly appointed members will represent a variety of stakeholders. Caroline Lewis and Dr. Kelly Keena will be representing primary and secondary education. Keena is a science teacher in Colorado and is a lauded environmental educator. Lewis has a wide breadth of experience in education both as a teacher and as the education strategist and director at the CLEO Institute.

Dr. Mark Kraus and Dr. Edna Negron-Martinez will represent colleges and universities. Kraus has served in leadership positions for 20 years and is currently chair of the Department of Natural Science Health and Wellness at Miami Dade Wolfson Campus. Negron-Martinez is a full professor at the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico and has also held positions in public and environmental health.

Kay Antunez de Mayolo and Vidette (Kiki) Corry will draw on their experience by representing state departments of education and natural resources. Antunez de Mayolo has retired from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention where she remains as a volunteer statewide environmental education coordinator. She has also taught at California Polytechnic State University. Corry has served the environmental education community in many ways and is currently the Project Wild coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, chair of the Texas Environmental Education Advisory Committee, and a member of the board of directors of the Science Teachers Association of Texas.

Cara Gizzi and Scott Frazier will be representing business and industry. Gizzi is the director for Public Safety Education and Outreach at Underwriters Laboratories, Inc, where she expands the scope of the Safety Smart Youth Education program. Frazier will be drawing on his experience as CEO of Project Indigenous, as well as his time as Yellowstone Ecological Research Center liaison and Native Waters executive director and project coordinator.

Angie Chen and Richard Gonzales will represent nonprofits. Chen has experience with several nonprofits and is now a program officer at the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and Stephen Bechtel Fund. Gonzales is a lauded environmental educator and now serves as the project coordinator for the Science and Spanish Club Network, which he initiated in 2000.

Kenneth Gembel will represent the interests of senior Americans and share his 44 years of experience as environmental manager for General Motors as well as his talent in the classroom.

More information on the NEEAC and the list of new members: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/neeac.html

Release Date: 12/03/2012
Contact Information: Dale Kemery (News media only) kemery.dale@epa.gov 202-564-7839 202-564-4355; en español: Lina Younes, younes.lina@epa.gov 202-564-9924, 202-564-4355

Grants, Grants and more Grants...

One of our favorite services we provide is the Environmental Education Grants page. By working with EE partners in Georgia, Hawaii and Wisconsin, we are able to locate and post grants that are relevant to environmental education in North Carolina. An extra plus is that the grants on this page are always current--they automatically drop off the listing when the deadline expires. Here's a recent unsolicited comment about the grants page:

I just discovered the EE site's grants page, and I am blown away--it's an amazing list, all relevant for North Carolina nonprofits.... Having sifted through other lists of grants to discover they weren't applicable for us or no longer in  operation, your list is a mother lode of information. Thank you so much!

So check it out! There are a wealth of grants from small to large to support classroom projects, environmental education center programs, non-profit and community organizations and more. While you are there, don't forget to check out the Environmental Education Contests page as well! These provide great projects for students and can provide cash prizes in recognition of environmental education programs and initiatives.



EE Jobs and Internships: NC's "Go To" Site for Jobs in the Environmental Education Field

 

Did you know that part of the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs Environmental Education Certification Program is to serve as a clearinghouse for environmental education and related jobs? Both job-seekers and potential employers use the NC-EE listserv and the EE Jobs and Internships page to post and find positions in the field. The office recently received three messages from people employed in positions they found on the eenorthcarolina.org website:

If I had not seen the listing for my current position on the EE listserv email, I would have never even known about the job. Now I am serving in the job of my dreams, the one I hope to retire in, and I owe so much to the Office of Environmental Education for this privilege. The Office has immeasurable value in my eyes but the jobs listing and listservs are definitely two of their biggest strengths. Thank you so very much for all you do!

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm now employed in Wake County as an environmental education program aide, a position I found listed on the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs website. Thank you and everyone else involved for curating such a wonderful resource.

…thanks so much for maintaining your site. I found my current position with a state park on this posting board as well as a previous position I held at non-profit environmental education center. I would be less employed without your work!

Environmental education program providers, don’t hesitate to share your own job postings with us to share. Also, if you found your job or have hired great employees through our EE jobs listings or the NC-EE listserv, please let us know!