Policy to Educate the Next Generation of Green Citizens
The big topic of discussion—What role should the Department of Education play? Up to this point, they have steered clear of providing any support for environmental education, leaving that role up to the Office of Environmental Education, housed in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). AFF participated in the summit and offered some recommendations.
- Throw your support behind No Child Left Inside, a bill in Congress that would secure a place in K-12 schools for environmental education.
- Provide support for existing environmental education programs, like Project Learning Tree, to continue to do the things they do well!
Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan addressed the summit participants on Tuesday morning, saying, “This week’s sustainability summit represents the first time that the Department is taking a taking a leadership role in the work of educating the next generation of green citizens and preparing them to contribute to the workforce through green jobs.” Read more of the Secretary’s speech.
Also this week, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Michael Castle (R-DE) introduced the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) (S. 3833/H.R. 6194). NEEA has not been reauthorized since 1990, and the bill would modernize the law to take into account the growing need for a “green workforce” and an educated citizenry to handle increasingly complex environmental problems.
“In order to tackle the tough challenges we as a nation face; from global climate change, to energy independence, it is critical that we provide our children with every opportunity to lead in a clean energy economy,” said Senator Gillibrand a member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee. “This modernization of the National Environmental Education Act provides the guidance and resources to advance environmental education programs in New York and across the country to give our children the tools to become the innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”
To learn more, read AFF’s press release.
