Environmental Education: Key to Sustaining Forests, the Environment, and Student Performance
Public education about the environment, particularly primary and secondary school education has many proven benefits.
Education increases awareness and understanding of the role forests and the environment play in our every day lives. It also builds “environmental literacy” among the public who will then be more likely to take action to conserve and sustain forests and the environment.
In addition to these broad public benefits, environmental education in primary and secondary schools, especially with an outdoor learning component, has shown to dramatically improve overall student performance, including test scores.
The primary federal policy focused on environmental education has been the National Environmental Education Act of 1990, which technically expired in 1996. The primary source of federal funding resides in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Education. In addition, a number of federal programs and policies within various Departments recognize the value of education as a component of effective conservation programs. As a way to boost environmental literacy, states have been working on environmental literacy plans, which outline state strategies and funding needs for state based efforts.
Unfortunately, the most recent major education overhaul, the No Child Left Behind Act, which directed $24 billion to state education programs, did not emphasize environmental curriculum.
Integration of environmental education, as a component of forest conservation and environmental policy offers promise for continuing to raise environmental literacy of our children.
To help sustain forests, the environment, and improve student performance, Congress should:
- Pass the No Child Left Inside Act, which incorporates environmental education into the No Child Left Behind Act.
- Significantly increase funding for environmental education including through the National Environmental Education Act, the No Child Left Inside Act, and other federal environmental and conservation programs.
- Support research and evaluation of environmental education and outdoor learning through the Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is a nonprofit conservation organization that works to ensure decision makers and educators, both today and tomorrow, understand and value the role that forests and the environment play in our lives. Through quality environmental education and outdoor learning for children and adults, and in conjunction with our 50-state network of partners and volunteers, our programs are engaging youth and communities in conservation efforts, growing healthy forests, and conserving habitat. Begun in 1976, Project Learning Tree®, AFF’s environmental education program, provides quality curriculum materials and training in environmental education to 30,000 educators nationally every year.
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