Oceanway Middle School on Earth Day with new outdoor classroom. Flickr photo by JAXPORT.

Over the past four years environmental education has found both a friend and foe in the Obama Administration, but at least we knew it was on their minds. Romney had been all but silent with regard to STEM, environmental education, childhood obesity and the overall health and wellness of America’s future workforce.

With the election finally behind us we can now look forward.  And as we do look forward, there are some familiar challenges ahead.  The Great Recession is still looming over us and because of this many agencies and programs are facing significant cuts in funding.   The Obama Administration essentially eliminated all environmental education funding in their FY 2013 budget request – including beloved programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This spring, outgoing Congressman Chip Cravaack of Minnesota amended a spending bill to prohibit the National Science Foundation from supporting Climate Change Education. While Rep. Cravaack will not be returning to Washington next year, the U.S. House of Representatives will very likely remain unfriendly to conservation and environmental education issues.

In the meantime however, thanks to the inability of Congress to come to an agreement on FY 2013 federal spending, environmental education has so far survived to fight another day when earlier this fall Congress issued yet another Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded at FY 12 levels. What does that mean for environmental education? Well, our programs will remain funded at last year’s levels until the 6 month CR runs out in March 2013 (or such time that Congress decides to take action).

While education as a whole was seldom addressed during the campaign, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (where we hope to attach No Child Left Inside) is long overdue for reauthorization.  The House and the Senate are far from being on the same page on the role of environmental education in ESEA, with elements of the NCLIA Act being included within the Senate bill last year but not in the House version.

We can expect that ESEA which is long overdue for reauthorization will be on the agenda for the 113th Congress.  The President expressed during his acceptance speech how important education is to America’s global competitiveness.  Although Democrats gained seats in the House this election, Republicans will remain in control with the Democrats remaining in control of the Senate.  Essentially we will be contending with the same divide.

So while there is hope for forward progress in the 113th Congress on environmental education funding and the No Child Left Inside Act, it will not happen without your help.  We must continue to hold the Obama Administration accountable for eliminating environmental and climate change education programs and urge them to support them next year.  We must ask Congress to continue funding these programs.  We must continue forward momentum with the No Child Left Inside Act in anticipation of the reauthorization of ESEA.  We hope you will join us by singing up for regular updates about the latest state and federal policy developments around environmental education as we work together on this critical issue in the coming year.

Take Action:  Click here to voice your support and help get America’s kids back outside!

The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and the briefing panel

In a sense, military kids serve right alongside their deployed parents. These children carry the burden of “holding down the fort”, while their parent(s) are away for long stretches of time.  Many are navigating the demands of school while balancing the needs of their household, such as caring for younger siblings, an ailing parent, and household chores among other things.

The distinguished panel, which included the Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works);  Michael Odle, US Department of Agriculture, Captain, Air National Guard as well as members of Blue Star Families, YMCA of the USA and the Maryland Park Service, delved into the importance of the outdoors for military kids.

Camping programs such as Operation Purple provide military kids with a reprieve from their day to day life with a week in the outdoors.  Many military families struggle to pay for any “extras” such as camp, and programs like these allow for families to send children to camp free of charge.  Not only are the camps set up for fun in the outdoors such as hiking, kayaking, and archery, but they also provide counselors that discuss long-term deployments and other the issues facing military kids.

Aside from camps, many parks across the country are offering free passes for military kids and their families—to help them reconnect with nature and one another, and decompress from the stress of military life.  The panelists agreed that being in the outdoors allows both children and their families to heal.  The moderator of the panel Stacy Bare of the Sierra Club said “military kids are our littlest heroes who also bear the brunt of war”.

The briefing was very well-attended, with many congressional staff commenting that they’ve “never attended such a feel-good event on the Hill”.

Full list of panelists:

Stacy Bare, Moderator, Sierra Club

The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)

Michael Odle, US Department of Agriculture, Captain, Air National Guard

Theresa Buchanan, National Military Families Association

Katie Adamson, YMCA of the USA

Sheri Robey-Lapam, Blue Star Families

Major Gary Burnett, Maryland Park Service

More and more kids are using mobile devices. By 'digitizing the outdoors,' it may be possible to harness that trend and connect more people to nature. (flickr | gnta)

Research suggests that ADHD and other behavioral issues are lessened when children spend time in the outdoors. Most notably, Richard Louv, author of The Last Child in the Woods and architect of the term Nature Deficit Disorder has argued that “an environment-based education movement–at all levels of education–will help students realize that school isn’t supposed to be a polite form of incarceration, but a portal to the wider world.”

One complaint from children, however, is the outdoors are “boring,” which is a far cry from it being a “portal to the wider world.” As a kid I used the outdoors as a way to get away from the trappings of schoolwork and housework. Unlike kids today, I used the outdoors as my outlet–instead of using an electric outlet as my escape.

It’s possible however, that I am aging and just can’t understand what the “kids are into these days.” But if the rise in childhood obesity, ADHD, and other health issues are any indicators of the 21^st century childhood realities—I’ll hold tight to my fort-building, Red Rover, hide-and-go-seek 20^th century kid fun!

Is it possible though that kids today don’t have to choose between the delight of a swinging screen door to the outdoors and the allure of the digital screen? Can we find a way to meld these two dichotomous worlds? Recently, the Obama Administration followed the lead of the Bipartisan Policy Center and held an event on how we can combine 20th century outdoor ideals with the new 21st century electronic leisure time.

Earlier this month the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy held a briefing entitled Outdoor Mobile Games and Public Lands. The room was filled with an usual set: gaming experts and environmentalists. Generally, these two groups have been at odds (or at least haven’t worked closely together very often), with many environmentalists blaming the gaming industry for the uptick in the sedentary indoor child trend. But if we are to really understand the 21st century childhood–game designers are the experts to court.

Both groups discussed the need for collaboration. “Games could help turn a regular park into a storybook” said one game aficionado. It can’t be negated that the popularity of the Olympic National Forest went through the roof once the movie Twilight was released–that’s the power of media, and arguably the power of games. Several agencies across the US government currently fund game development and research programs, but there has been little coordinated effort to target games that get kids to public lands. Seventy-one percent of tweens (kids ages 12-14) play games on a mobile device and that number is only growing.

Digitizing the outdoors is a new trend that’s gaining traction even at the nation’s largest conservation organization. The National Wildlife Federation has entered into the electronic market with several offerings for virtual exploration into nature using the iPad as well as their geo-caching “nature treasure hunt,” a Nature Find website and digitizing their famous Ranger Rick magazine among other electronic advancements.

If we could entice these tech savvy kids with the natural world through games, not only could we begin to reverse the sedentary indoor  childhood trend, but build conservation stewards of tomorrow—one click at a time.

Do you think digitizing the outdoors is a good thing? Tell us what you think below.

Photo credit: Lester Spence_Flickr

Although I taught in a city where most kids walked from place to place, I found that many of my kids didn’t have quality time in the outdoors, let alone a place to explore and get their hands dirty.

Most of them came to school at 8am and were there until 6pm. By the time parents took them home it was time for dinner and then off to bed (in the best case scenarios).  For my students, school became the ultimate outlet for exploration in the outdoors. 

Unfortunately, our first adventure into the outdoors ended abruptly.  Instead of a grass, trees, and open space for play we found wood chips, outdated play ground equipment and drugs.

What’s worse is that this very scenario plays out across cities, small towns, and suburbs all across America.

Every child deserves a free, green space to play and discover the natural world around them.

Check out the full story below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

TAKE ACTION

Help get kids reconnected to wildlife! Urge Congress to help get America’s kids back outdoors, and on a path to a stronger appreciation for wildlife and the natural world.

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of 10 NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in California, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Savannah Country Day School, one of the inaugural US Green Ribbon School Award winners as well as an Eco-Schools USA Green Flag recipient (Laura Hickey)

Seventy-eight schools representing 29 states were awarded the nation’s first U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award for overall excellence in environmental literacy; environmental quality; and the health and wellness of students and faculty.

The announcement took place at the Stoddert Elementary School in Washington, D.C.  which is LEED Gold certified and the city’s first geo-thermal building.   Included in the roster of winners were 19 schools registered in the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program.

During his speech, Secretary Duncan pointed out how important a holistic environmental education is for 21^st century employment:

 ”Science, environmental and outdoor education play a central role in providing children with a well-rounded education, helping prepare them for the jobs of the future […] U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate compelling examples of the ways schools can help children build real-world skill sets, cut school costs, and provide healthy learning environments.”

The inaugural class of U.S. Green Ribbon School Award winners signals a shift in the understanding of environmental education as integral to our nation’s success.  “These Green Ribbon School award winners are taking outstanding steps to educate tomorrow’s environmental leaders, and demonstrating how sustainability and environmental awareness make sense for the health of our students and our country” said Chairwoman Nancy Sutley.

As host of the Eco-Schools USA program and a member of the U.S. Green Ribbons Schools Partnership, NWF continues to work tirelessly on the effort to ensure that all students receive a quality environmental education and develop an authentic relationship with the outdoors.  “America’s schools still lead the way in making our communities more efficient and environmentally literate,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation in a statement.  “By cutting their expenses and recasting themselves as living laboratories for a sustainable future, these Green Ribbon awardees prove a great model for well-rounded 21^st century education.”

The author, her mother and her grandfather.

Born in Jamaica, my grandfather loved the outdoors. Who wouldn’t love it, in a place where the deep blue color in the ocean isn’t an optical illusion and there is no need for Vitamin D tablets—a walk along the palm tree lined streets or a stroll along the beach is all you need.

I used to ask him when I was young why he had so many muscles because he didn’t go to the gym. He used to look at me, laugh, gesture to the outdoors and say “why would I go to a gym?” Why indeed.

My grandparent’s garage wall was filled with tools and fishing rods for all their grandchildren—and there were a bunch of us.

The drive to the docks were always the most fun, all of us kids crammed into a car with our heads hanging out the window taking in the smell of the early morning and noticing the change in the air as we got closer to the water.   As soon as we arrived we would all spring out of the car like Jack-in-the-Boxes itching to be the one who brought in the first catch of the day.  We were like little sailors (minus the boat) lined up on the dock taking in the sweet salty smell of the water and watching the sun rise higher and higher in the sky. Nothing used to beat those mornings with my family outside—well, maybe the fish dinner that my grandmother would make that evening.

My grandparents were sustainable before it was cool.

Whether we were picking callaloo and mint from their enormous backyard garden or fishing on the dock or swinging from the handmade swing my grandfather fashioned for me from their largest tree—the outdoors was always a place where family and adventure intertwined.

What Has Changed

Many years have passed since those family outdoor adventures, and it saddens me that pollution has stopped my grandfather from being able to take my younger cousins on the fishing trips I once enjoyed so much. Unfortunately, it’s not just pollution that has kept them from the outdoors—today kids spend on average 7-10 hours plugged into electronics and just minutes in the outdoors.  Where I used to make up stories and find mystery under stones or within the limbs of trees, they seek out video games and the television to entertain themselves.

Did I watch TV as kid, sure! But I never did find a show or game that provided me with the joy that the feel of a fishing rod in my hands; sight of the sun glistening off the water; and the burst of giggles at the first catch of the morning ever gave me.  Nope, there is no screen that has ever given me more excitement as a kid or adult for that matter, than the sound of a screen door swinging open to the adventures that await me in the outdoors.

To learn more, take a look at Kristy Myers’s five tips for spending time in nature with your family, see our Outdoors and Family Channel for easy outdoor activities or check out how you can get involved in NWF’s Be Out There campaign to connect kids with nature.

This seems to confirm that, whether “red” or “blue,” every state has a stake in environmental stewardship and sustainable living.  Teaching K-12 students about the environment and its connection to economics, health, and wellness—-with a strong ‘STEM’ emphasis—is the first step toward driving that common cause home and creating the next generation of environmentally informed and responsible Americans.

The Green Ribbon Schools Award models itself after the highly acclaimed Blue Ribbon program, nearly 30 years old, which recognizes schools for academic progress.  Now, following the May 3^rd announcement by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley, schools across the country that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, and offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement will be awarded for their great work.

This is an especially exciting initiative for NWF because it lines up with our work of helping more than 4,000 schools go green over the last 15 years through Certified Schoolyard Habitats and the Eco-Schools USA program. The latter, which boasts registered schools in all but four states, will act as a stepping stone for many schools to work their way up to Green Ribbon status.

A Green Shift in American Education

Green Ribbon—-together with initiatives like Eco-Schools USA—signifies a great shift in American education.  In order for the U.S. to remain competitive within the 21^st century global green economy, students need curricula that promote critical thinking and innovation.  Studies have shown that schools with an environmental focus help to shape such programs, and may improve  test scores and graduation rates to boot.  Perhaps most importantly, students need to understand their impact on the natural world now more than ever—preferably in a formal school setting–if we are to stem the tide of environmental degradation and misuse. The U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award recognizes these trends and promotes its integration with all aspects of the school—from the buildings, to the surrounding grounds to the students’ learning experience.

The U.S. can’t lead if it’s lagging behind the pack, and the U.S. Green Ribbon Schools program signals that we recognize green schools as a key to catching up and winning the future.

Green Ribbon states:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota , Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (Independent), Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Italics indicate states with Republican governors. Rhode Island is Independent.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today is a fantastic day for the environmental education movement!   The U.S. Department of Education alongside the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency launched the U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award.  This program will recognize and award schools that make exemplary efforts in greening schools in the following 3 areas: Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency; Healthy School Environment; and Environmental and Sustainability Education.

The effort to get the U.S. Green Ribbon program adopted by the Department and working in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, has been strongly supported by the Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL), alongside Earth Day Network, the National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Green Building Council. These organizations, along with the greater NGO community, have worked with many interested parties and stakeholders to build a robust and comprehensive awards program that will celebrate the innovative greening efforts of the nation’s schools.

NWF’s Eco-Schools USA program has been helping schools in the U.S. since 2009 integrate sustainable principles throughout schools and curriculums across the country. The Eco-Schools USA program will act as the stepping stone needed for many schools interested in pursueing the nation’s first  U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award.   

Recognizing schools for their environmental and sustainability efforts is a tremendous step forward in making our schools healthy green living laboratories that will provide students with the skills necessary to innovate and excel in the 21^st Century global green economy.  The country that invests in environmental and sustainable education will be the country to lead in the 21^st Century.   We cannot build the innovators of tomorrow with the inefficient, unhealthy, education system from yesterday and with the announcement of the U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award we know that that the U.S. is headed down the right green path!

We hope you will learn more and apply to become a U.S. Green Ribbon School today!

Quality education begins when a child walks into their school building not just when they open a book. How can we expect creativity and innovation when a child is ill? These are just a few of the issues that the green school movement has on its agenda.

This week Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers wrote about the importance of green schools and environmental education for the success of the U.S. in the global green economy:

“Aside from providing a huge health benefit to students and staff, constructing, renovating and maintaining sustainable school buildings are key components to an overall plan to create “green collar” jobs that will put Americans to work and give our economy a sorely needed boost”

As we start a new school year, the BlueGreen Alliance released its “Policy on Green Schools and Environmental Education” brief (PDF) this week to provide a blueprint for Congress as it works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This set of policy principles focuses on the short- and long-term benefits that can be achieved by greening our school facilities and educating our kids about their environment. And there is already some exciting work happening in DC that is in line with the BlueGreen Alliance blueprint.

Flickr/D Sharon Pruitt

Recently the U.S. Department of Education, The President’s Council for Environmental Quality and the EPA joined the charge for green schools with the announcement of the  U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award.  The Green Ribbon Schools Award seeks to recognize schools that incorporate the three pillars of greening: healthy environment, environmental literacy, and environmental impact and energy efficiency (The Department of Education recently announced that the Green Ribbon Schools program is now live for public comment  through September 14).

The bi-partisan No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act, introduced in Congress in July, seeks to put environmental education back in the classroom.  Since the advent of the No Child Left Behind law, school curricula have been narrowly focused on testing, leaving little room for anything else.  The NCLI Act would change this issue by providing states with incentives to create environmental literacy plans that would equip students with the skills necessary for success in the global green economy.

NWF is a longtime proponent of greening schools and curricula too. The Eco-Schools USA and Schoolyard Habitats programs are both supportive of the Green Ribbon Schools initiative and the Blue Green Alliance policy brief, and NWF actively works with K-12 schools to emphasize the importance of environmental education, healthy school environments and sustainability.

The world is rapidly changing and currently the U.S. finds itself at the back of the pack instead of leading it.  Environmental education is the key to our success. U.S. students cannot create solutions for 21^st Century  environmental issues with an education system from the last century!

Today the bi-partisan No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) (S.1372 and H.R. 2547) was introduced by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD).  The NCLI Act will provide states with incentives to create environmental literacy plans. Historically, this legislation has been overwhelmingly bi-partisan passing the House back in 2008 with 68 Republicans voting in favor of the measure.  As the Elementary and Secondary Education Act works its way through the House and Senate for reauthorization we have been busy working with the NCLI Coalition on Capitol Hill educating Members of the importance of environmental literacy for our future success in the 21^st Century. Currently there are over 40 states that are in various stages of working on environmental literacy plans and the introduction of NCLI helps to fuel the momentum.  NCLI will help put environmental education back in our nation’s classrooms and provide our future workforce with the environmental foundation they need today, to address the environmentally-based economic problems of tomorrow!

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to support the No Child Left Inside Act!

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