Our climate is changing at an alarming rate, and as a nation our young people are not prepared to provide the solutions necessary to mitigate and safeguard our world’s biodiversity, growing population, agricultural and transit systems and more.  In a digital age, we are able to connect in new and innovative ways and collaborate and create like never before.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Green STEM Initiative is the result of a magnificent collision between environment-based education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics); creating a new system that will provide a national workforce that’s ripe with skilled, knowledgeable, innovative, and technologically savvy citizens.

 To prepare our young people for a future that’s vividly different and uncertain, America needs to remedy what is often described as the “leaking” STEM pipeline.

Educators are looking for real answers.  Green STEM is a practical way, through disciplined instruction and experiential work on environmental and sustainability subjects, to help students better understand and be given relevant opportunities to inquire, assess, design, build and foster innovative solutions to environmental challenges and related technological needs. Students who are exposed to programs that incorporate useful STEM education see the world in a holistic way, gain skills in the process of inquiry, become better problem-solvers and inventors who can utilize their knowledge of math, science and technology to design and engineer innovative solutions to serious problems.  NWF’s Eco-Schools USA is primed and ready to help teachers facilitate learning experiences in Green STEM throughout K-12 as they engage students in greening solutions by addressing the building’s needs inside and out.

Nearly 4 in 5 STEM college students say that they decided to study STEM in high school or earlier…almost 20 percent knew before they even entered high school.  Microsoft Corporation

In order to help move students more smoothly through the STEM pipeline the highly anticipated, debated, and newly released Next Generation Science Standards have been developed to prepare our students for a better future, a future where they can be scientifically literate, competitive, and successful.  Educators will find many welcomed changes:

• K-12 Science Education Should Reflect the Interconnected Nature of Science as it is Practiced in the Real World.
• The Science Concepts in the NGSS Build Coherently from K-12.
• The NGSS Focus on Deeper Understanding of Content as well as Application of Content.
• Science and Engineering are integrated in the NGSS, from K-12.
• The NGSS are designed to prepare students for college, career, and citizenship.

For more information regarding National Wildlife Federation’s Green STEM Initiative                             please follow the link or contact us at eco-schoolsusa@nwf.org

Yet just yesterday, the Administration’s budget proposal effectively eliminated two critical programs designed to meet both goals at once – the highly important environmental education programs of EPA and NOAA.

Let’s take a look back…

What Obama Said Then

Earlier this year during the President’s Inaugural address, he spoke to these issues:

“The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.  But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it.  We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries, we must claim its promise.”

And then a few weeks later at the State of the Union:

“Now, if we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas.  Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy — every dollar. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s. They’re developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs; devising new material to make batteries 10 times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.  We need to make those investments.  Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy…”

For a few years now I have struggled to understand why the Administration has failed to realize that we must invest not only in clean energy technology, but also in the education of American students and workers.  There is a disconnect here.

This investment in preparing the American people for the clean energy economy has a name: environmental education. Without it, the United States will never lead the transition to a clean energy economy.

Why Environmental Ed. is Critical to our Future

Environmental education happens at institutions of higher education (including community colleges), K-12 schools, career and technical education centers, and through innovative partnerships with non-profits, apprenticeship programs, business and others that will help create and strengthen education and re-training programs, curricula, and courses.

And earlier this week, with the release of the Administration’s budget, EPA’s and NOAA’s environmental education programs have been marked for elimination, even though they have bipartisan support in Congress (technically, NOAA’s programs are expected to be “consolidated” with other science, technology, engineering and math programs and details will not be available for a few more days).

These reductions would eliminate already woefully underfunded grant programs for child-serving organizations, schools, nature centers, zoos, aquariums and teacher training programs in nearly every community.

And let’s be honest, while these programs provide critical funding for teachers and communities nationwide, $25 million is a rounding error in the $1 trillion federal budget.  If the United States is to lead the global transition to a clean energy economy, to lead the world in science and technology, to spark the next space race or human genome product, $25 million is not going to cut it! 

We need an investment of billions of dollars across all levels of education. We need leadership to educate, train and prepare all Americans for this transition to a green economy.

What Do You Think?

We at the National Wildlife Federation would like to hear from YOU about your ideas for how we get there.  How can we, together, get Congress and the Administration, Republicans and Democrats, the public at large behind an agenda to truly prepare Americans for the clean energy economy?

Please leave a comment below!

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!

Students construct a model solar-powered building (Creative Commons/NC Sun News).

On May 3, 2012, the National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE) hosted the National Education Policy Institute’s event “Saving the Soul of Public Education,” which featured a session on STEM. Panelists included astronaut Leland Melvin, who is the Associate Administrator of education at NASA, Yohance Maquelba, the Executive Director of Howard University Middle School for Science and Math, Ted Brodheim, COO of ePals, and Horace Williams, Superintendent of Cedar Hill Independent School District.

From placing high-speed internet in the hands of every student to connecting classrooms with role models from NASA, Microsoft and other big names in STEM, each panelist gave specific, compelling examples of real-life efforts to get children of color from all over the country thinking about the possibilities STEM offers. Though the title of the session, “The New Three R’s,” was in reference to Science, Technology and Engineering, there was one big “R” that steered the conversation: relevancy.

Afterward, panelists took questions from the audience, and when I asked about the ability of environmental learning to demonstrate the relevancy of STEM, all agreed that it has an important role. Melvin described NASA’s initiative to connect employees to schools as STEM ambassadors, and that they are introducing classrooms to the new Earth Now  app, which monitors changing climate data via satellite. This fits well with NWF’s Eco-Schools USA NASA-funded high school curriculum on climate change as well as providing students with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that helps connect them to both STEM disciplines and the environment.

Superintendent Williams described several green initiatives that are going on in his district that are engaging students and teachers and connecting them to the community. He stated that Cedar Hill students have community gardens on school grounds, where they are partnering with a local community college and a local 4-year university. A nutritionist from the First Lady’s Let’s Move Nutrition program is in the district teaching students the health benefits of eating from the gardens. Even a nearby tilapia farm contributes as a source of natural fertilizer for the gardens.

NABSE’s leadership is well aware of the benefits of environmental education. Before the session even got underway, I had the pleasure of speaking with NABSE’s President-elect Bernard Hamilton, who spoke enthusiastically about school environmental projects in his hometown of Louisville, KY. It’s clear that diversity in STEM is something we need now when it comes to education – for our kids, for our environment, and for our economy.

Want to learn more about bringing STEM and environmental learning into the classroom? Click here to read about Eco-Schools USA’s Climate Change Connections program and the educational resources provided by NASA.

Considering just how diverse the U.S. is – and is becoming – we are talking about a LOT of children who are missing out on the benefits of environmental education–and especially the abundant applications to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in environmental science and outdoor learning.

Latinos, the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S., are also among the most underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Meanwhile, Latino children, especially ones in urban and low-income neighborhoods, largely miss out on environmental education and  outdoor experiences. This was a topic of discussion at “Overcoming Environmental Injustice: Getting Latino Kids Outdoors,” a Graduate Summit hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) on April 16th. Melissa Ocana, a CHCI Graduate Fellow, discussed her research and moderated a four-person panel on STEM, Latinos and environmental justice. Panelists included NWF’s Laura Hickey, Senior Director of Eco-Schools USA, and Jackie Ostfeld of the Sierra Club, who chairs of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids(of which NWF is a founding member).

NWF's Laura Hickey speaks at the CHCI STEM Summit

I point out the economy because STEM is an increasingly important, yet decreasingly popular route of study for American students. In other words,  demand for careers in STEM is growing while we are failing to supply enough young STEM-trained individuals to fill these jobs. Engaging more students in environmental learning would increase their ability to make connections between STEM and real-world opportunities.

We may be able to debate the ideal amount of time kids ought to be spending outdoors (which is, in my opinion, a LOT more than is typical today), but we cannot turn our backs on the devastating results of the unhealthy, indoor childhood. Getting kids from all backgrounds outdoors, learning the science of the environment, is key to their health, career prospects, and much more.

A major focus of the AGO report, released in February 2011, was the importance of reconnecting kids with nature, for their health and wellbeing and for the future of conservation.

Right before this conference, I was thrilled to see that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Education Secretary Arne Duncan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work in a more intentional and collaborative fashion toward common goals. According to the press release, the agreement will enable “the Department of the Interior and the Department of Education to work together in new and more effective ways to connect young Americans to the outdoors, improve environmental literacy, support experiential learning outside the classroom, and form partnerships at the local level to learn from and conserve public lands.”

This is a good sign from the Administration about its commitment to making sure Americans are clued in to the world around them, especially after canceling funding for environmental education programs at NOAA and EPA last month.

Under the agreement, Interior may offer both professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators, including workshops, in-depth subject-matter seminars, and summer employment opportunities. The goals include improving teaching skills and developing deeper levels of subject-matter expertise, with a special emphasis on those who work in, or will work in, Title I, rural, and other high-need schools.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’d like to learn more about America’s Great Outdoors and connecting kids with nature, download the full America’s Great Outdoors report or TAKE ACTION to reconnect kids with nature by supporting the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act.

President Obama at the first White House Science Fair in 2010. No presidents ever came to my science fairs. Just sayin'. (flickr | cerebus19)

Exhibits will include designs for a future energy-efficient city, an ‘environmental cleanup’ video game and a more economical way to collect solar energy modeled on the natural design of tree limbs.

The fair is part of the commitment the president made in his Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science. On the occasion of the first fair, in 2010, he likened the honorees to our best amateur athletes:

 “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.”

The president’s metaphor is apt: these STEM champs, like the players cutting down the nets each March, have positioned themselves well for a future in the pros. (Corny!)

That’s partly why we mention ‘STEM’ so often on Wildlife Promise. Sure, a young populace better versed in science is more likely to coalesce around sound conservation practices, but perhaps even more significantly, environmental education can actually help drive a more complete understanding of STEM by connecting core concepts to our actions on earth—an area of need for America’s students and our economic prospects.

STEM in Dire Need of Growth

If you don’t believe me that this is a problem, check the numbers: in 2002, the National Science Foundation reported that that 80%-90% of students opt out of science education before entering high school. The most recent assessment by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that American students ranked 17th and 25th in science and math, respectively, among 34 countries measured. The National Assessment of Educational Progress’s (NAEP) 2009 science survey found that less than one-half of U.S. students perform at or above the ‘proficient’ level in science in grades four, eight and 12. A 2007 National Academies report raised the specter that “the scientific and technological building blocks critical to our economic leadership are eroding at a time when many other nations are gathering strength.” (Also over the last decade, the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation reported (PDF) that Americans don’t understand the environment as well as they assume).

Help and Learn More

Last winter, the president issued a call to action for nascent American innovators in all fields, calling this “our generation’s Sputnik moment.” The Center on Education and the Workforce forecasts (PDF) 8 million STEM-related jobs for which Postsecondary education is typically required by the year 2018, making it the third fastest-growing employment area in that category—and a prime staging area for that drive to all-around excellence.

• If you think environmental education should be a major part of that, you can ask Congress to pass the No Child Left Inside Act, a bipartisan bill intended to assist states in the development and implementation of stronger environmental literacy programs for K-12 students.
• Learn about the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s decision to include environmental education provisions in an amendment to the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
• Research the Eco-Schools USA program, which features curricula and activities to help educators engage students in math, science and critical thinking (more academic benefits (PDF)) and can help prepare schools for the U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Award Program.

Written 15 years ago, the National Science Education Standards provided states with the prowess to produce the next generation of scientifically literate citizens. With the power of scientific inquiry at the heart of these standards states developed standards covering a myriad of topics from the structure and function of cells to Newton’s laws of physics.  So much great information, but soon it was evident – too much surface knowledge – the infamous “a mile wide, inch deep” plagued our nation’s students.

Even though educational reform is a highly debated topic there is no debate that our students are falling behind in STEM disciplines.  According to the most recent PISA report, out of 34 countries in OECD, the US ranked 29th in mathematics literacy and 25th in science literacy, neither was significantly different from the average. That said, I was ecstatic at the briefing to introduce the new Framework for K-12 Science Standards to hear…

1) Science is for all students…
Not just for those in grades being tested. It’s nice to see the new framework lay the foundation for students to
build upon prior knowledge instead of struggle to find connections throughout their K-12 experience.

“All students should be able to learn about the broad set of possibilities that modern life offers and to pursue their aspirations, including their occupations of interest.”

“Students’ preparation in other subjects, especially literacy and matematics, also affects their acheivement in science”.

2) Limited number of core ideas…
This will allow students to better grasp and understand science concepts, specifically the focus on a limited number of core ideas.  It allows for deep exploration of important concepts, as well as time for students to develop meaningful
understanding, to actually practice science and engineering, and to reflect on their nature.

3) Earth systems and human impacts…
Were inconsistently taught, at the surface level, and without connection.  Within the core idea of Earth
and Space Science, Earth and Human Activity’s allows students to investigate how our Earth is a system made up of
smaller systems.  These smaller systems are affected by both natural and human activities.

“Humans have become one of the most significant agents of change in the earth’s surface systems.  Sustaining the biosphere will require detailed knowledge and modeling of the factors that affect climate, coupled with the responsible managment of natural resources.”

“Students will make the greatest strides in science and engineering learning when all components of the system – from professional development for teachers to curricula and assessments to time allocated for these subjects during the school day – are aligned with the vision of the framework.”

As I begin to delve into the finite details of the new framework, I’m confident that the standards forthcoming will
certainly change the way our nation’s student’s learn science and prepare for 21st century vocations and careers.  As a former classroom science teacher I am excited to watch science education’s transformation and as a member of National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA team, I am thrilled to know the work we do to guide schools toward sustainabilty will have an even stronger foundation in this new and greatly improved Framework for K-12 Science Standards.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The lunchtime briefing room was packed with Senate staff eager to learn more about how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) education programs play an intrinsic part in understanding the “Four Es” of 21^st century global competitiveness: Environment, Economy, Energy and Education.   The event was moderated by Campaign for Environmental Literacy director Jim Elder.

Since the agency was created in 1970, NOAA has supported education projects that cover topics related to ocean, atmospheric, climate, and environmental sciences.

While most job titles in this century will remain the same, the skill sets and thinking required to be successful will be different.  To be successful, the United States will need a broad base of workers who understand the deep connections between environmental stewardship and economic development.

How the United States can lead in the 21st Century

The global leaders of the 21^st century will be those countries that put the most investment in environmental innovation and sustainable energy, and currently the United States lags behind.  The steps that we take in the next few years regarding environmental education will decide our place in the global economy.

Our education systems must provide a comprehensive environmental knowledge base, especially in relevant sciences, in order to foster the innovation and discoveries needed to maintain our competitiveness in an increasingly challenging global economy.

In addition to Kevin and Jim, the following leaders attended today’s briefing:

- Sharon Walker, Director of Education and Outreach, Institute for Marine Mammal Studies-Center for Marine Education and Research, Gulfport, MS;
- Martin Storksdieck, Director, and Michael Feder, Senior Program Officer, Board of Science Education, National Research Council; and
- Louisa Koch, Director of Education, NOAA

Read National Wildlife Federation’s 2010 Back to School: Back Outside report to learn about the impact of outdoor and environmental education, outdoor time and nature study on student motivation, effectiveness at learning, classroom behavior, focus and standardized test scores.