Overview
The Office of Environmental Education manages the North Carolina EE Certification Program as a way to enhance capacity-building in environmental education across the state. Individuals must complete 200 hours of professional development to be certified. Required components of the program include instructional workshops, outdoor experiences, knowledge of EE resources and facilities, teaching experiences, a community action partnership project and continuing education.  Certified environmental educators have the knowledge and skills to be EE leaders in their community.

Those who are certified will receive:

• A certificate of program completion signed by the Governor, Chairman of the N.C. State Board of Education and Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
• A statewide ceremony for professional recognition.
• Networking opportunities with other environmental educators across the state.
• A personal library of environmental education resources and curricula.

With prior approval from their school district, teachers can earn CEU credit for many of the workshop experiences that are part of the certification program.

Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the program is to recognize professional development in environmental education and acknowledge those educators committed to environmental stewardship. This program establishes standards for professional excellence in environmental education for formal and non-formal educators. The goals of the Environmental Education Certification Program are to increase environmental literacy, provide practice in environmental education teaching methods and foster community leadership.

The program supports the objective of "increasing the number of leaders and organizations that provide quality environmental education across the state" outlined in North Carolina's state plan for environmental education.



"By taking the required workshops to acquire my certification, I have learned many new ways to reach and teach my high school students. Environmental Science is no longer just a boring subject, but a subject to be appreciated and learned with gusto!"

High School Science Teacher

Program Requirements before Dec 31, 2008
Component Description (For those currently enrolled only)
There are five environmental education components amounting to 200 hours that must be completed for an individual to be certified. Find out more about them here!

Program Changes - January 1, 2009
The Office of Environmental Education is pleased to announce some exciting changes to the Environmental Education Certification Program. We hope these changes will allow people who enroll to have more flexibility in designing a program to fit their interests and skill levels. The revisions will go into effect on January 1, 2009.  

These changes will strengthen the program in several areas, including teaching methods and foundations of environmental education. It will also better align with North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) guidelines for environmental education. In addition, the program has a continuing education requirement which will allow educators, both formal and non-formal, to further advance their professional development.

The revisions are based on feedback from environmental educators like you in surveys, focus groups and interviews conducted over the last three years. We have also incorporated requirements based on the competencies developed by NAAEE as part of their ongoing development of national guidelines for accrediting state-level EE Certification Programs. The changes were proposed and approved by the Environmental Education Certification Working Review and Advisory Committees.

If you are already certified, this is still the same program. You are still considered a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator. However, Certified Environmental Educators will be required to document 50 hours of Continuing Education within 5 years of the date of certification.

If you are currently enrolled in the program, you can stay enrolled under the previous requirements, or you will have the option of enrolling again under the new criteria. Individuals who want to enroll under the new requirements will have to pay an additional enrollment fee of $25, but will have four years from the new enrollment date to complete the program.

Educators who are certified and enrolled received a letter in November explaining the program changes.

Requirements of the Program after Jan 1, 2009:
Eligibility Criteria
Anyone 18 years of age or older may apply for certification.  There
are no prerequisites.  The enrollment fee is $50. Candidates have four years from the enrollment date in which to complete the program.  Candidates may also count previous workshops, etc., that have occurred during the past one year prior to enrollment. There will be no exceptions made to this policy.

Process
If you are already certified, this is still the same program. You are still considered a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator. However, Certified Environmental Educators will be required to document 50 hours of Continuing Education within 5 years of the date of certification.

If you are currently enrolled in the program, you can stay enrolled under the previous requirements, or you will have the option of enrolling again under the new criteria. Individuals who want to enroll under the new requirements will have to pay an additional enrollment fee of $25, but will have four years from the new enrollment date to complete the program.

Educators who are certified and enrolled received a letter in November explaining the program changes.                                   

"The Environmental Education Certification Program is one of the most effective programs I have ever participated in."

Director of Keep America Beautiful New Hanover County, NC

Completed Portfolios should include the following:

Criteria I: Instructional Workshops
Total of 70 hours of workshops from the list, Criteria I Approved Workshops and Courses. 

Criteria I Workshops help provide educators with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities needed to deliver high-quality environmental education.  These workshops are designed for the professional development of environmental educators who work in both formal and non-formal educational settings and who offer a wide range of programming for all grade levels and for adults.  Facilitators of Criteria I Workshops should model professional standards in the field of environmental education as defined by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

The following two workshops must be taken as part of the 70 hour requirement:
1) Basics of Environmental Education, Independent Study, *
    Office of Environmental Education (10 hours)
2) Methods of Teaching Environmental Education, *
     Office of Environmental Education (10 hours)

*If a candidate can show coursework completion in this area,credit will be given and these workshops are then optional. Contact the certification program manager for further information.

The additional 50 hours can be any of the workshops from the list,
Criteria I Approved Workshops and Courses.

A maximum of 10 hours may be credited to any one workshop or event.  Submit documentation of participation in each workshop on a Form B, or submit a photocopy of the workshop certificate and attach it to a Form B.

Note:  If you are not a resident of North Carolina, you must take at least two Criteria I Workshops in North Carolina.

Note: To be eligible for consideration as a Criteria I Workshop,
agencies/organizations (sponsors) must submit their workshop by completing the Instructional Workshop Sponsor Information Packet available online.  The workshop will be reviewed by the certification program manager.  The sponsor will be notified of the recommendations of the review within one month.  Please go to the Web site for a sponsor packet or contact the certification program manager.

Criteria II: EE Experiences in the Out-of-Doors
Total of 50 hours of structured outdoor experiences with a minimum of one hour and a maximum of 10 hours per experience. 

To qualify as Criteria II, at least 60 percent of the entire event must be spent outdoors. The intent of Criteria II is to introduce environmental educators to skills and outdoor experiences that affect the learner vividly and demand use of all senses.  The candidate should participate in a variety of outdoor experiences that are led by qualified instructors (i.e., rangers, guides, teachers, facilitators, professors).  The N.C. Office of Environmental Education provides a calendar of statewide events that may qualify for this component.  Opportunities include:

• University/college courses such as ecology, forestry, etc., which include an outdoor lab.
• Instructional workshops or field trips held in an outdoor environment.
• Organized nature hikes led by environmental education professional(s) at parks, forests, zoos, aquariums and other Environmental Education Centers.
• Independent study projects under the direction of an environmental education professional (pre-approved by certification program manager).

Although some workshops may qualify for both Criteria I: Instructional Workshops, and Criteria II: Environmental Education Experiences in the Out-of-Doors, you may apply each workshop towards only one category.  To submit documentation, please complete one Form B per experience.  If the Form B is not signed, please attach the workshop certificate. 

Criteria III: Knowledge of EE Resources and Facilities
Total of 30 hours with a minimum of one hour and a maximum of 10 hours per experience. 

The intent of Criteria III is to increase knowledge of EE resources and facilities and to encourage networking opportunities.  At least 10 hours must be visits to Environmental Education Centers; five of these hours must be spent visiting an EE Center in a North Carolina region (coast, piedmont, mountains) other than the one in which you live. You can use the online map to help you plan your visits. You may visit areas outside of N.C., but these cannot count towards the “other regions” requirement.  If you live outside of N.C., you may choose any region.  The remaining 20 hours may be earned by visiting other EE Centers, attending workshops, seminars, lectures and/or conferences.  The listing of Environmental Education Centers from the N.C. Office of Environmental Education' web site is an excellent resource for this component.  To submit documentation, please complete one Form B per experience.

Criteria IV: Teaching
Total of 30 hours:  at least 20 hours of actual teaching, up to
10 hours of preparation and/or follow-up time may be counted.

This component recognizes the candidate’s efforts to share with
others the knowledge and skills gained through participation in Criteria I, II and III.  It also encourages educators to become confident teaching outdoors and to practice using appropriate teaching methods.  Your teaching activities should provide hands-on, interactive experiences for the audience and should support the definition of environmental education.  Audiences may include students, youth groups such as faith-based groups, scouts or 4-H clubs, and various adult groups.  Lessons may be 1 – 6 hours in length, with each lesson taught no more than three times.  At least 10 of the teaching hours must be conducted outdoors.  Please submit documentation for each lesson online through your online account. 

Criteria V: Community Action Partnership
Minimum of 20 hours

Environmental education should result in understanding, commitment, informed decisions and constructive action. The Community Action Partnership provides candidates with the opportunity to lead a partnership that will have a positive effect on the community* and that will increase environmental awareness and understanding. 

Please submit documentation for your Community Action Partnership online through your online account.

* A community can be defined as a group of persons with common characteristics such as geographic, professional, cultural, racial, religious or socio-economic similarities; communities can be defined by location, race, ethnicity, age, occupation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds.

It also gives the candidate practical experience applying what they have learned as an environmental educator. This component of the certification process should include the following key elements:

• Leadership - you are the primary coordinator, planner and leader of the project.
  
  
• Partnership - you must work with at least one community partner other than your own school, agency or workplace.
  
  
• Community Need - you must identify a need that your project will address.  
  
  
• Community Action - your effort should engage members of a community and produce a project, event or program that will benefit that community and that will increase environmental awareness and understanding.
  
  
• Relationship to the Objectives of Environmental Education  your project should address at least one of the five main objectives of environmental education: awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, participation.  (Refer to the Tbilisi Declaration in the Basics of EE – Independent Study.)

Examples of successful Community Action Partnerships:

• A parent volunteer learned from teachers at a local elementary school that there was interest in integrating environmental education into their lesson plans using an outdoor area.  The parent worked with PTA members and with an environmental educator at a nearby nature center to develop a manual and workshop to help those teachers use their schoolyard as an outdoor classroom.  The parent worked with the environmental educator to conduct the workshop for the school’s teachers.
  
  
• The candidate met with the neighborhood association to identify an environmental need in their community.  They determined that the neighborhood had a problem with residents using the storm drains for dumping trash, paint and other polluting substances.  The candidate partnered with the neighborhood association to stencil neighborhood storm drains with an educational message and distribute materials to residents explaining the project and its purpose. Information about the project was included in the neighborhood’s newsletter.
  
  
• The candidate contacted a city park near their home and found out that the park had a trail that needed restoration and signage.  The candidate worked with a local Boy Scout troop and the park ranger to restore a section of trails and install interpretive signs at the park.  The candidate worked with the local community to publicize the newly restored trails.    

Other partnership examples

Continuing Education Requirement
Once certification is complete, the educator must continue being involved in environmental education workshops, courses and trainings to maintain an active status within the program.  Within five years of the date of certification, an educator must have documented 50 hours of professional development.  Anything that counts as Certification Program Criteria I, II or seminars, lectures and conferences related to EE can be documented towards the 50 hours using a Form B. Your Continuing Education activities must be workshops, trainings, etc., that you did not count towards your original certification. Please submit your Form Bs via mail to the NC Office of Environmental Education, 1609 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1609. Once submitted and approved, the educator’s certification will be renewed and certification will remain active for the next five years beyond your most recent continuing education deadline.  This continuing education requirement must be completed every five years in order for your status to remain active.               

Continuing Education for Educators Certified before 2009
If you earned your certification prior to December 31, 2008, you have until December 31, 2013 to complete your continuing education requirement. After that period you will be required to complete 50 hours every five years to remain "active" in the program. To begin documenting your continuing education, you must create an online account by clicking on "How to Enroll" on our web site.  You do not have to enroll, merely set up an account.  That is where your continuing Education credits will be documented.

Portfolio
Portfolios will be reviewed by the certification program manager.  Candidates will be notified when the final portfolio review process is complete and certificates will be awarded by mail.  Newly certified environmental educators will be honored at a statewide certification ceremony.