Proposed Federal Support for Environmental Education
Continues to Increase

Companion bills, proposed reauthorization of No Child Left Behind Act and other proposed legislation could garner federal support for environmental education

Senator Reed Introduces "No Child Left Inside" Act

On August 3rd, Senator Jack Reed introduced a Senate version of the "No Child Left Inside Act" as a companion bill to the House version that was introduced by Representative John P. Sarbanes in July. The introduction of this Senate Bill is a positive indication, since it would allow both bills to be considered simultaneously by the House and Senate.

This legislation is supported by a coalition of groups, including the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, Audubon and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Updates and more information can be found on the No Child Left Inside Coalition Web site.

For updates on Congressional Action...

H.R. 3036 currently has 17 co-sponsors, but the companion bill, S.1981 currently has none. For updates on the bills and a list of the co-sponsors, go to the H.R.3036 and S.1981 Summary pages on the U.S. Congressional Library THOMAS site.

Draft of Reauthorized No Child Left Behind Act includes Environmental Education Provisions

Another promising development is the possible inclusion of environmental education in the reauthorized federal No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Authorization Act of 1965. It is the principal United States education law and sets strict accountability standards. It also mandates that all students be taught by a "Highly Qualified" teacher. However, many in the formal and non-formal education and environmental education fields believe that NCLB has reduced environmental education and outdoor opportunities for students. NCLB is currently up for reauthorization, and the current discussion draft includes several provisions from H.R. 3036 (the No Child Left Inside Act). More information, as well as the draft, is available on the US House Committee on Education and Labor Web site. The environmental education provisions are on pages 121-134 of the draft http://edlabor.house.gov/bills/MillerMcKeonNCLBDiscussionDraftIII.pdf

There are also other bills and budget items that could affect or impact environmental education, including NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grants and the EPA Office of Environmental Education. You can find out more on the Campaign for Environmental Literacy Web site.

NC Museum of Natural Sciences Launches
Take a Child Outside Week

September 24-30, 2007

The Office of Environmental Education encourages parents, teachers and caregivers to take part in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences' Take A Child Outside Week! The Take A Child Outside project was inspired by a visit and discussions with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. The Take A Child Outside Web site features a searchable database of activities, natural places to visit and links to organizations and agencies that are joining in with the effort. The Web site, www.takeachildoutside.org, also features an on online pledge for parents and caregivers and allows the public to log in and post photos and stories about their outdoor adventures.

Once again, NC Environmental Education Centers Dominate Carolina Field Trip Magazine's Top Ten

Carolina Field Trip Magazine has released its much awaited annual list of the top ten school field trip attractions in North Carolina. This year, Rowan County's Dan Nicholas Park makes it to the top spot, with 123,137 field-trip participants over the past year. Dan Nicholas offers many fun experiences and is home to the Rowan Nature Center and Rowan Wildlife Adventures, which is listed as a "North Carolina Environmental Education Center" on the Office of Environmental Education Web site. As a matter of fact, eight of the top ten are NC Environmental Education Centers!

The list is based on the results of an annual statewide survey of school group attendance numbers. Note that Discovery Place and the Charlotte Nature Museum are grouped together, but are actually two separate facilities, as are the three North Carolina Aquariums.

Other NC Environmental Education Centers on the list:

2. N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh

3. North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro

5. Discovery Place and the Charlotte Nature Museum , both in Charlotte

6. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill

7. The Schiele Museum in Gastonia

8. North Carolina Aquariums: Roanoke Island, Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll Shores

10. Natural Science Center of Greensboro

Three other NC Environmental Education Centers made the top 25: Museum of Life and Science in Durham, SciWorks in Winston-Salem and the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh, which includes the Museum of Art Park.

NC Zoo holds Grand Opening for Asheboro High "Zoo School"

Ribbon-cutting ceremonies for one of the most innovative educational programs in the country were held on Wednesday, Sept. 12, when the Asheboro High School (AHS) “Zoo School” was officially unveiled on the grounds of the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro.

The AHS Zoo School is a science-focused program for up to 100 students in grades 10, 11 and 12 to experience high school in a completely different way. Learning takes place in a real-life setting on the grounds of the N.C. Zoo, ranked among the world’s largest natural habitat zoos.

Rhonda Dillingham (wearing hat), a teacher at the Asheboro (NC) High School Zoo School, leads a student discussion during an outdoor class at the N.C. Zoo. (Photo by Tom Gillespie)

Students have unprecedented access to a 1500-acre, world-class facility ideal for environmental and biological exploration. Beyond routine science, the zoo offers relevant experiences in zoology, horticulture, marketing, retail, hospitality and art as well as wildlife and plant conservation and research. The AHS program is only the fourth zoo school in the country with similar schools located in Nebraska, Ohio, and Minnesota. The first 100 AHS students officially began classes August 27th.

Speakers for the grand opening ceremonies included: Asheboro Board of Education Chairman, Steve Jones; Asheboro School Superintendent Dr. Diane Frost; AHS Principal Dr. Larry Riggan; N.C. Zoo Director Dr. DavidJones; AHS Zoo School Lead Teacher Heather Soja; and N.C. Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee. Guests were then invited to tour the AHS Zoo School facilities, which are located near the zoo’s North American entrance gates.

Based on a model from Lincoln, Nebraska, students in the AHS Zoo School attend one morning class at the AHS campus in Asheboro then travel to classrooms and lab facilities at the N.C. Zoo for the remainder of their classes in science, English, mathematics and social studies. Students become actively involved in learning through problem solving and using the zoo as their classroom. Technology is a major component of the program with laptop computers, classroom work stations, SmartBoards, digital imaging and handheld computers all utilized in class assignments.

AHS Zoo School teachers collaborate with N.C. Zoo educators and other zoo staff to allow students to experience science on a daily basis. Students remain part of Asheboro High School while experiencing the benefits of the AHS Zoo School’s environmentally-oriented curriculum.

From a NC Zoological Park Press Release. The Zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor.

2007 North American Assocation for Environmental Education Annual Conference and Research Symposium

Virginia Beach, Virginia November 13-17, 2007

The next NAAEE Conference will be "right next door" in Virginia, so we hope North Carolina can have an even better representation than ususal at this year's event.

Research Symposium: November 13-14, 2007
"Celebrating the diversity of our research methodologies: finding common ground"

Visit the NAAEE Conference pages for details and registration information.

NAAEE is the professional association for environmental education. Members promote professional excellence in nonformal organizations, K-12 classrooms, universities (both instructors and students), government agencies, and corporate settings throughout North America and in over 55 other countries. Since 1971, the Association has created opportunities for its members to improve their skills in creating and delivering programs and services that teach people how to think, not what to think.

EE News Clips

An environmental education news round up from around the state.

Environmental Education Center News
Stories about the EE Centers listed on www.eenorthcarolina.org!

School News
Updated list of environmental education related school and education articles

College News
Same as above, but from higher education

Research and Resources on EE, Learning, and Behavior
Latest articles, reports and peer-reviewed literature on the benefits of environmental education

Informed Consumer News

The Office of Environmental Education Web site also maintains several lists of updated news articles that cover many topic areas, including farming, food, green building, rivers, outdoor recreation, energy, lawn and garden care, and more. These article posts are part of our Informed Consumer intiative. Check them out!