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CREEC Network

California Regional Environmental Education Community

News and Updates

Author:   Celeste Royer  
Posted: 7/6/2006; 5:22:01 PM
Topic: News and Updates
Msg #: 198 (top msg in thread)
Prev/Next: 99/226
Reads: 36679

Air: The Search for One Clean Breath

Since its premiere in 2008, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District film, Air - The Search for One Clean Breath has been screened worldwide for hundreds of thousands of viewers. Now you can download here the new Educator’s Guide for middle and high school instructors.  It is an innovative way to increase the film’s reach and educate students about this precious natural resource.  The Educator’s Guide, and accompanying nine classroom lessons, will enable students to not only see the film, but understand more about air quality by expanding upon the material presented in the film.  The project was directed by the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District’s public information division.  It was coordinated by the CREEC Network and written and field-tested by California teachers.


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Best Practices in Environmental Education Programs
A Self-Reflection Tool for Environmental Education Providers

In order to enhance the quality of environmental education (EE) programs, the California Environmental Education Foundation (CEEF) has developed a user-friendly Self-Reflection Tool intended to enhance the use of best practices by formal and nonformal EE providers. The five programmatic Core Practices and the associated outputs necessary to achieve the practices, are primarily derived from the NAAEE Nonformal EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (2004).

While many EE providers strive to achieve 100% efficiency on each of the outputs, the main intention of offering this easily applied rubric is to encourage a voluntary self-reflection to determine where a program is along a continuum of programmatic development and efficacy, and thereby identify program practices that could be improved.

Please take the survey today at CEEF Self Reflection Tool.  Thank you for your assistance.

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NCLI:

Support the No Child Left Inside Legislation

The U.S. Department of Education is working on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka No Child Left Behind).  There are efforts underway to ensure that the bill includes provisions for pre-K through grade 12 environmental and outdoor education as outlined in the No Child Left Inside Act, sponsored by Senator Reed and Congressman Sarbanes.

Input Sought Now:  The Department of Education (DOE) is requesting comments on ESEA as they begin drafting new language for the bill.  DOE officials are reviewing and considering all comments received.  If you are interested in letting the DOE staff hear from you about the value of environmental and outdoor education to student success and teacher quality, please go to ESEA.comments@ed.gov and let Secretary Duncan and the Obama Administration know that you support the inclusion of NCLI in the reauthorized ESEA.

The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Coalition has set a goal of having 50,000 emails sent to Secretary Duncan's office in support of the inclusion of NCLI in the reauthorized ESEA.  Now is the time to show our support for environmental education.  Comments needed by the third week of January 2010.

NCLI formed in 2006 and has come along way in just a few years. However, the real work in support of environmental and outdoor education is still ahead.  We want to ensure that all of our nation's students graduate from high school as environmentally literate students who are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century but it is going to take each and every one of us. 

Additional information:
  • Join the hundreds of organizations and agencies who have signed on as Coalition members.   See current list of California Coalition Members and Congressional Support:   NCLI Coalition Members for California

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Update:  Education and the Environment Initiative

The State Board of Education unanimously approved 76 EEI units at their January 2010 meeting.  Congratulations to the staff at Cal EPA and the California Integrated Waste Management Board and to the many consultants, writers, reviewers, editors, etc. involved in the development of this curriculum for California schools!  We look forward to the approval of the remaining units in March.  The current versions of the EEI units are available at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Education/EEI/Curriculum/Default.htm#CurriculumUnits.

Read Superintendent Jack O'Connell's press release at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/PressRoom/Releases/2010/Jan06EEI.pdf.

As we celebrate EEI's approval today, we also look ahead to the huge task of training California's teachers to use the units in their classrooms.  Planning and fund raising efforts for teacher professional development are underway.  Stay tuned!  Posted 1/7/10

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