There’s a committed effort taking place in Washington right now that could change the face of how we get kids outside and teach them about the environment in this country.

First the background: Environmental education began to emerge in the 1970s as landmark environmental steps were being taken. Over several decades, interest in and support for the topic grew.

In the past few years, though, we have seen an unfortunate reversal of that trend as many schools are devoting fewer resources and less time to the environment. We believe much of this is due to the effects of the No Child Left Behind law, passed five years ago. With so much riding on high-stakes tests, schools are spending more time on subjects that are formally tested, and less on others, including environmental education.

At the same time, federal resources to help states teach about the natural world have been woefully inadequate.

Today, a potent coalition is working to change that through the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007.

The bill (H.R. 3036 and S. 1981) would provide federal funding to states to train teachers in environmental education and to operate model environmental education programs, which include outdoor learning. The bill would also provide funding to states that create environmental literacy plans to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate. And it provides new funding through an environmental education grant program to build state and national capacity.

I am convinced that these steps will revolutionize environmental education in this country, and create a new awareness of environmental issues, improve children’s health and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable society. And given the enormous challenges facing the environment, it is critical that we improve environmental instruction now.

One of the most exciting aspects of our work is our success in developing an unprecedented coalition of support. It includes major environmental groups, educational groups such as the National Education Association and health-related organizations, including the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

We also have strong support in Pennsylvania, from groups such as Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators, the Strawberry Hill Nature Center and Preserve and Delaware Valley Earth Force. This support grows out of Pennsylvania’s commitment to the issue, as evidenced by its adoption of excellent environment and ecology standards.

Certainly, Pennsylvania is poised to be a national leader in environmental education and we hope Pennsylvania’s large environmental community will actively support our effort in Washington.

Right now is a critical time for the legislation as Congress begins to consider a reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law, which our bill would amend. In particular, we need more co-sponsors for the bill and more support, particularly among Republicans.

If you believe that children should be spending more time outside, learning and playing, please tell Congress. If you believe that children should be better prepared to address increasingly complex environmental issues, let your representatives know.

We believe that the nation’s public schools have a critical role ensuring that both of these goals are met.

Don Baugh is director of education at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which is spearheading the No Child Left Inside Coalition.

Note: “No Child Left Inside” is used with permission from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. For more information about the No Child Left Inside Act visit the No Child Left Inside Coalition website.

9/28/2007