Bora Simmons
National Project for
Excellence in EE
Elizabeth Schmitz
Kentucky EE Council
Elaine Hampton
University of Texas
at El Paso
U.S. EPA
 Office of Environmental Education
EECapacity
 EPA funded national EE training program
housed in Cornell University’s Civic Ecology Lab
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
National Environmental Education Foundation
State EE Associations – such as TAEE
Organizational partners – such as the Kentucky
Environmental Education Council, Project
Learning Tree, Arbor Day Foundation, Project
WILD, Keep America Beautiful, Project WET
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Developed Guidelines through a public
participatory process
Engaging educators in a deep discussion about
quality environmental education practice
Building EE as a profession
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A Resource That Provides:
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A common, voluntary set of guidelines for EE
Expectations for achievement in 4th, 8th and 12th
grades
A framework for EE programs and curricula
Demonstrations on how EE can be used to meet
traditional standards
A definition of the aims of EE
Developed through a broad-based review and
comment process
Four Strands
1) Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation
Skills
2) Knowledge of Environmental Process and
Systems
3) Skills for Understanding and Addressing
Environmental Issues
4) Personal and Civic Responsibility
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Questioning
Designing investigations
Collecting information
Evaluating accuracy & reliability
Organizing information
Working with models & simulation
Drawing conclusions & developing explanations
Divided into four sub-strands:
The Earth as a physical system
The living environment
Humans & their societies
Environment & Society
Divided into two sub-strands:
 Skills
for analyzing & investigating
environmental issues
 Decision-making & citizenship skills
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Understanding societal values & principles
Recognizing citizens’ rights &
responsibilities
Recognizing efficacy
Accepting personal responsibility
Excellence in
Environmental
Education:
Guidelines for
Learning (K-12)
Executive
Summary & SelfAssessment Tool
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A state agency housed in the Education and
Workforce Development Cabinet (KY Department
of Education – KDE – is a sister agency).
Created by the legislature in 1990; coordinates
environmental education in the Commonwealth.
Governor appoints 9 Council members
representing environment, education, & industry.
Funded with environmental fees and penalties
through the Energy and Environment Cabinet.
PROGRAMS &
PUBLICATIONS
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Kentucky Nonformal
Environmental Education
Certification Course
Kentucky Green and
Healthy Schools
Kentucky Environmental
Literacy Plan
EEinKentucky.org
Master Plan and Survey –
Land, Legacy, and Learning
KEY PARTNERSHIPS
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Organizational member:
Kentucky Association for
Environmental Education
(KAEE), a 501c3 and the
NAAEE affiliate for
Kentucky.
Serve on the NAAEE’s
Nonformal Certification
Accreditation Board.
Southeast Environmental
Education Alliance
Kentucky Environmental
Literacy Alliance
PROGRAM
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Based on the NAAEE
Guidelines for the Preparation
and Professional Development
of Environmental Educators;
137 Graduates since 2004
launch;
Four three-day trainings
held at state parks and urban
centers;
Series of competency-based
assessments;
Continuing Education
component
GOALS
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Graduates will obtain:
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Increased content knowledge;
Understanding of difference
between education and
advocacy;
Skills to effectively work with
both teachers and other
nonformal environmental
educators;
Historical understanding of
the EE field;
The opportunity to network
with other educators
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Workshop 1: Environmental Literacy &
Foundations of Environmental Education +
Independent Study: Historical Readings
 NAAEE
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Workshop 2: Professional Responsibilities of
the Environmental Educator
 NAAEE
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Themes 1 & 2
Theme 3
Workshops 3 & 4: Instruction and Evaluation
 NAAEE
Themes 4-6
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Approved by the Kentucky Board of Education in
December, 2011 for KDE implementation;
Implementation Plan written in Spring, 2012;
Correlations between NAAEE Guidelines in
Excellence in Environmental Education for Learners
and Kentucky Common Core Standards for Math, and
Kentucky Common Core Standards for English
Language Arts, written in Spring, 2012;
Strongest connections to Common Core Content
found in Strand One; National Science and Social
Studies Standards will connect well with Strands 2,
3, and 4
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Common Core adopted by 42 states;
Some flexibility allowed for limited local control;
Ultimately, these correlations should be relevant for
all Common Core states;
Next Generation Science Standards anticipated in
Winter, 2012;
New National Social Studies Standards also on the
way;
The KELP Implementation Advisory Team will
correlate NAAEE Guidelines to these standards as
part of implementing the KELP.
Anchor Standards for Reading NAAEE: Guidelines for
(K-12)
Learning
(4th Grade)
NAAEE: Guidelines for
Learning
(8th Grade)
NAAEE: Guidelines for
Learning
(12th Grade)
1C. Collecting information – Learners
are able to locate and collect reliable
information for environmental
investigations of many types. They
know how to use sophisticated
technology to collect information,
including computer programs that
access, gather, store, and display
data.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations – Learners
are able to use evidence and logic in
developing proposed explanations
that address their initial questions
and hypotheses.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations – Learners
are able to use evidence and logic in
developing proposed explanations
that address their initial questions
and hypotheses.
Key Ideas and Details
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1. Read closely to determine
what the text says explicitly
and to make logical inferences
from it; cite specific textual
evidence when writing or
speaking to support
conclusions drawn from the
text.
1C. Collecting information –
Learners are able to locate and collect
information about the environment
and environmental topics.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations –
Learners can develop simple
explanations that address their
questions about the environment.
1C. Collecting information –Learners
are able to locate and collect reliable
information about the environment
or environmental topics using a
variety of methods and sources.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations –
Learners are able to synthesize their
observations and findings into
coherent explanations.
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2. Determine central ideas or
themes of a text and analyze
their development; summarize
the key supporting details and
ideas.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations –
Learners can develop simple
explanations that address their
questions about the environment.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations –
Learners are able to synthesize their
observations and findings into
coherent explanations.
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3. Analyze how and why
individuals, events, and ideas
develop and interact over the
course of a text.
1A. Questioning –
Learners are able to develop
questions that help them learn about
the environment and do simple
investigations.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations –
Learners can develop simple
explanations that address their
questions about the environment.
1A. Questioning –
Learners are able to develop, focus,
and explain questions that help them
learn about the environment and do
environmental investigations.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations –
Learners are able to synthesize their
observations and findings into
coherent explanations.
1A. Questioning –
Learners are able to develop, modify,
clarify, and explain questions that
guide environmental investigations of
various types. They understand
factors that influence the questions
they pose.
1G. Drawing conclusions and
developing explanations – Learners
are able to use evidence and logic in
developing proposed explanations
that address their initial questions
and hypotheses.
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EPA’s US‐Mexico Border Environmental
Education Program at University of Texas at El
Paso
Partnership with El Paso Independent School
District
Increase understanding about air quality issues
and participation in environmental fields
20 master teachers are developing ten inquirybased curriculum units
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Create bilingual, air-quality curriculum
drawing from social, economic, bi-cultural and
political context of El Paso, Texas
Reaching 50,000 children per year
Dissemination to other school districts through
workshops and web-based resources.
Includes two case studies:
 large
copper smelter located in the heart of El Paso
 Impact of truck and automobile emissions on public
health
UNIT EVALUATION BASED IN THE
GUIDELINES
 Addresses NAAEE Guidelines
 Each
unit identifies the NAAEE guidelines by
number.
 Students are making connections to other disciplines
and real-world context.
 Students examine multiple points of view when
appropriate.
 Students are developing skills to communicate
environmental understandings.
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Students examine social justice issues in the
unit.
 Each
unit has clearly identified social justice strand.
This strand is appropriate for the grade level and is
based in sound science. Students examine this strand
through stories, experiences of community members,
long term and short term effects, etc.
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Students take personal or civic action based
on the lessons learned in the unit.
 Each
unit has a clearly identified personal and/or
civic action strand.
 Students develop a variety of community
participation skills
 Students use information they learned in the unit to
arrive at their own conclusions about what needs to
be done
 Based on thorough research develop some activity
that will in some way lead to improved air quality.
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Crosswalks with the Essential Principles for
Ocean Literacy, Climate Literacy, and Energy
Literacy
No Child Left Inside – State Environmental
Literacy Plans
Green Ribbon Schools Awards
http://eelinked.net/n/guidelines
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Offer a workshop thru our
Guidelines Trainers’ Bureau
Access information thru EELinked:
eelinked.net/n/guidelines
Attend another webinar
May 1st 1:00pm (Eastern)
Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development
May 8th 4:00pm (Eastern)
Nonformal EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence
June 26th 4:00pm (Eastern)
Early Childhood EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence
For more information:
Akiima Price
akiima@apriceconsulting.com