THE NATIONAL PICTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

What’s going on and

will it affect me?

LAST YEARBipartisan support for No Child Left Inside ActMention of EE for the first time in Department

of Education Blueprint documentsEE Act introduced for reauthorization and

EPA Office of EE FundedEETAP’s successor funded for first year and

national competition held47 states working on National Literacy plansMajor EE curriculum initiatives at NOAA,

NASA, Department of Energy, NSF

No Child Left IndoorsStill good support in SenateNot clear about support in HouseState Literacy Plans a plusBudget cuts likely mean no new programs

fundedMy need to slide NCLI into NCLB

EETAP’s SuccessorCompetition has been heldAward has been madeWill not be announced until details taken

care of (2-3 weeks?)Funding in place for first yearFunding uncertain from then on

National EE ActAct probably won’t be reintroducedOffice of EE now staffed by temporary

reassignment of EPA staffOld staff no longer thereQuestions about support from administration

and funding from congressAdministration budget will be released on

February 14 so will see how the Office fares then

State Literacy Plans47 states and the District of Columbia are

working on themMaryland, Nebraska, Oregon, and Maine

have finished theirsMany more are in the pipeline and will

probably be finished this yearSupport from states even without any Federal

money is encouraging

WHAT NEXT?Budget crises at the national and state levels

likely to work against funding for EERepublican control of House may mean less

support for EEHowever, if you can tag on to climate, ocean,

or energy education, there is money and support out there

Bipartisan support for No Child Left Inside may enable passage after all, but perhaps in a different form