California Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN)
November 17, 2011
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 4309, Sacramento, CA 95814
Lead: Mike BrughNote taker: Ingrid van Dijk
Attendance:
Bobbie Winn
Mike Brugh
Donna Pozzi
Annie Kohut Frankel (phone)
Natalie Lee (phone)
Kay Antunez
Susan Knadle
Mary Welna
Amy Vierra
Melissa Langeland
Michelle Robinson
Sharon Jang – via email
Minutes
Approval of minutes for September and October meetings postponed until January. Updates on outstanding action items also postponed until January.
Committee Reports and Discussion
Administration & Organization- 2012 host list was passed around the attending group and was later to be faxed/e-mailed to Natalie.
- The reworking of the formatting of minutes and agendas, keeping in mind ADA compliance, is being dealt with.
- A new draft MOU has been shared electronically. Members asked to review and send any comments to the committee by Dec. 2, 2011. Donna questioned the date mentioned as the original MOU. She and Kay will check on the dates of all previous MOUs. They are also waiting for responses/comments from agencies regarding “protocol” for advancing the MOU for Agency Secretary level signatures.
- The committee’s next meeting is a phone meeting on December 7th.
- Kay will host the January meeting, has a speaker in mind, should know for sure shortly. She would like to meet at CalEPA building if possible. Natalie will check on that.
Communications and Outreach
- Kay shared that the CSTA conference went well and there were many good sessions. 69 of the presenters have posted materials to the CSTA web page.
- Michelle responded to comments about the color of the front of the brochure and for the time being that color cannot be changed.
Leadership, Legislation and Diversity
Jim Greco sent an email stating the “Environmental Literacy Task Force” has not been approved by CDE. “No Child Left Inside” will probably not pass, and there is no funding for it if it does. There isn’t internal CDE support for the Task Force but there is external interest. Tom Torlakson’s position on the issue is unknown; discussions are underway.
EEI Updates
- Is on track and moving forward. Working with Offices of Education in 8 target counties (Shasta, Sacramento, San Francisco, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Riverside and Los Angeles) this year and will go larger over the next 2-3 years, eventually covering all counties in the state. Two counties have come to EEI on their own initiative, unknown how that will develop.
- Some materials are available electronically on the web page. Due to the redesigning of the web page not everything is available electronically at this time.
- EEI is now on Facebook and lists events they participate in there, such as the Educator Extravaganza at Cal Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
- CREEC has been helping coordinate workshops to get EEI into school districts. They’ve been great to work with and a wonderful partner.
Guest Speaker
Amy Vierra, Natural Resources Agency
“Thank You Ocean” Program (partnership between State of California and NOAA’s office of National Marine Sanctuaries)
The main goal of “Thank You Ocean” is to raise awareness of the benefits the ocean provides for us, and to promote ocean stewardship. Their catch phrase is “Oceans take care of us, let’s return the favor.” The program started with the Ocean Communicator Alliance in 2006.
Public Service Announcements (PSA) were produced to raise awareness of the concern and aired on the web site, on social media, You Tube, and on television. The desired result was/is for changed behavior and raised awareness of the problems. Evaluating the effectiveness of the PSAs has been difficult.
The website is designed to be an interactive portal for the public, including podcasts and various links for more information. There has been some print advertising on billboards, bus shelters, in magazines and newspapers, again, to raise awareness and point people to the web page for more information. The web page has four main focus points: Climate Change, Marine Debris, Water Pollution, and Marine Life Decline.
One handicap to the program is the limitations on advocacy messages that can be voiced. The best they can do is link to other organizations that can do it.
With the help of some federal grants a bilingual campaign was done in Santa Barbara, with posters, radio spots, and more. Volunteers did surveys afterward to try and evaluate the effectiveness of campaign.
Thank You Ocean, together with the Coastal Commission, is sponsoring a photo contest with members of the public posting their pictures to the web page and voting on the photos posted.
Major challenges faced by the program:- Lack of dedicated funding, surviving mostly on small grants
- Low staff availability
- Lack of capacity to stay in touch with ocean communicators
- Lack of advocacy ability
- Difficulties in the evaluation processes
Amy would love to this program to be a vehicle for other agencies to get their messages out, for agencies to see the value in engaging with Thank You Ocean.
The web page does have ‘Just for Kids’ section. It’s limited and not curriculum oriented at this time. Amy will connect with Natalie to work on working standards into the materials presented for kids.
Comments
Mike:
- Students worked with the Modesto waste management authority to create “brochures” about recycling and then passed them out in their neighborhood– this is one way to create awareness in the community as the brochures will likely be put on the refrigerator as opposed to being thrown “away.”
- Teams of students to address issues of importance of picking up litter to keep ocean clean.
- Schools can partner with community agencies to get their message out.
- Many children can’t relate to ocean if they’ve never seen it, need to make oceans relevant to them.
- Misunderstandings may come from misinterpretation of terminology.
- “Erase the Waste” – pet waste and cigarette butts/wrappers influencing the oceans. Hispanic audience targeted.
What’s New in Your World
Kay (CAL FIRE)
Forestry Institute for Teachers (FIT) brochures passed out.
Arbor Day/Week promotion for kids to grasp the importance of trees.
Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT) holds workshops promoting hands on learning.
Mary Welna from CAL FIRE’s Communication’s office mentioned the wildfire defense program/campaign – radio ads, printed ads that are colorful and not “scary.”
Donna (Parks)
Move out to McClellan coming for some State Parks offices and warehouses currently in West Sacramento; idea is to make it more of a public facility at that location.
PORTS program has two new sites:
- Baldwin Hills – sponsored by Toyota, focusing on climate change
- Anza-Borrego – sponsored by Boeing, focusing on “the scientific method”
DFG launching a campaign in Tahoe/Truckee area emphasizing bears and keeping them wild. They have announced a film contest for high schoolers to make short films about ‘how to live with bears’.
American Fisheries and Wildlife Association has guidelines with benchmarks, curriculum for teachers that are downloadable. They address the question of what educators should be teaching in the classroom to help with wildlife issues. Bobby will send a link.
Susan (OEHHA) – nothing to report Michelle (DWR)Art contest for kids (4-6 grades) for Creek Week – How We Care for Creeks (link to be sent). This campaign will start with just one school district (San Juan Unified).
Also working on teacher check out bins for CREEC coordinators. The bins will include EEI materials and other items the coordinators have requested. Emphasis to be water issues along with general environmental issues. Some printed materials are available for teachers. Teacher will have to pick up the bins, they won’t be shipped.
Discussion brought out the need for outcome-based materials to be include (i.e., quizzes). Possibly do an initial classroom presentation and leave the kit for the teacher to use, then do a follow-up afterward.
Mike (CDE)Next generation of science standards are being developed, to include engineering. This is a 20 state initiative. The draft of the standards should be out middle of next year.
Green Ribbon program – 4 nominations from California to become Green Ribbon Schools. There are specific criteria that need to be met to be eligible.
California STEM Service-Learning Initiative – 40 High School afterschool programs from three of the 8 regions have been identifie to participate in the Initiative.
CSU Math/Science Teacher Initiative – undergrads and multi-subject teachers targeted to tutor, shadow, etc. – will be recruited to be STEM Service-Learning Project Advisors over one school year. Pilot program to be done in 4 regions.
Melissa (CAL BOATING)Poster contest at schools, targeting after school programs; mostly private schools respond.
Michelle will help with providing expanded teacher/school lists to connect with for the contest.
Annie (Coastal Commission)Photo contest
Travelling photo exhibit – emphasizing environmental stewardship
Student art and poetry contest, deadline late January
Sending out info to coastal visitor centers and libraries as avenues of outreach
Resource Workshop by CRC in Santa Cruz, introduced teachers to EEI
Natali (CAL EPA, Office of EEI) – no additional news
Sharon (US-EPA)
EPA updated/revamped their student’s website
. There is also a new environmental blog for students where students can tell EPA what they’re doing to protect our environment and they can read what other kids are doing. There are links to other student environmental sites
as well as contests they can enter.
EPA has also launched a new teachers award program together with the White House Council on Environmental Quality: Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. This program recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Two teachers from each EPA Region will be selected to receive this award
.
President's Environmental Youth Award
, application deadline December 31, 2011.
Action Items
- Kay will check records to identify original MOU (under Doug Wheeler)
- Complete sign-ups for next year’s meetings
- Review/Approve minutes from September and October
- Update outstanding Action Items (October)
