The Environmental Education Program has the primary purpose of supporting programs and projects which will result in long-term educational benefits to potentially all California educators and/or students.
The state legislature approved the allocation of Environmental License Plate Funds (ELPF) to the California Department of Education (CDE) to support the distribution of funds through the Environmental Education Program.
The 2012-13 Environmental Education Grant Program Request for Application (RFA) is available to view. The deadline to submit an application was March 30, 2012.
The funding results from the 2012-13 Environmental Education Grant Program RFA are available for viewing.
The funding results from the 2011-12 Environmental Education Grant Program RFA are available for viewing.
Environmental Education Curriculum Resources for integrating environmental concepts into kindergarten through grade twelve lesson plans are available.
Definitions of Environmental Education, Environmental Science, and Place-based Education.
Statewide Environmental Education Resources
Partnering Agencies
California
Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN)
Consortium of the CDE,
the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Natural Resources Agency,
and the Department of Food and Agriculture that
supplies environmental educational services, materials, and programs.
Access curriculum and resources for each participating agency through this link.
State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER) (Outside Source)
A cooperative endeavor of 16 state departments of education working to enhance student achievement through environment-based education.
Programs and Initiatives
Agricultural Education
Resources for agriculture education programs, including classroom instruction, leadership, and supervised agricultural experience programs that prepare students for college or entrance into agricultural careers.
California Partnership Academies
The academy model is a three-year program, grades 10-12, structured as a school-within-a-school. Academies incorporate integrated academic and career technical education, viable business partnerships, mentoring and internships. Academies include environmental science, natural resources, environmental studies, green energy, and environmental technology.
California Student Assessment Project (PDF; Outside Source)
A SEER document about the effects of environment-based education on student achievement.
CalServe K-12 Service-Learning Initiative
Background information on the CalServe K-12 Serve-Learning Initiative and the Corporation for National and Community Service, Learn and Serve America.
CREEC Network (Outside
Source)
A statewide project, directed by the CDE, providing educators with high quality environmental education
resources. See the CREEC
Resource Directory (Outside Source) to access a searchable
database of resources in your county, region, or statewide.
Earth Day (Outside Source)
Earthday.gov is a cooperative effort across the entire U.S. government. Earthday.gov is a portal to resources and information for teachers and students that promotes environmental awareness and education throughout the year.
Education and the Environment Initiative (Outside Source)
The mission of the Education and Environment Initiative is to develop a unified strategy to bring education about the environment into school districts using the Model Curriculum Plan and California's Environmental Principles and Concepts.
NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program (Outside Source)
The B-WET Program is an environmental education program that supports locally relevant experiential learning in the kindergarten through grade twelve environment. The primary delivery is through competitive grants.
Project Learning Tree (Outside Source)
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. PLT is a program of the American Forest Foundation (Outside Source). It is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad, and continues to set the standard for environmental education excellence.
Project Wet (Outside Source)
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is an award-winning, nonprofit water education program and publisher. The program facilitates and promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and the establishment of internationally sponsored Project WET programs. The Water Education Foundation is the California Coordinator for Project WET.
Project Wild K-12, Project WILD Aquatic, and High School Science and Civics: Sustaining Wildlife (Outside Source)
A nationwide environmental education program consisting of activity guides and supplementary environmental materials for kindergarten through grade twelve classrooms, youth groups, home school, and nature centers. Completely revised in 2001, Project Wild encompasses over 165 environmental education activities. The Project Aquatic Activity Guide contains over 48 activities. Science and Civics may be used for teaching field methods and service learning.
Contest
Disney Planet Challenge (Outside Source)
Formerly known as Disney Environmentality Challenge, this environmental education program is offered to all fourth through sixth grade classes
throughout the U.S., including public and private schools. Recognition is given to students
who pledge to care for the environment and to teachers who coordinate
projects. Classes that complete projects and submit portfolios
to CDE can win prizes; historically this includes a class trip to Disneyland.
Program Questions
Anne Stephens, e-mail: astephens@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-319-0241
Alice Ng, e-mail: ang@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-323-4636
E-mail lists : If you would like to receive Environmental Science Education updates via e-mail notification about resources, workshops, institutes, funding opportunities, contests, and legislation related to Environmental Science and Environmental Education, subscribe to the Lyris e-mail list by sending a "blank" message to join-environmental-science-ed@mlist.cde.ca.gov.
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