Promoting and Improving Environmental Education for people of all ages in New Jersey
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Getting the Word Out

This is an information and action based area to address Environmental Alerts and other Environmental Education based issues.

  • ANJEE Adopts National Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence
  • ANJEE - Legislative Alert -Action Request- No Child Left Inside Act of 2007

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    The Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE) promotes excellence in the field of environmental education.

    In support of this, the ANJEE Executive Board voted unanimously at the March Executive Board Meeting to adopt the national environmental education guidelines that have been established for the field of environmental education.

    The environmental education guidelines are designed for use by environmental education (EE) providers; that is, non-formal and formal educators who develop or deliver EE materials, programs, classes or training programs while working with students in grades K – 12, teachers and teachers in training, or other EE professionals.

    Beginning in 1993, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) developed a series of guidelines that set the standards for high-quality environmental education (EE) and NAAEE is encouraging the use of these guidelines by EE providers in each state.

    According to NAAEE, the use of these guidelines by EE professionals nationwide will help ensure the development of balanced, scientifically accurate, consistent and comprehensive environmental education programs, services and resources.

    The guidelines are organized in a series of manuals that focus on the following topics:

    • “Materials” -The development and selection of quality environmental education materials;
    • “Learner” - Learner expectations for student performance and achievement in grades 4, 8 and 12;
    • “Provider”- Recommendations for the preparation and continuing education of teachers and other environmental educators;
    • “Non-Formal” - Recommendations for the design and implementation of non-formal environmental education programs; and
    • “Resources” - Guides to quality environmental education materials.

    The guidelines can be examined or downloaded online for free by going to NAAEE’s web site at www.naaee.org/programs-and-initiatives/guidelines-for-excellence.

    To learn more about how ANJEE will introduce, promote and use these guidelines contact Mr. Jerry Schierloh, Director of ANJEE’s Environmental Education Advancement Group, at jts4green@optonline.net.

    Now is also an excellent time to make the formal decision to adopt these guidelines for your own use. Our commitment to developing an environmentally literate citizenry can best be done by environmental education programs that meet the professionalism and credibility that these guidelines promote. To learn more about the guidelines, contact Dr. Bora Simmons, Director of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, at boras@niu.edu.

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    ANJEE - Legislative Alert -Action Request- No Child Left Inside Act of 2007

    Urge Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007

    On July 12th, Maryland Congressman John P. Sarbanes introduced the standalone "No Child Left Inside Act of 2007". The bill was assigned number H.R. 3036 and was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor for possible action. This bill urges Congress to include critical environmental education measures in the No Child Left Behind law. Please encourage your Representative to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation!

    With the nation facing complicated environmental issues that will challenge us for years to come, it is critical that schools provide students with a solid grounding in environmental education. But because of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), many schools are scaling back or eliminating environmental education programs. Congress has the opportunity to change this with the reauthorization of NCLB.

    The language in the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 recommends including environmental education in NCLB in these ways:

  • Provide incentives for state educational agencies to create a State Environmental Literacy Plan for integrating environmental education into their K-12 curriculum to ensure that graduates are environmentally literate.
  • Provide funding to help states, schools systems, and environmental education partners to implement the State Environmental Literacy Plan.

    Help us guarantee that no student is left inside when it comes to the learning about their environment.

    1. Urge your Representative to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 and support inclusion of environmental education in NCLB. Send an e-mail now. (Letters are subject to security checks that delay them considerably and may be too late to be effective.) You can use a web based form to contact your legislator at: secure2.convio.net/cbf/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=435&JServSessionIdr011=yxp5q0w5a5.app20a

    2. After sending your email or fax, call your Representative's office and ask to speak to the education staff person. Tell him or her how important it is that your Representative co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act. You can find "Talking Points" on the web at: www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_sub_actioncenter_federal_nclb_points

    3. If you'd like to continue to receive updates on this bill send a message to ee_advocacy@yahoo.com Tell your friends, family, and colleagues by forwarding this alert to them. Ask them to contact their Representatives. By making a few changes to the NCLB education bill, we can dramatically improve our schools' ability to prepare children for real-world challenges and careers and ensure an environmentally sustainable future.

    Source-ANJEE: The Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education
    For additional information on ANJEE visit www.anjee.org
    For additional information on the bill visit www.eenclb.org

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