Environmental Education Plan (pdf)North Carolina's Environmental Literacy Plan
In the fall of 2008, the N.C.Department of Public Instruction and the N.C. Department of Environment & Natural Resources entered into a partnership to develop a state environmental literacy plan. This partnership was created in response to federal legislation called the No Child Left Inside Act, which would provide increased funding for environmental education initiatives as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as No Child Left Behind). North Carolina's environmental literacy plan will be developed by DPI and DENR in partnership with Environmental Educators of North Carolina, the state professional association for environmental educators, and the NC Association of Environmental Education Centers, with additional input from a wide range stakeholders in the education and environmental communities.
NC Environmental Literacy Plan Final Draft
Environmental Literacy Plan - FINAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ends April 12. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/39HV6YK to provide feedback on the plan.
Final Draft of the Environmental Literacy Plan (.pdf) (.doc)
NC Environmental Literacy Plan - Draft 1.0. (.pdf) (.doc)
For more information, please contact Lisa Tolley at lisa.tolley@ncdenr.gov or Marty Wiggins at marty.wiggins@ncdenr.gov
No Child Left Inside
The No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) of 2009 (H.R. 2054) is an amendment of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It has a companion bill in the U.S. Senate (S. 866). It establishes 2 new federal grant programs for environmental education (EE) for teacher professional development, capacity building and developing state environmental literacy plans. Funding will be provided to state departments of education, who will provide subgrants to partnerships. To carry out these programs, the NCLI Act authorizes $100,000,000 each year for the next 5 years to be divided amongst the states. To be eligible for funding through these new grant programs, a state must have in place a PreK-12 Environmental Literacy Plan ensuring that elementary and secondary students are environmentally literate.
NC Environmental Literacy Plan Working Group
Representatives from DENR, DPI, EENC, NCAEEC, higher education, teacher education, teachers, environmental non-profits and other stakeholder groups actively participate in the NC Environmental Literacy Plan Working Group meetings on a bi-monthly basis.
News and Announcements
3.17.11 - Just published in Governing Magazine: “Can learning about the environment improve students’ lives? State education leaders hope so."
3.4.11 - NC Children and Nature Coalition is working with the state legislature to introduce the NC Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights.
2.25.11 - NC Environmental Literacy Plan presentation at the 2011 NC Council for Social Studies Conference in Greensboro.
2.5.11 - Comment period now closed on first draft of the NC Environmental Literacy Plan. All feedback is now being reviewed by the NC ELP Working Group. A second draft of the plan will be posted later this spring or early summer.
1.7.11 - Deadline for comments on the NC Environmental Literacy Plan - Draft 1.0 extended to February 4, 2011.
12.10.10 - The first draft of the NC Environmental Literacy Plan is now available for review and public comment. Comments will be received until January 21, 2011.
News Archive
References and Resources
No Child Left Inside Legislation
No Child Left Inside Act Summary (pdf, 292kb)
Fact sheet summarizes the content of the No Child Left Inside Act, including the 2 new environmental education grant programs and the requirement for the environmental literacy plan.
H.R. 2054/S.866 (pdf, 202kb)
Actual language of the bills introduced on April 22, 2009 in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
No Child Left Inside Coalition
The No Child Left Inside Coalition's web site has more information about national efforts underway to support the No Child Left Inside legislation.
North Carolina
North Carolina Environmental Education Plan, 3rd Edition (pdf, 3.0Mb)
N.C.'s master plan for environmental education. The environmental literacy plan supports many of the goals and objectives outlined in the NC Environmental Education Plan.
Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE)
North Carolina's Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort - also known as ACRE - is the state's comprehensive initiative to redefine the Standard Course of Study for K-12 students, the student testing program and the school accountability model. In undertaking this ambitious work, North Carolina education leaders are the first in the nation to address learning standards, student tests and school accountability simultaneously. Links to the draft Essential Standards and comment forms are provided at this web site. A timeline for adoption and implementation of the new standards is also available.
Environmental Literacy for North Carolina (pdf, 636kb)
This 2-page flyer outlines the work taking place in North Carolina to create an environmental literacy plan for the state.
National
Environmental Literacy in America (pdf, 2.9Mb)
What Ten Years of NEETF/Roper Research and Related Studies Say About Environmental Literacy in the U.S. Links to other National Environmental Education Foundation studies can be found here.
Developing a State Environmental Literacy Plan (pdf, 2.3Mb)
Resource guide for states who are working on an environmental literacy plan, developed by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).
Environmental Literacy Plan Network
This online network was developed by NAAEE to provide a venue for states to support each other's work on the environmental literacy plan. You must join the network in order to participate in discussions.
What Other States Are Doing
Developing an Environmental Literacy Plan for YOUR State (pdf, 582kb)
Presentation at the NAAEE 2009 Conference describing status of environmental literacy plan development across the country.
Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature
Maryland's environmental literacy planning efforts started through an Executive Order (pdf, 30kb) issued by Governor Martin O'Malley in April 2008. The Executive Order established a Partnership charged with developing and implementing an environmental literacy plan as well as a plan to provide youth with structured and unstructured opportunities for play, outdoor recreation, learning and scientific study. The Partnership issued their final report, which included the environmental literacy plan, in April 2009. In October 2009, they released the FY2010 State Action Plan for implementing the recommendations called for in the final report.
Final Report and Recommendations (pdf)
Executive Summary (pdf)
FY2010 State Action Plan (pdf)
Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environment Education
On August 11, 2010, the Nebraska Environmental Literacy Plan was presented to the Nebraska Board of Education. Over the past 12 months, NACEE has coordinated stakeholder meetings across the state of Nebraska to create a comprehensive Environmental Literacy Plan for the State of Nebraska. Through these input sessions, feedback from more than 110 individuals representing: classroom educators; nature centers; government agencies; non profits; environmental, conservation and agricultural organizations was obtained. The plan was well received by the Commissioners.
Nebraska Environmental Literacy Plan (pdf)
Executive Summary (pdf)
Oregon Environmental Literacy Task Force
The Oregon Environmental Literacy Task Force was created when House Bill 2544 (2009 Session) was signed into law. House Bill 2544, also known as the “No Child Left Inside Act,” created the eleven-member Oregon Environmental Literacy Task Force. The Task Force was charged with developing the Oregon Environmental Literacy Plan and reporting back to the Legislature by October 1, 2010.
Oregon Environmental Literacy Plan (pdf)
