Linking EE with Subject Areas At the University of Houston the students learn about environmental education three times in three different subject areas. In the first year of courses the students are introduced to Project WILD a wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 and Project Learning Tree (PLT), an award-winning environmental education program for pre-school to grade 12. Later in their schooling they are trained as as WILD and PLT instructors and use activities from these programs to develop a teaching unit. Many of the students use these skills, tools and materials to draw on for their practicums.
Linking EE with Professors Not too far away at the University of Texas future teachers are taught by professors and assistant instructors who are all certified in PLT, WILD and another environmental education program called GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment). Training faculty was a four year process but they now have a group that can sustain the program and mentor new instructors as they join the university. Al Stenstrup, director of education programs for the American Forest Foundation states “once you get professors in the schools of education and natural resources involved and using good environmental education materials, the environmental education programs at that university becomes more sustainable.”
(Archie, n.d. p. 6)
Linking EE with Technology University of Wisconsin developed an online course that provides basic knowledge of environmental education and the skills to incorporate it into instruction. In the beginning universities were required to pay a $500 fee to offer the course. But this was not meeting the original purpose of increasing the number of educators implementing EE, therefore they reversed the fee structure and offered professors $500 to adapt the course and offer it to a minimum of a dozen students. Another key element was to provide assistance to first-time instructors.
Linking EE with Certification The states of Wisconsin and Kentucky require all new teachers to be knowledgeable in environmental education in order to receive their certification. Washington State offers distinct endorsements for environmental education. Initiatives such as these help to foster the demand for environmental education programs as well as contribute to their expansion. PLT’s Manager of Education and Network Partnerships estimates that 40 percent of the educators who use PLT get their training during their university course work. PLT is incorporated into the education program of approximately 360 universities ranging from science to early childhood to methods classes. (Archie, n.d.) I examined the University’s Education Department offerings but was unable to discern if environmental education is embedded into any of the teacher certification courses. If this is presently not the case, I view this as an effective approach to positively influence and move EE forward in our educational system. I recognize that this is a long term commitment that requires consensus and collaboration from many stakeholders. However as indicated in this paper, many universities have proven that it is achievable, but there is still more to do. Brenda
Weiser from University of Houston believes that “the really big bang for the buck will be when environmental education, like technology, is infused into every pre-service program and every special program area”(Archie, n.d. p.7 ).
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