Letter to Governor WolfA membership forum was held at the 2015 PAEE Conference with the goal of drafting a letter to Governor Wolf that would highlight importance of environmental education in Pennsylvania, and to provide input on how his administration could help to promote the work of the environmental education community.
Along with an introduction to PAEE, the letter included 16 action items that were drafted during the forum. The letter was sent to the Governor and his cabinet on February 2nd, 2016. |
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February 2, 2016
The Honorable Thomas Wolf
Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Office of the Governor, Room 225
Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear Governor Wolf:
On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE), I would like to congratulate you on your successful campaign to be the 47th Governor of Pennsylvania and on your first year as governor.
Founded in 1977, PAEE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and empower environmental educators. The audience we serve includes educators from nature centers, state agencies, community organizations, and non-profits, as well as naturalists, school teachers, principals, preschool educators, college professors, industry professionals, students, and retirees. What this diverse group of educators has in common is a commitment for a more sustainable Pennsylvania and a mission to empower a citizenry to address environmental challenges through education.
PAEE represents Pennsylvania environmental educators on regional and national environmental education initiatives including the Pennsylvania Environmental Education Advisory Committee, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Literacy Task Force for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and as the state affiliate to the North American Association for Environmental Education. We provide opportunities for networking and professional development through our annual conference, Project WET and Project Learning Tree training, and the Environmental Education Certification Program. We are also working to increase the diversity of our educators and audiences through the EE Capacity Project.
At the 2015 annual conference of PAEE, the membership held a forum called “Dear Governor Wolf.” The forum developed a list of environmental education action items that we would like to work with you and appropriate cabinet members to implement across the Commonwealth. These items have been reviewed and approved by the PAEE Board of Directors. They are included on the next two pages.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss these items with you and your cabinet members about possible collaborative environmental education activities and programs. Again, let me congratulate you on your election and the strong start to your efforts as Governor.
Sincerely,
Edward J. McCrea
PAEE President
The Honorable Thomas Wolf
Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Office of the Governor, Room 225
Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear Governor Wolf:
On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE), I would like to congratulate you on your successful campaign to be the 47th Governor of Pennsylvania and on your first year as governor.
Founded in 1977, PAEE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and empower environmental educators. The audience we serve includes educators from nature centers, state agencies, community organizations, and non-profits, as well as naturalists, school teachers, principals, preschool educators, college professors, industry professionals, students, and retirees. What this diverse group of educators has in common is a commitment for a more sustainable Pennsylvania and a mission to empower a citizenry to address environmental challenges through education.
PAEE represents Pennsylvania environmental educators on regional and national environmental education initiatives including the Pennsylvania Environmental Education Advisory Committee, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Literacy Task Force for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and as the state affiliate to the North American Association for Environmental Education. We provide opportunities for networking and professional development through our annual conference, Project WET and Project Learning Tree training, and the Environmental Education Certification Program. We are also working to increase the diversity of our educators and audiences through the EE Capacity Project.
At the 2015 annual conference of PAEE, the membership held a forum called “Dear Governor Wolf.” The forum developed a list of environmental education action items that we would like to work with you and appropriate cabinet members to implement across the Commonwealth. These items have been reviewed and approved by the PAEE Board of Directors. They are included on the next two pages.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss these items with you and your cabinet members about possible collaborative environmental education activities and programs. Again, let me congratulate you on your election and the strong start to your efforts as Governor.
Sincerely,
Edward J. McCrea
PAEE President
Action Items Recommended at the 'Dear Governor Wolf' Forum |
1. |
Designate a person to provide statewide leadership for environmental education.
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2. |
Initiate more collaborative activities to promote environmental education excellence at our state parks and state forests encouraging support for full time environmental educators and stronger partnerships between state facilities and public/private schools to give every child meaningful outdoor experiences.
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3. |
Encourage the revision and updating of the Department of Education’s standards for Environment and Ecology and reimplementation of the praxis on the environment.
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4. |
Provide a continuous series of meaningful environmental learning experiences from pre-K through 12th grade. Pennsylvania’s natural heritage of diverse habitats such as rivers and forests, plus newly created habitats such as urban areas, coalfields, suburban areas, etc., should be experienced by every student in our public/private schools throughout their education. Through these experiences, students should also be introduced to environmental careers and learn about Pennsylvania’s conservation and environmental legacy.
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5. |
Provide for every student to be involved in investigative real-life challenges and solutions on environmental issues relating to sustainability, climate change, land use planning, energy, water, waste, recycling, air quality and transportation. Environmental literacy includes the application of environmental knowledge as an integrated context to other disciplines such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects as well as civics and citizenship. It involves connections to family, community, region, watershed, and state.
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6. |
Provide for every student to be involved in investigative real-life challenges and solutions on environmental issues relating to sustainability, climate change, land use planning, energy, water, waste, recycling, air quality and transportation. Environmental literacy includes the application of environmental knowledge as an integrated context to other disciplines such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects as well as civics and citizenship. It involves connections to family, community, region, watershed, and state.
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7. |
Collaborate with PAEE and its partners in the Environmental Education Capacity Program that is designed to build capacity and diversity plus insure that the field is representative of all the cultures and backgrounds found across the Commonwealth.
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8. |
Ensure that underserved students and adults receive assistance in developing the understandings and knowledge they need to foster environmental justice and environmental quality in their communities.
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9. |
Develop student and teacher recognition programs. Students should be encouraged and recognized for their achievements in environmental subjects. Districts could provide special recognition for environmental achievements at each level with final recognition upon graduation. In a like manner, teachers should be recognized for their implementation of outstanding programs.
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10. |
Provide outdoor free-play experiences in natural areas where trees and open space encourage healthy and creative child-driven activities.
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11. |
Provide and support professional development for teachers and administrators in order to ensure that children receive meaningful environmental experiences and superior environmental education.
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12. |
Include at least one environmental education course for every pre-service teacher—courses that emphasize how to integrate content into curriculum and embed education for sustainability.
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13. |
Provide additional funding to support voluntary implementation of environmental education programs and services. The Environmental Education Fund from the Department of Environmental Protection should be expanded to include a category of larger sums of money that can support the development and coordination of statewide initiatives and statewide training for professional development and systems change.
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14. |
Encourage collaborative efforts to ensure that school facilities are healthy, sustainable places of learning for students and teachers. School district officials should be trained and held accountable for environmental quality, storm water management, recycling, water conservation, water quality, energy conservation, wildlife habitat, air quality, natural lighting, and safety standards. Schools should be community leaders for sustainability and implement best practices as models for the education of students and the state’s citizens.
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15. |
Promote collaboration across the Commonwealth to facilitate opportunities for supporting and expanding environmental education contained in the “Every Student Succeeds Act” recently passed by Congress.
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16. |
Support collaborative activities to achieve the Environmental Literacy Goal of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement: "Enable students in the region to graduate with the knowledge and skills to act responsibly to protect and restore their local watershed."
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