Earth Day Network

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America Needs Environmental Education

November 21, 2009

Subject:

Dear Member of Congress:

Dear Senator

Our nation is grappling with complicated environmental issues that affect all of us as well as generations to come.  It is more critical than ever that U.S. schools provide students with a solid environmental education.  However, our schools are increasingly leaving environmental education behind and reallocating resources to emphasize math and reading instruction in order to meet mandates under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The Senate must follow the lead of House of Representatives and pass the No Child Left Inside Act, which will amend the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) to:

1.	Extend the NEEA through fiscal year 2009.

2.	Introduce incentives for state educational agencies to create their own Environmental Literacy Plan.  State plans would integrate environmental education into K-12 curriculum and ensure that graduates are environmentally literate.

3.	Expand the scope of NEAA by creating the National Capacity Environmental Education Grant Program, which authorizes the Secretary of the USDE to award grants to State Educational Agencies with Environmental Literacy Plans.

4.	Authorize funding to help states, schools systems, and environmental education partners implement their state's Environmental Literacy Plan.

5.	Provide $14 million additional funding for teacher and professional development training programs to support environmental education.

The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act goes a long way toward giving environmental education the attention it deserves. Please support strengthening the NEAA by supporting environmental education.

Thank you.

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