Environmental Education Defined at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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Environmental Education Defined at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency

• Drew Burnett
• EPA Office of Environmental Education
• The Definitions Project
• Fort Collins, CO
• January 4-6, 2006

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Summary

• Background on EE research project conducted by
  EPA fellows
• How EE is defined at EPA
• Legislative definition
• Office of Environmental Education (OEE)
  definition
• EPA staff definition
• So, what does all this mean?

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EE Research Project

• Project conducted in 2004 by 2 NNEMS fellows
• One purpose of the project was to determine how
  EPA staff of EE programs understand and
  conceptualize EE, particularly in relation to
  EPAs mission
• Interviewed 52 EPA staff
• Result EE is defined in multiple ways within
  EPA

EPAs Mission The mission of the Environmental
Protection Agency is to protect human health and
the environment.
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Legislative Definition

• The National Environmental Education Act of 1990
  defines environmental education and
  environmental education and training as
• Educational activities and training activities
  involving elementary, secondary, and
  postsecondary students, as such terms are defined
  in the State in which they reside, and
  environmental education personnel, but does not
  include technical training activities directed
  toward environmental management professionals or
  activities primarily directed toward the support
  of noneducational research and development

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OEE Definition

• Environmental education increases public
  awareness and knowledge of environmental issues
  and challenges. Through EE, people gain an
  understanding of how their individual actions
  affect the environment, acquire skills that they
  can use to weigh various sides of issues, and
  become better equipped to make informed
  decisions. EE also gives people a deeper
  understanding of the environment, inspiring them
  to take personal responsibility for its
  preservation and restoration
• Based on the Tbilisi Declaration adopted at the
  UNESCO Conference in 1978

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EPA Staff DefinitionResults of a Free List
Exercise
Free listing is a method that asks participants
to identify terms that compose a category, or
domain, of cultural knowledge. The results of a
free list exercise provide information about
shared perceptions and meanings. This exercise
was conducted with 39 EPA staff, which generated
482 different terms. The top 10 most frequently
listed terms are shown here.
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EPA Staff Definition

• Tend to associate EE with formal education and
  K-12 schools, even though the majority of EPAs
  EE programs are targeted towards nonformal,
  community, and business audiences
• EE is often synonymous with
• Outreach
• Communication
• Information
• Training

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EPA Staff Definition

• Education is believed to complement EPAs
  mission
• Fostering transfer of environmental knowledge
• Preventing human health risks and pollution
  prevention by helping people to make informed
  choices and encouraging citizen action
• Improving EPA efforts and services
• Raising environmentally literate youth and the
  next generation of scientists
• Increasing public support for environmental
  policy

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So, What Does All This Mean?

• Share the results of the NNEMS study
• Provide technical assistance and funding to
  offices that conduct activities in support of
  OEEs strategic objectives
• Facilitate opportunities for people to share
  information and experiences