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Environmental Literacy Plans: Information & Resources

Overview

Environmental literacy is having the knowledge, understandings and skills necessary to sustainably use, enjoy and protect the natural environment.

Environmentally literate people:

  • Can question, analyze and interpret situations, data and information.
  • Understand environmental processes and systems.
  • Understand environmental issues and know how to address them.
  • Act upon their understanding individually and in their communities to work for environmental health.

(Note: environmentally literate people will not resolve environmental issues in the same way).

Environmental literacy is important for long term economic, social and ecological sustainability as humans are inextricably connected to the natural world.  Understanding our connection to the natural world and acting upon those understandings are at the heart of environmental literacy.

Schools have an important role to play in developing the environmental literacy of children and students in partnership with families, communities and government.  Legislation known as No Child Left Inside is pending in Congress that would support the integration of environmental education into PreK - Grade 12 classrooms.

One of the requirements of this legislation is that states would be required to have an environmental literacy plan in place before receiving funding for this initiative.

  An environmental literacy plan is the blueprint to show how a state will develop environmental literacy in students.  Environmental literacy plans will help ensure that schools are effective and efficient in supporting environmental literacy.

An environmental literacy may include the following:

  • Specific content standards, content areas, and courses or subjects where instruction will take place.
     
  • A description of how state high school graduation requirements will ensure that graduates are environmentally literate.
     
  • A description of programs for professional development of teachers to improve their environmental content knowledge, skill in teaching about environmental issues, and field-based pedagogical skills.
     
  • A description of how the state education agency will measure the environmental literacy of students.
     
  • A description of how the state education agency will implement the plan, including securing funding and other necessary support.

While the above is one model for an environmental literacy plan, it is not the only model.  Environmental literacy plans may also address plans for "greening" school grounds, reaching adult/family/community audiences, and identifying resources and assets of that state.

South Dakota is undertaking the task of a developing an Environmental Literacy Plan that will be relevant and useful to the needs of our state.

An environmental literacy plan will identify the goals, objectives, processes, activities, and resources necessary to foster in students and youth the knowledge, understanding and skills to be able to act in a way that is environmentally responsible.   A South Dakota environmental literacy plan will also:
Examples of State
Environmental Literacy Plans
Developing the Plan

South Dakota
Environmental Literacy Plan

Environmental Literacy Plan Listening Session
The South Dakota Discovery Center held listening sessions around the state to hear from parents, teachers, administrators, natural resource professionals, industry leaders.  The input from those listening sessions is being synthesized into the first draft of the listening plan.

Listening sessions were held at:

Sioux Falls, Outdoor Campus
October 28, 2011

Spearfish, Black Hills State University
Young Center, Room 206
Monday, Jan 30; 7:00PM

Rapid City, Outdoor Campus West
Tuesday, Jan 31; 9:00AM

Mission, Sinte Gleska University
Student Services Building, Room 103
Tuesday, Jan 31; 7:00PM

Pierre, SD Discovery Center
Wednesday, Feb. 1; 9:00AM

Huron Public Library
Thursday. Feb 2; 9:00AM

Huron, SD Math & Science Teacher Convention
Huron Convention Center, Dakota E
Feb 4 1:00PM

Environmental literacy is having the knowledge, understanding, skills and motivation to wisely and sustainably use, enjoy and protect the environment. The K-12 education system has a role to play in developing the environmental literacy of children in partnership with families, communities and government. At the listening session, we want to hear your ideas about what should be included in this plan.

In short, what do you think needs to happen in the K-12 schools in order for kids to become environmentally literate?  

For more information please contact Anne Lewis (annelewis@sd-discovery.com) at 605-224-8295.

See related documents developed to date at: SDELP Wikispaces

The SD Discovery Center has secured an EPA Region 8 environmental education grant to advance work on the plan.  The grant will help fund the following:

1. Listening sessions around the state to gather public input.

2. A written version of the plan to be submitted to the Department of Education for their approval.  This written plan will be produced by an iterative process amongst the interested parties. 

If you would like to participate in this process, please fill out the form at: SDELPForm.htm

 

 
 
 
 

 

    
 

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