The NH Environmental Literacy Plan is ready for public review and comment

For the past two years, the NH Environmental Literacy Working Group has been working on developing New Hampshire’s Environmental Literacy Plan.  The Working Group is consists of members from NH Environmental Educators, NH Children in Nature Coalition, organizations and individuals. The Environmental Literacy Plan serves as a component that creates a pathway for achieving statewide environmental literacy and is a required element for federal funding based on the pending No Child Left Inside Legislation.  The group conducted surveys, forums and focus groups to gather input from a wide variety of people around the state.  It is now time for public review of the document.

You can review the complete plan on the Draft NH Plan Tab  on this site.

The NH ELP Working Group is seeking comments on the proposed plan.
The New Hampshire’s Environmental Literacy Plan presented here is an organized framework  ensuring environmental literacy for all people outlined by the six Key Areas of the plan. Key Areas 1 and 2 ensure that environmental literacy activities address state education goals and are aligned with student graduation requirements. Key Area 3 focuses on the need for professional development to assist teachers and school districts. Key Area 4 considers the assessment of Environmental Literacy, and Key Area 5 addresses implementation and funding. Finally, Key Area 6 stipulates that environmental education opportunities be provided in schools and communities.

The Committee would welcome your comments on the following:

1.  For each of the six key areas, consider these questions when developing your comment:

• Are the short, medium and long term outcomes achievable?
• Are there additional approaches or strategies that should be used?
• Are there additional partners that should be identified?

Also, please make a general comment about your thoughts on the overall viability of the plan.

Leave your comments either respond to this post, or visit our Public Comments tab, and leave one there.

The deadline for submitting comments that will improve the plan is September 1, 2011.

NH Environmental Literacy Plan – presentation

View the presentation to the NH Board of Education on SlideShare.

NewHampshireEnvironmentalLiteracyPlan-BOEpresentation2010

View more presentations from OPEN NH / NH e-Learning for Educators

Questions for NH Environmental Literacy Focus Groups

As background participants should review NH Environmental Literacy Plan: Case of Support and the one page sheet that shows the five elements to be included as well as the list of agencies and organizations eligible for small grants that were identified in the legislation. Recommend viewing the introductory presentation to the NH Board of Education before you get started.

Question 1
From your perspective are there any additional sections or information that should be contained in the final plan besides those identified in the legislation?

Question 2
Is there precise content information beyond those listed in the current state science/social studies frameworks you think should be included? E.g. energy education, sustainable agriculture.

Question 3
From your standpoint what would be the components of a high quality environmental education professional development plan for the state of New Hampshire.
Audiences to consider:

• Pre-service education.
• In-service educators
• Non- formal educators
• Natural resource professionals

Question 4
As part of this plan, the federal legislation calls for  theNH Department of Education to run a small grants program to distribute federal funding to support the development of Environmental Literacy.  How should that small grants program be structured?

Other prompt questions for this question:

• Type of projects
• Match versus no match
• Maximum amount
• Selection criteria
• Who would review?
• Who qualifies to apply?  (Schools/districts, non-formal education providers, agencies, etc.)
• Advisory Board

Question 5
How will the plan be implemented and sustained over time?
What are the steps that need to be taken to secure necessary funding and support?

Handout for Meeting

N. H. Environmental Literacy Plan Focus Group Meetings

What is “Environmental Literacy”?
Environmental literacy is having an understanding of the natural world and the ability to make decisions about the environment based on scientific, economic, aesthetic and ethical considerations.

What are the elements of a state’s Environmental Literacy Plan?
1)    Specific content standards, content areas, and courses or subjects where instruction will take place.
2)    A description of how state high school graduation requirements will ensure that graduates are environmentally literate.
3)    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.
4)    A description of how the state education agency will measure the environmental literacy of students.
5)    A description of how the state education agency will implement the plan, including securing funding and other necessary support.

Who is eligible for the small grants?
Eligible partners shall include a local educational agency.

Eligible partners may include—
A)    the teacher training department of an institution of higher education;
B)    the environmental department of an institution of higher education;
C)    another local educational agency, a public charter school, a public elementary school or secondary school, or a consortium of such schools;
D)    a Federal, State, regional, or local environmental or natural resource management agency that has demonstrated effectiveness in improving the quality of environmental education teachers; or
E)    a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated effectiveness in improving the quality of environmental education teachers.

Question #3: Community Involvement

Please help us understand your thoughts about the NH Environmental Literacy Plan by leaving responding to our questions with your thoughtful comments.

“You just told us about the great environmental projects and initiatives that are happening right now, and earlier you gave us your visions for an environmentally literate community.  In order to get from what’s currently being done to your future vision, what needs to happen?  Who can be involved, what unlikely connections can be made, what can be done, etc.?”

Question #2: Environmental Community Projects

Please help us understand your thoughts about the NH Environmental Literacy Plan by leaving responding to our questions with your thoughtful comments.

“You just imagined an environmentally literate community in the future.  Well, we know that NH businesses, organizations and communities have lots of interesting environmental projects, initiatives and programs in place right now, in the present.  For instance…  What are some other examples of environmental projects and initiatives going on in your workplace or community that you’re excited about?  In other words, in the first question you told us what you’d like to see in an environmentally literate community in the future.  Now, we’ll have a chance to share things that are already happening.”

Question #1: Define Environmental Literacy

Please help us understand your thoughts about the NH Environmental Literacy Plan by leaving responding to our questions with your thoughtful comments.

“This first question is going to ask you to do some forward thinking.  We would like to know what life looks like when you picture an environmentally literate community?  Use your imaginations.  Think about the different aspects of that definition of environmental literacy.  What would we see happening?”