eeAdvocate: An Advocacy Guide for Environmental Education Professionals & Supporters is designed to help you become a better and more confident advocate for environmental education (EE) and bring more support and funding to the field. For EE to reach its full potential, advocacy at all levels of government—local school boards, state legislatures, state and federal agencies, and federal Congressional and Senatorial outreach—is crucial. And no one is more qualified than educators themselves to help decision makers understand the benefits and impacts of EE programs on communities and individuals.

April 25, 2019

Global EE

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Affiliates

Government EE Agencies

Guidelines for Excellence

see all groups

Issue guides provide the overall framework for the deliberative discussion and help forum participants focus on alternative courses of action. Key to creating an issue guide is how it is framed - how the issue is defined and what alternative courses of actions are presented. Here you will find some resources to help you name and frame your own issues for deliberation.

March 15, 2019

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Report based on research conducted by NAAEE and evaluation partner, NewKnowledge, and funded by UL in 2013. Cal Water also supported the research effort.

by Christiane Maertens | January 4, 2016

Connecting to Nature

E-STEM Education

Early Childhood EE

K-12 EE

Research and Evaluation

This collection of resources, perspectives, and examples will help nonformal environmental educators learn more about the field of EE, access resources and gain skills to improve their practice, and over time, build a community of practitioners to advance the field.

A collection of resources and files produced by the Climate Change Environmental Education Professional Online Learning Community Alliance (POLCA), as part of the Professional Learning Communities of the EECapacity project.

by Karen Hollweg | October 5, 2015

Climate Change Education

Research and Evaluation

This high school level teacher's guide is an introduction to the EIF guide "Climate Choices: How should we meet the challenges of a warming planet?" and how teachers and students can use a deliberative process to consider climate change choices.

by Bora Simmons | August 17, 2016

Climate Change Education

K-12 EE

This middle school level teacher's guide is an introduction to the EIF guide "Climate Choices: How should we meet the challenges of a warming planet?" and how teachers and students can use a deliberative process to consider climate change choices.

by Bora Simmons | August 17, 2016

Climate Change Education

K-12 EE

Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) is an NAAEE initiative designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities. This middle school level teacher's guide provides an introduction to the EIF issue guide Climate Choices: How Should We Meet the Challenges of a Warming Planet? Using Climate Choices offers an opportunity for teachers and students to use a deliberative process to consider our climate choices. This resource provides background information on deliberation, how to use Climate Choices in the classroom, and material to help teachers moderate a forum with students. It also includes resources on teaching about climate change issues.

by Bora Simmons | August 7, 2017

Global EE

Climate Change Education

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) is an NAAEE initiative designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities. This high school level teacher's guide provides an introduction to the EIF issue guide Climate Choices: How Should We Meet the Challenges of a Warming Planet? Using Climate Choices offers an opportunity for teachers and students to use a deliberative process to consider our climate choices. This resource provides background information on deliberation, how to use Climate Choices in the classroom, and material to help teachers moderate a forum with students. It also includes resources on teaching about climate change issues. For more about Environmental Issues Forums (EIF), visit naaee.org/eif

by Bora Simmons | August 7, 2017

Global EE

Climate Change Education

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Climate change is not only an environmental problem. It is also a public-health issue, a threat to national security, and an economic challenge of considerable magnitude. Only recently has the public debate shifted away from weighing the evidence to asking what we should do about our changing climate and the effects that are beginning to be felt. This issue guide is designed to promote meaningful, productive discussions, convened locally and online, about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities. The Climate Choices issue guide was prepared for the National Issues Forums Institute in collaboration with the Kettering Foundation and the North American Association for Environmental Education. The Environment and Society Series is designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation, convened locally and online, about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities.

April 18, 2016

Climate Change Education

Conservation and Behavior Change

Guidelines for Excellence

Sustainable Cities and Communities

A book for practitioners and innovators featuring twenty-six stories from the field, shared by the EECapacity and NAAEE Community Climate Change Fellows.

by Marna Hauk | October 20, 2016

Climate Change Education

Are you interested in teaching other educators (preservice and in-service) about working more effectively with communities? We've created a workshop module that facilitates online exploration of NAAEE's publication Community Engagement: Guidelines for Excellence. This publications outlines a set of guidelines focusing on community wellness and designed to help environmental educators create inclusive environments that support effective partnerships and collaborations. The online resources provide a step-by-step outline for designing a virtual workshop that can be adapted to your needs.

February 5, 2021

Conservation and Behavior Change

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

NAAEE has partnered with the Children & Nature Network, researchers at the University of Minnesota, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to launch the Science of Nature-Based Learning Collaborative Research Network. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Network seeks to synthesize the existing research and conduct exploratory studies on what approaches to nature-based learning work, for whom, how, and under what circumstances. To begin this process, NAAEE worked with C&NN to distribute a survey among its networks to help us understand how environmental educators are connecting children to nature, and how new research in the field can support what you do. This is an executive summary of the survey and its results.

October 11, 2016

Connecting to Nature

Guidelines for Excellence

K-12 EE

Research and Evaluation

Presents the theory and practice for creating effective education and outreach programs for conservation. 2015, Second Edition.

by Martha Monroe | September 13, 2016

Conservation and Behavior Change

Are you taking your professional development work online? Do you teach at the college or university level or are you responsible for delivering educator professional development experiences? Would you like to introduce your participants to environmental education program development for young learners, focusing on ages three through six. We've created a workshop outline that facilitates online exploration of NAAEE's publication Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence. These resources provide step-by-step outline for designing a 90 minute to two-hour virtual workshop.

February 2, 2021

Affiliates

Early Childhood EE

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

The Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence comprises a set of recommendations for developing comprehensive early childhood environmental education programs or triggering improvements in existing ones. A companion publication, the Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale, provides a collaborative tool for educators and others to discuss their early childhood environmental education program goals, consider strengths and areas of needed improvement, and chart a future direction for program development.

February 9, 2021

Early Childhood EE

Guidelines for Excellence

Building off of NAAEE’s Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence, the Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale is an evaluation tool designed to assist programs in improving their environmental education curriculum.

by Yash Bhagwanji | May 1, 2015

Early Childhood EE

Guidelines for Excellence

Climate, energy, and ocean sciences literacy crosswalks for teachers and curriculum developers.

by Bora Simmons | May 4, 2015

Global EE

Climate Change Education

Connecting to Nature

Guidelines for Excellence

K-12 EE

Are you interested in teaching other educators (preservice and in-service) about creating and selecting quality instructional materials? We've created a workshop module that facilitates online exploration of NAAEE's publication Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence. These guidelines aim to help producers of activity guides, lesson plans, and other instructional materials create high-quality products and to provide educators with a tool to evaluate the wide array of available environmental education materials. The online resources provide a step-by-step outline for designing a virtual workshop that can be adapted to your needs.

by Bora Simmons | February 5, 2021

Guidelines for Excellence

Are you interested in teaching other educators (preservice and in-service) about the environmental education program development cycle? We've created a workshop module that facilitates online exploration of NAAEE's publication Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence. This set of guidelines provides a set of recommendations for the design and implementation of comprehensive environmental education programs. The online resources provide a step-by-step outline for designing a virtual workshop that can be adapted to your needs.

February 3, 2021

Conservation and Behavior Change

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

EE Toolkit: Approaching Environmental Issues in the Classroom, Defining EE, Designing Effective Workshops, Evaluating EE Materials, Integrating EE Into School Curriculum, Urban EE, Using Community Resources

by Martha Monroe | April 26, 2016

Whether you’re a program developer, evaluator, researcher, or funder, eeRESEARCH can help you find resources to support your work and improve practice! Browse more than 1,000 research summaries and syntheses, or use a variety of tools to narrow your search to the topics, authors, or focus areas that interest you.

March 28, 2018

Affiliates

Climate Change Education

Conservation and Behavior Change

E-STEM Education

Guidelines for Excellence

see all groups

NAAEE is partnering with Stanford University and other respected organizations to demonstrate the impact and value of environmental education by substantiating powerful anecdotes from across the field with empirical evidence. Find out more about what the literature says broadly regarding the benefits of EE for K-12 students, and download the Executive Summary & Key Findings to share these findings or support your work.

NAAEE is partnering with Stanford University and other respected organizations to demonstrate the impact and value of environmental education by substantiating powerful anecdotes from across the field with empirical evidence. We are conducting comprehensive literature reviews that demonstrate the impact of EE on key outcome areas and developing communication tools based on these reviews for the field, and our first outcome area is finished! Find out more about what the literature says broadly regarding the benefits of EE for K-12 students, and download the communication tools to share these findings or support your work.

Research shows what educators, policymakers, and parents have recognized for years: early childhood environmental education can positively impact young children’s development.

by T'Noya Thompson | September 22, 2021

Global EE

Affiliates

Conservation and Behavior Change

Guidelines for Excellence

Research and Evaluation

see all groups

The Environmental Literacy Plan 2013 Report found exciting trends in environmental education through state ELPs that include linking schools, communities, and businesses to create change.

June 11, 2014

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Affiliates

NAAEE is in the early stages of developing a set of guidelines focusing on climate change education and climate justice as part of the Guidelines for Excellence series. As with all of the others sets of guidelines, these will be developed using a public participatory process involving opportunities to review and provide input. If you would like to learn about updates in our process and provide input into drafts, please complete the following Google form: https://forms.gle/HpZjxepxAgN3Y2LG6

September 13, 2022

Climate Change Education

Guidelines for Excellence

Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) is an NAAEE initiative designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities. This high school level teacher's guide provides an introduction to the EIF issue guide Energy Choices: What Should We Do About America's Energy Future? Using Energy Choices offers an opportunity for teachers and students to use a deliberative process to consider our energy choices. This resource provides background information on deliberation, how to use Energy Choices in the classroom, and material to help teachers moderate a forum with students. It also includes resources on teaching about energy issues. For more about Environmental Issues Forums (EIF), visit naaee.ore/eif

July 14, 2017

Climate Change Education

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) is an NAAEE initiative designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities. This middle school level teacher's guide provides an introduction to the EIF issue guide Energy Choices: What Should We Do About America's Energy Future? Using Energy Choices offers an opportunity for teachers and students to use a deliberative process to consider our energy choices. This resource provides background information on deliberation, how to use Energy Choices in the classroom, and material to help teachers moderate a forum with students. It also includes resources on teaching about energy issue. For more about Environmental Issues Forums (EIF), visit naaee.org/eif

July 14, 2017

Climate Change Education

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Meeting the United States’ substantial appetite for energy raises a complex network of economic, environmental, and political issues. There are national-security and economic concerns, environmental problems like air and water pollution, and potential climate-change effects from fossil fuels, such as extreme weather, sea- level rise, and changing growing seasons. How can we help our communities think through these issues? This issue guide was prepared for the National Issues Forums Institute in collaboration with the Kettering Foundation and the North American Association for Environmental Education. The Environment and Society Series is designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation, convened locally and online, about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities.

July 14, 2017

Climate Change Education

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Environmental Education in Latino Communities: Sharing Experiences is a collection of the exciting work taking place in Latino communities and aims to inspire environmental educators, institutions, and community leaders to develop activities and environmental education programs contextualized to the needs, resources, and objectives of the communities that they serve.

by Jose Marcos-Iga, Emeritus | April 13, 2017

Global EE

Equity and Inclusion

Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence comprises a set of recommendations for developing and administering high quality environmental education programs. These recommendations provide a tool that can be used to ensure a firm foundation for new programs or to inform improvements in existing ones. The overall goal of these guidelines is to facilitate a superior educational process leading to the social and environmental quality that people desire.

April 4, 2022

Guidelines for Excellence

The Environmental Education Research Bulletin (EERB) is a collaborative project with ChangeScale, NAAEE, and Dr. Nicole Ardoin at Stanford University. The research bulletins synthesize and summarize recently reported research from journals focused on issues pertaining to environmental educators. The bulletins include articles related to environmental education evaluation, sense of place, environmental behavior, teaching practices, and professional development, among other relevant topics. Issue 10 is now available!

by Nicole Ardoin | October 3, 2017

Affiliates

Higher Education

Research and Evaluation

We're excited to announce the release of the latest Environmental Education Research Bulletin, which is a collaborative project with ChangeScale, NAAEE, and Dr. Nicole Ardoin at Stanford University. The research bulletins synthesize and summarize recently reported research from journals focused on issues pertaining to environmental educators. The bulletins include articles related to environmental education evaluation, sense of place, environmental behavior, teaching practices, and professional development, among other relevant topics.

February 8, 2017

Conservation and Behavior Change

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

Research and Evaluation

This collection of essays regarding various aspects of urban environmental education will be part of the forthcoming "Urban Environmental Education Review" from Cornell University Press in 2017.

by Alex Kudryavtsev | July 6, 2016

Global EE

Climate Change Education

Connecting to Nature

Conservation and Behavior Change

Equity and Inclusion

see all groups

Learn how to design and conduct an evaluation by following the exercises, case studies, and examples in this workbook.

December 9, 2015 -- Press Release from NAAEE Director of Policy, Sarah Bodor on passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, which replaces No Child Left Behind.

by Sarah Bodor | December 9, 2015

How environmental education is conceptualized and implemented in elementary and secondary schools is critical if we are to meet our ultimate goal of environmental literacy. When all of the cross-references between the national standards and the environmental literacy framework as articulated in the Guidelines for Learning (K-12) are taken together, distinct patterns emerge. Learn more.

by Bora Simmons | August 14, 2019

Connecting to Nature

Guidelines for Excellence

K-12 EE

How environmental education is conceptualized and implemented in elementary and secondary schools is critical if we are to meet our ultimate goal of environmental literacy.

July 5, 2019

Guidelines for Excellence

A series of crosswalks that explore the linkages between environmental literacy as articulated in the K-12 Environmental Education: Guidelines for Excellence (2019) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

August 14, 2019

Guidelines for Excellence

K-12 EE

Produced in partnership by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), this guide covers the how and why of advocating for outdoor learning spaces during the fall of 2020 and throughout 2021.

by Sarah Bodor | September 3, 2020

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Early Childhood EE

K-12 EE

Do you teach environmental education at the college or university level? Are you responsible for delivering staff development? Learn how to get started creating professional development workshops focused on each of the five Guidelines for Excellence publications.

by Bora Simmons | February 7, 2019

Climate Change Education

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Research and Evaluation

INDIVIDUAL PUBLICATIONS CAN BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY. The Guidelines for Excellence Series Set includes six publications providing recommendations for a variety of different topics, including community engagement, instructional materials development, and the design and implementation of environmental education programs.

by Bora Simmons | February 6, 2019

Conservation is about people and society as a whole, both individuals and communities changing their behaviors and stepping up to make a difference. Learn about the "Tools of Engagement: A Toolkit for Engaging People in Conservation" and "Influencing Conservation Action: What Research Says About Environmental Literacy, Behavior, and Conservation Results."

IJECEE Volume 1 (1) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

by Yash Bhagwanji | August 22, 2016

Early Childhood EE

IJECEE Volume 2 (1) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

by Yash Bhagwanji | August 22, 2016

Early Childhood EE

IJECEE Vol. 3 (1) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

by Yash Bhagwanji | August 19, 2015

Early Childhood EE

IJECEE Vol. 4 (1) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

by Yash Bhagwanji | September 19, 2016

Early Childhood EE

IJECEE Vol. 5 (1) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

by Yash Bhagwanji | October 12, 2017

Early Childhood EE

IJECEE Vol. 5 (2) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

April 30, 2018

Early Childhood EE

IJECEE Vol. 6 (1) publishes scholarly articles pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years), and is available in print or for free download. Environmental Education: Addressing, Issues, Policies, Practices, and Research That Matter

by Yash Bhagwanji | October 2, 2018

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | May 17, 2019

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | October 28, 2019

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | July 10, 2019

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | October 28, 2019

Early Childhood EE

A peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action, The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) publishes scholarly written works pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). Articles include book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives—all anonymously and expertly peer-reviewed.

by Yash Bhagwanji | April 15, 2020

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | August 14, 2020

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | December 15, 2020

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | April 28, 2021

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | September 9, 2021

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Yash Bhagwanji | December 9, 2021

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Betty Olivolo | May 4, 2022

Early Childhood EE

The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (IJECEE) is a peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action. IJECEE publishes scholarly written work, anonymously and expertly reviewed by peers, that focuses on book reviews, educational approaches, evaluation models, program descriptions, research investigations, and theoretical perspectives pertinent to the education of all young children (birth to eight years). The young children’s caregivers and the communities, institutions and systems, in which the children live, too, are a focus of importance. The content of the publication addresses all aspects of environmental education as well as all reciprocal associations and impacts embedded within the environmental education experience. Implications for policy at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels are sought.

by Betty Olivolo | September 24, 2022

Early Childhood EE

Are you interested in teaching other educators (preservice and in-service) about environmental literacy and how it develops across the grade bands? We've created a workshop module that facilitates online exploration of NAAEE's publication K-12 Environmental Education: Guidelines for Excellence. This set of guidelines was developed to support state and local environmental education efforts by setting expectations for performance and achievement in grades 4, 8, and 12. The online resources provide a step-by-step outline for designing a virtual short course that can be adapted to your needs.

February 2, 2021

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

Are you taking your college coursework and workshops online? Here's a resource for you. The K-12 EE Guidelines: Online Teaching Module provides lesson plans, videos/PowerPoint presentations, and handouts ready for you to use on your college course or professional development workshop. It provides a step-by-step introduction to NAAEE's K-12 Environmental Education: Guidelines for Excellence. The module begins with a general welcome session, and then moves into an investigation of environmental literacy and the K-12 Environmental Education Guidelines. Finally, participants complete an Environmental Literacy Self-Assessment and create their own professional development plan.

May 29, 2020

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

K-12 EE

Part of NAAEE's Environmental Issues Forums series, Let's Talk About Water provides a step-by-step guide to developing discussion materials to get your community deliberating. For more information about EIF, visit naaee.org/eif.

by Bora Simmons | May 17, 2017

Climate Change Education

Higher Education

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education Project (MECCE) and NAAEE have developed an insightful report on the state of K–12 climate change education policy in the United States.

by Sarah Bodor | June 9, 2022

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Climate Change Education

Data Literacy

K-12 EE

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Prepared for environmental educators and program evaluators, this book explores EE outcomes and measurement.

December 21, 2015

Research and Evaluation

NAAEE Accreditation: Distinguished College and University Programs formally recognizes high quality college and university programs that consistently prepare well–qualified environmental educators who possess the understanding, skills, and dispositions associated with environmental literacy, as well as the ability to apply them in their educational practices. For more information, including a set of Frequently Asked Questions about accreditation, visit https://naaee.org/our-work/programs/higher-education-accreditation

by Bora Simmons | February 7, 2019

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

NAAEE's Accreditation: Distinguished College and University Programs provides a means for recognizing institutions of higher education that provide programs that prepare high quality environmental education professionals. Applications for accreditation are based on a Self-Study Audit describing the program and how it addresses each of the six themes included in the Professional Development of Environmental Educators: Guidelines for Excellence in terms of program design and participant assessment. Because accreditation examines both how the program design is aligned to the Guidelines Themes and how program participants are assessed against those same Guidelines Themes, you will need to provide assessment data for at least two years. New programs should wait to submit their Self-Study until they have at least two years of assessment data. If more than one program is being submitted for accreditation, a separate application should be made for each program.

by Bora Simmons | February 7, 2019

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

NAAEE was a member of NCATE, now called CAEP, from 2002-2013. NAAEE Standards for the Initial Preparation of Environmental Educators were approved in 2007. NAAEE is no longer a member of NCATE. From this page you can download the standards as well as forms and instructions for program reporting, and reviewer rubrics that were used at the time.

July 12, 2012

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

Are you interested in teaching other educators (preservice and in-service) about environmental educator competencies? We've created a workshop module that facilitates online exploration of NAAEE's publication Professional Development of Environmental Educators: Guidelines for Excellence. This publication describes a set of recommendations that can guide the preparation and continuing education of teachers and other environmental educators. The online resources provide a step-by-step outline for designing a virtual short course that can be adapted to your needs.

February 3, 2021

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

Teaching EE college courses or professional development workshops online? Here's a resource for you. The Professional Development of Environmental Educators: Guidelines for Excellence Online Module provides lesson plans, videos/PowerPoint presentations, and handouts ready for you to use in your college course or professional development workshop. It provides a step-by-step introduction to NAAEE's Professional Development of Environmental Educators: Guidelines for Excellence. The module begins with a general welcome session, and then moves into an investigation of the six Guidelines Themes. Finally, participants complete a Self-Assessment and create their own professional development plan.

by Bora Simmons | July 15, 2020

Guidelines for Excellence

Higher Education

Spanish version of the Nonformal Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (2004), comprises a set of recommendations for developing and administering high-quality nonformal EE programs.

by Bora Simmons | August 21, 2015

NAAEE partnered with researchers at the University of Minnesota, the Children & Nature Network, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to launch the Science of Nature-Based Learning Collaborative Research Network. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Network is a new collaboration with great promise to accelerate the pace of research to understand if, and how, nature exposure influences children’s learning, cognitive development, and academic performance.

The North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE)'s third status report on the development and implementation of Environmental Literacy Plans (ELPs). ELPSs are state-specific comprehensive frameworks that support school systems in expanding and improving environmental education programs.

by Sarah Bodor | September 4, 2020

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

K-12 EE

This toolkit, created by leaders from the NAAEE and Affiliate teams, aims to provide support for environmental education providers as they work to increase equitable access to a spectrum of educational experiences that support environmental literacy, healthy communities, a healthy environment, and racial and social justice.

August 18, 2020

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Affiliates

E-STEM Education

Equity and Inclusion

K-12 EE

The Promise of Civic Engagement in Environmental Issues is a draft discussion paper. Through this paper, NAAEE and its partners are seeking a deeper understanding of how environmental education can support and complement initiatives that are geared more broadly toward educating for civic agency, capacity, and participation.

June 4, 2020

Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement

Conservation and Behavior Change

Sustainable Cities and Communities

For in-service and in-training educators, this book aims to advance understanding of settings, audiences, teaching approaches, and goals of urban environmental education.

December 21, 2015

Global EE

Climate Change Education

Sustainable Cities and Communities

This book is a collection of fifteen stories (or “professional profiles”) narrated by urban environmental educators and students in the Bronx, New York City. Published by NAAEE and Cornell University.

January 31, 2016

Sustainable Cities and Communities

In 2014, NAAEE and the Kettering Foundation renewed their partnership to develop the Environmental Issues Forums (EIF). EIF has involved educators from across the nation in the development and testing of issue guides and other materials. This publication documents, through a series of case studies, the journeys taken by these educators. They report on the process of developing locally relevant EIF materials, reflect on their experiences holding forums for a variety of audiences, and report assessment results.

by Bora Simmons | January 11, 2018

Climate Change Education

Conservation and Behavior Change

Research and Evaluation

Sustainable Cities and Communities