partners continue to work towards comprehensive MWEE offerings for all 4th grade students through Chesapeake Bay Program approved best management practices, including rain gardens, tree plantings, rain barrel & cistern installation, and public education & outreach campaigns by students. Identified gaps for the effort: Staffing levels and interagency coordination to drive MWEE implementation at departments of education and natural resource agencies vary across states. Where these resources do not exist, implementation is inconsistent. States and many local school districts do not have a funding strategy for student MWEEs. Much of the work is supported by individual grants without a strong plan for sustainability beyond grant period. With the exception of DC, Maryland, and Virginia, the ELIT survey for the 2016-2017 school year did not have an adequate response rate to provide reliable statewide findings. Many teachers do not have the confidence and support they need to implement learning, especially outdoors. Given competing priorities (principals and teachers need to be responsive to testing, new standards, 21st century skills, etc.), student MWEEs are often seen as an additional task that is hard to resource, versus a means to achieve requirements in multiple areas. Management Approaches The Chesapeake Bay Program will work together to carry out the following actions and strategies to achieve the Environmental Literacy Goal and Outcomes. These approaches seek to address the factors affecting our ability to meet the goal and the gaps identified above. Work will be coordinated through the Education Workgroup of the Chesapeake Bay Program, which provides a forum for cross- jurisdictional coordination and support on all aspects of environmental education. These groups will work towards shared priorities as follows: Management Approach 1: Increase professional development opportunities for educators teachers, and non-formal) to support the development and implementation of MWEEs Management Approach 2: Increase the visibility and adoption of MWEEs as an educational best practice that supports and contributes to Environmental Literacy programs at the state and local levels Cross Outcome Collaboration and Multiple Benefits An engaged and informed citizenry is the key to accomplishing and maintaining most of the Bay program goals for all topics. The environmental literacy outcomes seek to leverage the mutual goals of the Bay Program and formal education systems, and use the extensive reach of school systems to build a knowledgeable population. Future work for this management strategy will include coordination with all related goals and outcomes, including Water Quality, Public Access, Citizen Stewardship, and the Employment and Professional Engagement Workgroup under the Diversity Action Team. The resulting work will be captured in action plans.
partners continue to work towards comprehensive MWEE offerings for all 4th grade students through Chesapeake Bay Program approved best management practices, including rain gardens, tree plantings, rain barrel & cistern installation, and public education & outreach campaigns by students. Identified gaps for the effort: Staffing levels and interagency coordination to drive MWEE implementation at departments of education and natural resource agencies vary across states. Where these resources do not exist, implementation is inconsistent. States and many local school districts do not have a funding strategy for student MWEEs. Much of the work is supported by individual grants without a strong plan for sustainability beyond grant period. With the exception of DC, Maryland, and Virginia, the ELIT survey for the 2016-2017 school year did not have an adequate response rate to provide reliable statewide findings. Many teachers do not have the confidence and support they need to implement learning, especially outdoors. Given competing priorities (principals and teachers need to be responsive to testing, new standards, 21st century skills, etc.), student MWEEs are often seen as an additional task that is hard to resource, versus a means to achieve requirements in multiple areas. Management Approaches The Chesapeake Bay Program will work together to carry out the following actions and strategies to achieve the Environmental Literacy Goal and Outcomes. These approaches seek to address the factors affecting our ability to meet the goal and the gaps identified above. Work will be coordinated through the Education Workgroup of the Chesapeake Bay Program, which provides a forum for cross- jurisdictional coordination and support on all aspects of environmental education. These groups will work towards shared priorities as follows: Management Approach 1: Increase professional development opportunities for educators teachers, and non-formal) to support the development and implementation of MWEEs Management Approach 2: Increase the visibility and adoption of MWEEs as an educational best practice that supports and contributes to Environmental Literacy programs at the state and local levels Cross Outcome Collaboration and Multiple Benefits An engaged and informed citizenry is the key to accomplishing and maintaining most of the Bay program goals for all topics. The environmental literacy outcomes seek to leverage the mutual goals of the Bay Program and formal education systems, and use the extensive reach of school systems to build a knowledgeable population. Future work for this management strategy will include coordination with all related goals and outcomes, including Water Quality, Public Access, Citizen Stewardship, and the Employment and Professional Engagement Workgroup under the Diversity Action Team. The resulting work will be captured in action plans.
environmental_literacy_students_management_strategy_v.2_final_(1).docx