What is Environmental Education?

Classroom Earth, a program of The National Environmental Education Foundation, defines environmental education as the process, activities and experiences—across disciplines—that lead students to have a greater understanding of how the earth’s resources and natural systems work and interact with each other and with human-made systems.

As awareness about environmental topics evolves and become more sophisticated, students move towards environmental literacy. Ultimately, environmental education, as it develops environmental literacy, helps foster an understanding of how everyday decisions, lifestyle choices, and activities impact the finite resources of this planet.
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Environmental Education in the Classroom and Beyond

Environmental education can be taught in formal settings (schools or other traditional academic institutions) or in non-formal experiences. In addition, environmental education can and should be an integral part of every discipline. Classroom Earth can help you incorporate environmental learning into whatever subject area you teach, visit our Resource Library.

Environmental Education Guidelines

Sifting through the many environmental education resources available can be daunting. Determining the quality of materials can be even more overwhelming.

The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has developed Guidelines for Excellence that recommend that all materials and activities have:

  • Fair and accurate information describing environmental problems, topics, and conditions, and in reflecting the diversity of perspectives on them;
  • Material about the natural and built environments, ecological concepts, and attitudes and values are presented in sufficient depth;
  • An emphasis on skill building including: creative and critical thinking;
  • An orientation towards civic responsibility;
  • Instructional techniques that create an effective learning environment including: learner-centered instruction, multiple intelligences, and relevant topics; and
  • Well designed and easy to use materials.

(Taken from Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence, published in 1998 by the North American Association for Environmental Education. Click Here for more information.)