No Child Left Inside Act

One of the greatest challenges facing current and future generations
is to build a more sustainable, energy-efficient world. By teaching students about the role of the environment as an important national resource, we can prepare them to take on critical issues – energy conservation, air pollution, climate change, wildlife protection – and become better stewards of the earth.  Studies show that environmental education can help boost student achievement, build students’ critical thinking and social skills, improve student behavior, and can enhance teaching. And as more and more businesses “go green,” environmental education will help prepare today’s students for the innovative, green jobs of tomorrow – strengthening our environment, our economy, and our competitiveness.

The No Child Left Inside Act (H.R. 3036), passed by the House on September 18, 2008 by a 293-109 vote, will help take environmental education into the 21st Century by improving existing federal environmental education programs. Specifically the legislation would:

Help schools and states enhance and expand environmental education

• Extends the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (NEEA), which provides funding for teacher training and support programs. 
• Helps states develop and implement state academic content standards, student academic achievement standards, and state curriculum frameworks in environmental education. 
• Encourages the development of outdoor environmental education activities as a regular part of the curriculum.

Place qualified, expert teachers in the nation’s classrooms

• Creates opportunities for ongoing professional development for teachers such as distance learning programs and summer workshops.
• Gives more people a stake in creating the next generation of environmentally conscious students by connecting teachers and professionals from environmental fields.
• Encourages mid-career professionals in environmental fields to pursue careers in environmental education.

Strengthen and develop environmental literacy plans 

• Creates the National Capacity Environmental Education Grant Program (NCEEG), competitive grants that are awarded to non-profits, state and local education agencies, and institutions of higher education to create and strengthen state environmental literacy plans. Funds could also be used to conduct studies on effective teaching models for environmental education, replicate or disseminate information about proven model environmental education programs, and develop methods to increase the number of K-12 environmental educators.