Update on the No Child Left Inside Act

Here's an update from February 11, 2015 on the federal No Child Left Inside Act - that supports outdoor learning.
Reblogged from the Outdoors Alliance for Kids...

"Senators Jack Reed (RI-D) and Mark Kirk (IL-R) and Congressmen John Sarbanes (MD-R) and Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-R) introduced legislation aimed at improving environmental education in our nation’s public schools. Supported by the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), the No Child Left Inside Act would provide grants to school districts, support teacher training and promote the integration of outdoor learning into the regular school curriculum.

The legislation would enhance opportunities for school children and adolescents to learn about, and in, the great outdoors. Environmental education has been shown to increase academic performance across subject areas and has been linked to improvements in critical thinking skills, student motivation, civic engagement and environmental stewardship. Environmental education, particularly when practiced outdoors, can increase the amount of physical activity children and youth engage in during the school day.

“Today’s children will be asked to tackle tomorrow’s environmental challenges,” says Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director. “It’s our responsibility to ensure our kids have opportunities to get outdoors and learn about the natural world. The No Child Left Inside Act will provide young people with the foundation they need to succeed and lead in a climate changing world.”

“We are hopeful that 2015 is the year that Congress acts to ensure that America’s youth have access to high-quality environmental education programs that we know help improve student achievement, connect young people to their communities, and build environmental literacy,” says Judy Braus, North American Association for Environmental Education Executive Director. “If we want our students to be competitive in a global economy, they need to be environmentally literate.”

For more info go to: http://outdoorsallianceforkids.org/2015/02/11/release-outdoors-alliance-for-kids-supports-no-child-left-inside-act/

UL Innovative Education Awards for Non-Profits in US and Canada - apply now!

THE UL INNOVATIVE EDUCATION AWARD IS GRANTING $250,000 TO NONPROFITS. HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!

Dear NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education) Members:

If you attended our annual conference this year, you may have heard about NAAEE’s exciting new collaboration with Underwriters Laboratories (UL, the global safety science leader), the UL Innovative Education Award! The program, open now for submissions, supports the development of our future leaders by awarding nonprofits for their work in environmental and STEM education for children.

This is a first-of its-kind opportunity and a total of $250,000 will be awarded in addition to professional mentorship opportunities and more! But to find the most deserving organizations, we have to let them know that this opportunity exists. 

We need your help to spread the word about the program far and wide!  If you are involved with or know of an educational nonprofit that fits within the guidelines below, please let them know! By driving interest and enthusiasm for the award, you can help support the great work of non-profits across the U.S. and Canada as well as elevate the visibility of environmental education as a driver of STEM and curiosity.

Award Overview
The UL Innovative Education Award aims to recognize and support the critical work of U.S. and Canadian nonprofits that embrace E-STEM to inspire school-aged children to be the next generation of game-changing scientists, business leaders, researchers, inventors, and engineers.   The program supports E-STEM work with school-aged children (K-12) that is:

• Advancing STEM learning through research and investigation
• Promoting social responsibility and citizenship
• Tackling environmental problems
  
  

Recognition Grants and Support
One $100,000 grant, two $50,000 grants, and two $25,000 grants will be awarded in the final program. In addition to recognition grants, UL employees, including science, engineering and technical experts, will work directly with the selected organizations to provide expertise, resources, and volunteer hours to help further their efforts in E-STEM education.  

Eligibility
Participants must:

• Be a US 501c3 not-for-profit corporation or be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a non-profit organization (NPO) or be a program run by a US 501c3 not-for-profit corporation or Canadian equivalent NPO.  
• Utilize E-STEM principles in innovative ways to teach school-aged (K-12) children in the US or Canada
• Have an organization or program operating budget no greater than $2 million.

The UL Innovative Education Award website address is: http://naaee.org/ulinnovativeeducation. Pass it on today!

Please feel free to contact me directly with additional questions. Furthermore, if you would like to join the mailing list for the UL Innovative Education Award, you can sign up here: http://ulinnovationeducation.naaee.net/mailinglist

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Christiane Maertens
Deputy Director
North American Association for Environmental Education
Christiane.Maertens@gmail.com