Support the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007

[tcosmas]

Urge Members of Congress to Support the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) recently introduced legislation that strengthens and expands environmental education in America's classrooms and reconnects children with nature. These bills, each entitled the No Child Left Inside* Act of 2007, were introduced in the House (HR 3036) and the Senate (S 1981).

Take Action Please write to your senators and representative and urge them to support the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 and help get its provisions included in the House and Senate bills that reauthorize the No Child Left Behind law.

With the nation facing complicated environmental issues that will challenge us for years to come, it is critical that schools provide students with a solid grounding in environmental education. But because of the No Child Left Behind law (NCLB), many schools are scaling back or eliminating environmental education programs.

Congress has the opportunity to change this with the reauthorization of NCLB.

The No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 amends NCLB in the following ways:

    * Provides federal funding to states to train teachers in environmental education and to operate model environmental education programs, which include outdoor learning.
    * Provides funding to states that create environmental literacy plans to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate.
    * Provides funding through an environmental education grant program to build state and national capacity.
    * Re-establishes an Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education.

Take Action Help us guarantee that no students are left inside when it comes to learning about their environment. Urge your representative and senators to support environmental education in the NCLB reauthorization bill by including the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007.

By making a few changes to NCLB, we can dramatically improve our schools' ability to prepare young people for real-world challenges and careers and ensure an environmentally sustainable future.

[tcosmas]

Subject:    Responding to your message
From:    frank_lautenberg@lautenberg.senate.gov
Date:    Fri, Sep 21, 2007 2:29 pm
To:    <tcosmas@washingtoncrossingaudubon.org>
   
Dear Mr. Cosmas :

               Thank you for contacting me about the "No Child Left Inside Act" (S. 1981). I appreciate hearing from you on this legislation.

           In the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, many schools have begun to neglect their environmental education curriculums in favor of increased instruction on reading and math - both of which are assessed by standardized tests. While reading and math are important subjects to learn, they should not be taught to the exclusion of other important fields of study. It is imperative that students receive the education and training they will need to overcome the pressing environmental challenges that await them in adulthood.

           The "No Child Left Inside Act" would strengthen and expand environmental education in schools across the country by creating a grant program to help schools train more science teachers and improve their environmental education programs. It would also reestablish the Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education to oversee critical environmental education activities. This legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where it awaits further action. While I am not a member of this committee, please be assured that I will support this legislation should it come before the full Senate.

           Thank you again for writing.