T e 30-year-old National Environmental Education Foun-


dation (NEEF) no longer sends speakers to schools. Instead, it encourages teachers to get the students outside working with partners like the National Park Service or the U.S. Forest Service to learn about real world problems near their homes, says Robert Sendrey, program director of environmental education. Motivation and inspiration are key, he says. “We were created


to help make the environment more accessible, relatable, relevant and more connected to the average American’s life.” Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of climate


change and the challenges ahead, NEEF promotes a healthy lifestyle and emphasizes the need for clean air and water. “We emphasize the well-being of people, which is directly related to the health of the environment,” Sendrey says. Success starts with a change in attitude and awareness, and


ultimately needs to culminate with action, he says. For example, NEEF teamed up with zoos and aquariums for the Skip the Straw


A major part of my philosophy for environmental education is to try to engage students in environmental issues in our own community.


~Aaron Baker


campaign, educating the public about the environmental harm caused by single-use plastics. T e University of Wisconsin K-12 education program focuses on environmental impacts of the energy sector—especially on air and water quality. “If you are burning coal to produce electricity, it creates all


kinds of atmospheric pollution—acid rain and soot that causes respiratory illness,” says Walz. “If we weren’t burning fossil fuels, urban smog wouldn’t even be a thing.” T e energy curriculum for students includes content on biofuels and electric transportation. “For them, it is more thinking about the types of transportation they use, whether they are driving, riding a bike or taking a bus.” T ey don’t get to choose what kind of fuel the bus runs on, but they can be educated to be good future consumers, he notes. “I think they appreciate the issue,” Walz says of the students.


We emphasize the well-being of people, which is directly related to the health of the environment.


~Robert Sendrey


“Middle schoolers bring the passion. T at sort of raw, emotional angst is something we leſt behind in our teenage years. Adults have been way too complacent for way too long.”


Yvette C. Hammett is an environmental writer based in Valrico, Florida. She can be contacted at YvetteHammett28@hotmail.com.


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