Chapter IX

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

As illustrated by its early support for the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and nurturing of the Conservation Education Association in the 1950s, the League has always recognized the special role of young people and the importance of education in achieving environmental objectives.

• A) Principles
  • 1) TheLeague recognizes that, in seeking improved environmental quality, the nation’s first and best hope lies in the environmental education of youth and adults. This belief is the basis for the League’s annual Youth Convention.
  • 2) TheLeague seeks the teaching of resource facts and recognizes the need for conservation education at all age and grade levels in public and private educational institutions.
  • 3) Except at advanced levels and in specialized courses, environmental topics and issues should be incorporated in existing courses rather than taught separately.
  • 4) The League believes that environmental education course credits should be prerequisite to the granting of teaching certificates.
• B) Federal Environmental Education Programs
  • 1) The League has consistently supported increased federal involvement in environmental education and was a major force in the passage of the Environmental Education Act of 1970. More recently, the League has sought adequately funded and well-administered federal environmental education programs.
  • 2) There should be a national environmental education policy that directs all federal agencies with environmental education responsibilities to integrate environmental education into their ongoing programs.
  • 3) The federal program should place greater emphasis on opportunities for environmental education outside of the formal school system.
• C) Youth Conservation Education and Employment Programs
  • 1) Through the 1970s, the League supported the Youth Conservation Corps and Young Adult Conservation Corps as successful conservation and education efforts. More recently, the League has worked to establish an American Conservation Corps—a successor program to provide conservation work experience and education for young people and to carry out important resource-conservation projects at minimum cost.
  • 2) The League affirms its support for broad programs of environmental education, especially non-formal education, and encourages all schools to teach environmental education within their science curriculum at all levels.
• D) Public Awareness
  • 1) The first national Earth Day—April 22, 1970—developed an unprecedented amount of interest in and understanding of environmental concerns and has been celebrated nationally by League members and other conservation-minded citizens young and old every year since. We recognize that members of the League observe Earth Day every day by their actions. The League urges local chapters to set aside a day near April 22 to celebrate Earth Day in a way that involves local League members and citizens of their communities.