ENVIRONMENTAL OUTREACH AND STEWARDSHIP (EOS) ALLIANCE
Improving public health and environmental quality through citizen engagement and stewardship, 501(c)(3) nonprofit

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WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE)?

EE teaches people to understand and appreciate the natural world around them, and to think critically and creatively to identify and solve environmental problems. As a field, EE is centered on two relationships: (1) the interdependence of living organisms in an ecological framework (i.e., the web of life, food chain, etc.), and (2) the interactions between human society and the natural world (i.e., water pollution, deforestation, etc.). EE programs often emphasize ways in which human activities can preserve or restore environmental quality. EE participants are provided with the knowledge and skills to look at environmental issues critically, helping them make informed, balanced decisions and take responsible actions. EE requires an interdisciplinary approach that draws connections between environmental issues and the associated social, economic, political, scientific, and technological concerns.

EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES

EOS Alliance will emphasize specific educational principles in its programs and will actively encourage the application of these principles in the projects it financially supports through its project assistance program. Schools are encouraged to contact us if their programs incorporate one or many of the following educational principles.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS: EOS Alliance will actively ensure that its services are available to all members of the general public and will encourage diversity in its program participants, facilitators, and teachers. EOS Alliance's public programs will be offered in a variety of locations, including low-income and rural communities. Financial assistance and scholarships will be offered for the fee-based programs. EOS Alliance will offer programs in other languages, including sign language, as needs and opportunities arise. Attendees with physical disabilities will always be accommodated and encouraged to attend.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: It is widely accepted among educators that students learn better in an interactive setting, where they are actively participating in the learning process. Experiential learning techniques include outdoor EE and real world project-based learning. As an example, students might learn ecology by collecting water samples from a nearby creek, interpreting the sample results, making conclusions about the health of the creek, and presenting their results to their community and local government.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSET BUILDING: In order for students to develop into healthy productive members of society, they need self-confidence. This is especially true for environmental activists, who often attempt to solve large real-world problems with limited resources making their strength of character and perseverance essential for success. The Search Institute has developed a teaching method for nurturing developmental assets that foster emotional health, a sense of well being, and higher self-esteem. Their recent research on Seattle 9th- and 11th-grade students indicates that most Washington youths have low self-esteems, possessing an average of 17 of the 40 developmental assets tested for. They also found that as students developed additional assets, their school performance increased and behavioral issues decreased.

STUDENT TEACHING AND MENTORSHIPS: Teaching and mentorships improve students communication skills, self-confidence, and understanding of the subject matter. In addition, student teaching and mentorships help foster a sense of community by helping to bridge the gap between youth age groups and adults. By connecting students with adult professionals in a field of interest, students will gain practical insight into the working world and make better informed career decisions.

INTEGRATED ECOLOGY AND NATURAL SYSTEMS THINKING: Integrated ecology and natural systems thinking methods seek to reconnect individuals with nature on a deep intuitive level. Studies have shown that participants in these exercises gain improved awareness of themselves and their surroundings, and an increased appreciation and understanding of the natural environment. In addition, psychologists have employed natural systems thinking methods as an effective treatment for depression and addictive behaviors.

THE ENVIRONMENT AS AN INTEGRATING CONTEXT (EIC): EIC programs expand upon the principles of experiential learning by using the natural environment and real-world projects to provide a platform for teaching multiple subjects simultaneously. Although this educational method has been know by many different names, the effectiveness of using EIC methods for improved learning has been widely demonstrated. EIC programs use the student's local environment (e.g., nearby park, local stream, adjacent mountains) as the setting for integrated interdisciplinary learning. Students actively participate in the learning process through hands on project-based learning with the support of several teachers and facilitators specializing in different disciplines. Some of the demonstrated benefits of EIC-based learning include: increased environmental awareness and stewardship, higher standardized test scores, higher grade point averages, improved school attendance, and improved attitude toward learning. In addition, many teachers experience a revitalized interest in teaching and become more enthusiastic about their own programs.