Colorado Environmental Education Policy Agenda 2021

CAEE passionately believes that as a society, we can best prepare to care and sustain our world for future
generations by equipping ALL Coloradans with rich environmental and outdoor learning experiences, deep
understanding, and wide-ranging skills. We want all students to be able to make choices that support the
health and well-being of all life on our planet. Environmental and outdoor learning opportunities are like
charging stations that power up kids learning. Some families benefit from high-wattage areas that provide
lots of energizing opportunities, while other families have very little to plug into. A patchy and unreliable
grid means our environmental education system is not as strong as it could be, but with a scaffolding of
systems and policies we can rewire it to eliminate dead zones and boost learning outcomes for ALL
Colorado’s 900,000+ PreK-12 students. Environmental and outdoor learning for every kid, every day, every
way requires a number of structural components and the contributions of many working towards a
common framework for success. CAEE seeks to support the following:

National:
Appropriations for Environmental Education
National Environmental Education Act
This 30-year-old federal program established the EPA Office of Environmental Education and directs
essential funding to environmental education across the country. It funds regional grants, innovative
programming, facilitates key professional development, and enables scholars and practitioners to conduct
research.

NAAEE Position: This successful program should be funded at the full appropriation amount of $14 million

CAEE recently signed on a letter of support to the EPA Administrator to encourage full funding.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant (ELG) Program Appropriations

This important program provides the public with science-based environmental education related to
increasing community resilience and efficacy in solving local problems. Funding for the ELG program has
been level for a number of years, while demand for the funding has grown. www.elp-
awards.education.noaa.gov/index.php

NAAEE Position: We endorse increased funding. Amount of request is still to be determined.

Climate Change Education Act

The Climate Change Education Act will create a Climate Change Education Program (CCEP) at NOAA to
strengthen community-based capacity to address local climate issues. The program will fund education
about resilience strategies to counter the effects of climate, including extreme weather events and rising
sea levels. The CCEP will also support teacher training in STEM and other fields to incorporate climate
change science into K-12 curricula.
NAAEE Position: We urge Members of Congress to cosponsor the bills. NAAEE is expecting reintroduction
the Act soon

Rebuild America’s Schools Act

The Rebuild America’s Schools Act would fund $70 billion in grants and $30 billion in bonds to help address
critical physical and digital infrastructure needs in schools across the country. 

NAAEE Position: NAAEE is working with the BASIC Coalition to ensure the inclusion of funding for outdoor
classrooms in this bill.

No Child Left Inside Act

The No Child Left Inside Act was first introduced in 2007. It passed in the house several times, but never
came to a vote in the Senate. The Bill will be reintroduced this session with the following provisions: 1)
Grants to states to support the development and implementation of Environmental Literacy Plans to
integrate environmental education and field experiences into the core academic program in public schools,
with an emphasis on professional development in environmental education for teachers; 2) Pilot Program
for Outdoor School Education programs that offer intensive, hand-on, outdoor learning experiences; 3)
Requires the Secretary of Education to make available on its website information on environmental
education resources available across federal agencies; 4) Requires the Secretary of Education to establish
an environmental literacy advisory panel and coordinate and report on environmental education activities
across federal agencies; 5) Authorizes $150 million per year for 2022 - 2026.

There could be critical synergy with the revision of Colorado’s EE Plan!

State:
Outside-of-School Learning Opportunities Ballot Initiative
Out-of-School Learning Opportunities occur during periods and timeframes outside of regular school
schedules, provide essential academic and life skills for youth to thrive. Providing consistent and reliable
access to out of school learning opportunities to all of Colorado’s children will allow for: tutoring and
supplemental academic instruction in core subject areas, including reading, mathematics, science, and
writing; targeted support for youth with special needs and learning disabilities; English language and
foreign language acquisition; in-depth programs that teach youth new skills in the context of outdoor
activities; challenging real world experiences that build essential skill sets; and other programs that provide
academic or enrichment opportunities no longer offered in many schools, including music, dance, arts, and
career and technical education training.

This ballot initiative will create an agency to ensure that these learning experiences are equally available to
all Colorado students (ages 5-18) and that families will have the authority and responsibility to direct
program funds to the experiences and activities they believe to be the best fit for their child. The program
will be funded through NOLS limits. This initiative is now slated to go on the ballot in 2022, with possible
legislation in 2021 to give families a one-time payment to support out-of-school learning opportunities.

CAEE Position: Environmental education providers provide many essential outside-of-school learning
opportunities. This program can support students in participating in environmental and outdoor learning
summer camps, after-school clubs, community programs and more.

Revising Colorado’s Environmental Education Plan

Beginning in the spring of 2011, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) developed the Colorado Environmental Education Plan (CEEP)
to foster the partnerships and awareness needed to promote, coordinate, and sustain standards-based
environmental education across the state. The plan was officially adopted by the state board of education
in December of 2012. Eight years later, many strategies have moved forward, Colorado has adopted new
academic standards and strategies in the plan need to be updated to reflect these changes.

CAEE Position: We will be conducting public feedback on the draft revised plan this Spring, with a hopeful
launch of the plan in summer.

Outdoor Equity Fund

The Outdoor Equity Fund creates a state fund that benefits our low-income youth. It allows local
governments, Native American communities and nonprofit organizations to apply for micro-grants to offset
the costs of outdoor recreation and education programs. It engages our state’s youth in outdoor recreation
activities on state parks, state trust land, federal public lands and waterways and other designated outdoor
locations. This initiative is being led by the Next 100 Coalition. They have engaged a potential bill sponsor
and are in the process of conducting stakeholder meetings.

CAEE Position: CAEE is a member of the Coalition, attends weekly meetings, and has signed on in support
of a future bill.

Future Potential Advocacy Initiatives

*Draft Environmental Education Plan Goals could build leverage for:

*Environmental Literacy Graduation Requirement

In order to ensure all students have the opportunity for environmental and outdoor learning as part of their
PreK-12 experience, the Colorado State legislature should enact a policy to include environmental literacy
into the state’s graduation requirements. For example, it should address how a specific high school course,
program, or credit requirement is part of environmental literacy in high school.

Funding Required: No State Funding Required, District funding may be needed

Opportunities to Make Progress:

 Create approved course pathways in environmental fields associated with Colorado Career and
Technical Education plan
 Develop guidelines to support a local environmental literacy diploma endorsement

*In-Service Teacher Training in Environmental Education

Both pre-service and in-service teachers will need to be prepared to teach their students about the
environment, both in and out of the classroom. Partnerships between school systems and experienced
environmental education or outdoor education providers are excellent models. A state recognized teacher
credential/endorsement should be developed and recognized by the Colorado Department of Education.
Funds should be allocated to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) for teacher professional
development to implement Next Generation Science Standards including those related to environmental
education.  At least ¼ of the funds should be allocated for projects proposed in partnership with nonprofit
organizations.  

Funding Required: $11.8 million annually (provides $200/year/teacher x 59,000 teachers for ongoing
learning)

Opportunities to Make Progress:

 Maya Garcia is interested in pursing a similar Climate Change Education Bill as Washington State
passed

*Create a CDE Position for Environmental Literacy

Additional capacity is needed to fully implement the Colorado Environmental Education Plan. An additional
Content Specialist dedicated to environmental literacy efforts in the Office of Standards and Instructional
Support would be able to provide technical assistance and support, both internally and externally, related
to strategies to build environmental literacy infrastructure and connections between other CDE initiatives
and programs.

Funding Required: Approximately $150,000 annually (annual salary average of $90,000 plus benefits and
budget)

Other Potential Strategies: Outdoor School for All, Outdoor Learning Space at Every School