|
Washington, DC -- Last year, Congressman John Sarbanes worked with a coalition of hundreds of environmental and education experts to introduce the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act, a new initiative to strengthen environmental education programs in America’s classrooms. Today, the House Committee on Education and Labor passed the legislation by a roll call vote of 37 – 8.
“Caring for the environment should not be a partisan issue,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “This is about teaching our children to be environmental stewards so that they can leave their children a healthier world than the one we've left to them. Enhanced environmental education will help young people better understand how their daily habits impact the world. It will inspire them to join the next generation of scientists who will work to solve our world's biggest environmental problems. It will also give them an edge to compete at the highest levels for the “green” jobs that will be an important part of the economy of the future.”
The NCLI Act would significantly expand and amend the National Environmental Education Act to:
• Provide grants to ensure that teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to teach environmental education
• Provide grants to enhance state and national capacity for environmental education
• Help states create environmental literacy plans, detailing how all graduates will be environmentally literate
It is expected that the bill will be considered by the full House of Representatives later this summer.
# # #
|
