Will  NCLB go Green?  Many of us grew up with high quality environmental education programs, but those programs are at risk from state and federal budget cuts and from the ways in which No Child Left Behind  (NCLB) has been interpreted.  With the pending re-authorization of NCLB, a coalition of environmental educators, business leaders, and congressman have added language to NCLB to both preserve and enhance environmental education and access. The NCLI legislation includes funding to train teachers to deliver environmental education and utilize the local environment as an extension of the classroom; creates incentives for states to develop Environmental Literacy Plans; encourages school systems to make time and resources available for environmental education and to integrate environmental education across core subject areas. For some the increase in children’s  ”nature deficit disorder,” a phrase made popular by Richard Louv’s 2005 book is sufficient to warrant increased environmental access and curriculum.  For others, the studies of cross-over benefits of environmental education for improving critical thinking, motivation, and subject area performance indicate that environmental education may be an important and overlooked way to diminish the achievement gap.  With this legislation pending,  we suggest you visit the NCLI coalition site to learn more.

Youth Advocates from Breathe CA, a member of the Tobacco Education Coalition in San Mateo County, persuaded the County Board of Supervisors to pass a smoke free movies resolution after presenting their work to educate young people about the harms of tobacco use in film.  A unanimous vote resulted in the passing of a resolution in support of an “R” rating for films that depict tobacco use.