Keeping up with the latest science on climate change, sustainability, and environmental health, and developing effective programs to convey this information to students, is one of today's challenges for school systems and teachers.

At the same time, competition for educational resources, mandated testing, and an increased focus on basic academic skills have tended to push environmental education farther down on the educational agenda. This has obscured its true importance to our survival and health as a species.

Indeed, if tomorrow's leaders and citizens are going to successfully address these complex environmental problems, they will need a solid foundation in the principles that shape both the natural and the human-built world.

Resources:

The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is dedicated to bringing about enduring institutional change by promoting sustainability as a core K-12 learning framework. Their "Summer Institute for Sustainability Education" is one of the most comprehensive professional development programs of its kind.

CELF has also put together a comprehensive listing of environmental literacy resources.

The North American Association for Environmental Education is a nationwide network of educational professionals dedicated to "teaching people how to think about the environment, not what to think."