October 10, 2002

["Katharine Wang" <wangkn@xxxxxxxxxx>]

EE-NEWS @NAAEE
October 10, 2002

The semi-monthly email bulletin provided by the
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE),
with funding from the Environmental Education and Training Partnership
(EETAP).



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EE-NEWS ITEMS
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* RESEARCH/PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES*
1. Growing Awareness: Southwest Youth Gardening Conference - Call For
Presentations

* GRANTS*
2. EPA Watershed Initiative - Call For Nominations
3. Centennial Refuge Legacy Awards
4. Leadership For A Changing World
5. Smart Growth Conference - Youth Scholarships
6. The Environment Through The Eyes Of Children

* UPDATES FROM THE HILL*
7. EPA Budget Proposal For FY 2003 - Update

* EE RESOURCES*
8. Energy In Schools 2002
9. Environmental Learning Institute
10. America's Low Energy IQ:  A Risk To Our Energy Future
11. Biodiversity 911: Saving Life on Earth
12. Capacity Building Evaluation


***********************************
RESEARCH/PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES
***********************************

1. GROWING AWARENESS: SOUTHWEST YOUTH GARDENING CONFERENCE - CALL FOR
PRESENTATIONS
March 21-22, 2003 - University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Engaging, dynamic presenters are invited to share their expertise and
knowledge in school gardening, wildlife habitats, fundraising, and gardening
in the southwest. This includes educators, neighborhood organizers,
landscape and urban planners, horticulturists, community garden clubs, and
anyone who can share their knowledge with others. Presentations will take
place March 22, 2003. Presentations should be 60 minute workshops
/presentations that will engage, inspire and educate conference attendees.

Proposals are due November 22nd.  For submission guidelines and conference
information contact Kate Koester, Youth and Community Gardening Coordinator,
at (602) 470-8086 ext. 309 or kkoester@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, or visit:
http://ag.arizona.edu/youthgardens/growingawareness.html



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GRANTS
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2. EPA WATERSHED INITIATIVE - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

EPA is launching a new grant program to encourage the protection and
restoration of our country's water bodies through the use of watershed
approaches. Subject to the availability of appropriations, $21 million will
be available in FY 2003 for the Watershed Initiative. EPA plans to select
through a competitive process up to 20 watersheds throughout the country for
grants to support promising watershed-based approaches to clean water. EPA
anticipates that typical grant awards for the selected watersheds will range
from $300,000 to $1,300,000, depending on the amount requested and the
overall size and need of the project.

Only Governors or Tribal Leaders can submit nominations.  Nomination
deadline: November 21st.

http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/




3. CENTENNIAL REFUGE LEGACY AWARDS

In celebration of the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the
Board of Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has
dedicated $939,000 for the Centennial Refuge Legacy awards.  Refuges and
their partners are invited to submit project proposals to the Foundation for
consideration. The Foundation will establish a review committee in
cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Application deadline: December 1st. Successful proposals will be notified by
March 30, 2003. Application forms and submission guidelines are available
online.

http://www.nfwf.org/programs/centennial.htm



4. LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGING WORLD

Leadership for a Changing World recognizes 20 outstanding leaders and
leadership groups not yet broadly known beyond their immediate community or
field. Nominated community leaders may work in fields that include:
community development; environment and environmental justice; education
reform; and arts and social action.  Awardees receive $100,000 over two
years to support their work and $30,000 for additional learning activities.
Leaders must be nominated and nominees must be U.S. residents working on
domestic issues who have worked for at least four years in the area for
which they are being nominated.

Nomination Deadline: January 7, 2003. Applications and nomination guidelines
can be downloaded in PDF.

http://leadershipforchange.org/nomination/



5. SMART GROWTH CONFERENCE - YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS
January 30-February 1, 2003 - New Orleans, Louisiana

The American Planning Association, Local Government Commission, and
California Center for Civic Participation and Youth Development are
accepting nominations of high school age youth (ages 15-19) to participate
in the 2nd Annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference. During
conference sessions and a special youth track, youth delegates will gain
information, experience and skills that will help them more effectively
serve alongside adults as leaders of efforts to create healthy and livable
communities.

Nominations are due November 1st.  For more information and nomination
forms, visit:
http://www.planning.org/youth&planning/scholarships.htm



6. THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN

"Preserve the Beautiful Oceans, Skies and Forests for the Future" is
the theme of the twelfth international painting contest, jointly organized
by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Foundation for
Global Peace and the Environment, Japan. The Competition is open to children
between the ages of 6 and 15 years from all regions of the world. Prizes
will be awarded for the best 500 entries, which will be used in the
production of postcards, a calendar, posters, publications and exhibitions
worldwide.

Entries must be received by January 11, 2003. For more information, contact:
Jim Sniffen, Information Officer, United Nations Environment Programme,
212-963-8210, sniffenj@xxxxxx, or visit:

http://www.unep.org/children_youth/kids/painting.htm



*************************************
UPDATES FROM THE HILL
*************************************

7. EPA BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR FY 2003 - UPDATE

The Full House Appropriations Committee marked up the VA, HUD bill on
October 9th.  Working from the bipartisan support of Subcommittee Chairman
Walsh (R-NY) and Ranking Democrat Rep. Mollohan (D-WV), Full Committee
Chairman Young (R-FL) and Ranking Democrat Rep. Obey (D-WI) maintained $9.16
million for environmental education programs at EPA.  Overall the VA, HUD
and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill provides $8.2 Billion for the
EPA, $583 million above the Administration's request and $126 million above
FY02. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had proposed transferring
environmental education program funding to the National Science Foundation
(NSF), earlier this year.

Both the House and Senate VA, HUD Appropriations bills are now pending a
floor vote in their respective chambers, but there is no indication as to
when any of the outstanding appropriations bills will be scheduled for a
House floor vote. The current continuing resolution funds the federal
government through October 11th.

Full Committee Reports FY03 VA-HUD Appropriations Bill, October 9, 2002
http://www.house.gov/appropriations/news/107_2/03vahudfull.htm

Department of VA and HUD Appropriations - FY2003 (S.2797)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.02797:

National EE Act of 1990: Overview, Implementation, and Reauthorization
Issues, David M. Bearden, February 26, 2002
http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRS/abstract.cfm?NLEid=24682

The National Environmental Education Act of 1990
http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/whatis.html



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EE RESOURCES
*************************************

8. ENERGY IN SCHOOLS 2002
November 14-15, Albany, New York

At this Conference for Educators and School Administrators, educators can
learn to use student-built model and full-sized electric vehicles, solar
power, renewable energy and energy efficiency studies for project-based
learning. Administrators and Facility Managers will establish contacts and
find resources to help increase the energy, environmental and cost
performance at their schools.

http://www.nesea.org/education/conferences/



9. ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING INSTITUTE
Summer 2003

Professional development workshops offering pre- and in-service secondary
science teachers opportunities to learn more about inquiry-based secondary
science philosophy, pedagogy and praxis and global environmental change
while learning about a threatened North American ecosystem of global
significance. Appropriate for pre-service, in-service, education undergrad
and graduate students, science education professors (teacher of teachers)
and science education professionals (e.g. science education coordinators,
university, park, museum and outdoor center affiliated). The workshops are
offered in cooperation with the Colorado School of Mines and the Woodrow
Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

For more information about specific courses, please visit:
http://www.environmentallearning.org/2003_TORCH_index.htm



10. AMERICA'S LOW ENERGY IQ:  A RISK TO OUR ENERGY FUTURE

The tenth NEETF/Roper Report Card finds that 88% of adult Americans get a
failing grade on a simple multiple-choice test of basic energy knowledge and
just 1% have a high, "A," level of basic knowledge. It further finds that
most Americans overestimate their energy knowledge and that many important
public discussions on energy may be thwarted by America's low energy IQ.
However, the study also finds that 90% of Americans want to learn how to
address energy problems and wish to reduce personal energy consumption.
Nine out of
ten also feel that a sound economic future depends on good energy
management. The report recommends a significant national education effort --
a major refresher course on energy basics -- as a way to help address
significant
energy needs in the next three to five years.

http://www.bigfishpond.com/clients/neetf/Roper2002.pdf




11. BIODIVERSITY 911: SAVING LIFE ON EARTH

Developed by World Wildlife Fund and funded by the National Science
Foundation, Biodiversity 911: Saving Life on Earth engages visitors in
hands-on activities to explore what biodiversity is, why it's declining, and
how we can help to protect it.  To complement the traveling exhibition, WWF
has developed a comprehensive Web site that provides interactive games,
video clips, and special downloads that explore biodiversity and teach how
to help conserve it.

http://www.biodiversity911.org/



12. CAPACITY BUILDING EVALUATION

The Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP) has released a
study, "EETAP Capacity Building Evaluation," that identifies 24
recommendations for improving efforts to strengthen state level capacity in
environmental education (EE). The recommendations are divided into four
thematic areas including: Legitimization of environmental education,
Leadership training & professional development, Planning and overall
capacity building, and Research and evaluation. The recommendations provide
suggestions about what is working well, what can be done better, and what
still needs to be done to build comprehensive environmental education
programs at the state level.

http://www.eetap.org/Final%20Eval.pdf



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