I always like witnessing widsom of crowds moments, seismic shifts in thinking, or great movements afoot. The combined forces of going green, social entrepreneurship and change marketing seem on the verge of a massive shift in our nation. At least I hope it is.
I was at our local YMCA this past weekend when I first heard about a program in Connecticut called
No Child Left Inside. They had a family health day focusing on teaching our kids good nutrition and health care. I picked up a brochure on a this growing movement - this one is sponsored by Governor Jodi Rell. The NCLI in CT is about getting active in the state parks and seems like a really fun way to get families out of the house, away from the mundane, and into nature.
Then, this morning I was Digging our Akitas to Zebras (A2Z) Animal Challenge and found a
great video on Youtube about increasing environmental education and it was sponsored by a growing coalition called
No Child Left Inside. Great video by the way - the teachers in it seem like the kind of teachers I want my kids to have, the kind I want all kids to have. Excited, passionate about their subject, able to excite kids about science and nature.
Here's a bit of information about them, gleaned from their web site.
NCLI is working with U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD) to reenergize environmental education in our schools. They have introduced the No Child Left Inside Act in the House and Senate, which would provide new federal funding for environmental education and give states incentives to improve environmental instruction. The No Child Left Behind law is due to be reauthorized in Congress this year and Sen. Reed and Rep. Sarbanes are working to have the provisions of the No Child Left Inside Act incorporated into that legislation.
Provisions of the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 include:
- The requirement that states seeking environmental education funding under No Child Left Behind to develop and submit a K-12 plan to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate. States receiving such funds would submit status reports on how those plans are being implemented.
- The provision for new funding for states to develop, improve and advance environmental education standards.
- New funding to train qualified teachers to teach environmental education courses and programs.
This isn't just about STEM or going green either, we all know childhood obesity is a major problem in the United States and is getting worse. Getting kids outside to learn about nature has the added benefit of fighting obesity by getting them active outdoors. Stay tuned to BKFK.com for news on a Going Healthy Challenge. In the meantime, if you have ideas on how to inspire other kids to go green, fight obesity, or teach about the environment, you might consider entering the
Advertise Your Cause Challenge. It's running through June 30 and the prize is $10,000.
- Rebecca