E3 Washington Showcase News Articles (Newest to Oldest)
Healthy Schools Ballot Initiative
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- Seattle Times Guest Column: Sustainability Education as Essential Curriculum for the 21st Century
- 18th Annual Salmon Homecoming Celebration a Success
- Huge Boost for E3 Washington - National Grant Awarded
- The Greening of the Department of Education
- EEAW-WSTA Conference Draws World-Class Speakers!
- Green Ribbon Program Is Happening!
- Tribal history comes alive in state classrooms
- Franklin and Benton County Conservation Districts save Salmon in the Classroom program
- Richard Louvs The Nature Principle
- Event to Launch Washington Environmental Sustainability Literacy Plan- A Huge Success
- Educator Diana Fisher awarded highly coveted System Dynamics Lifetime Achievement Award
- Release of Environmental Literacy Assessment Framework
- Sustainability Education Summit Report Released
- First Time Ever-E3 Washington Awards
Healthy Schools Ballot Initiative 
Referendum 52 will be appearing on the November ballot, which means that many schools across Washington may be getting a much needed makeover if it passes. Healthy Schools for Washington, a coalition group of teachers, nurses, and parents along with Representative Hans Dushnee are trying to push along the referendum. This piece of legislation is specifically designed to remodel buildings to become more energy efficient; things like installing new AC and heating units, windows, roofs, etc. Healthy Schools for Washington say R-52 would save tax payers $130 million dollars per year by reducing energy costs and other inefficiencies. To read the full story, click on the link below For more information on Referendum 52, click here Web Link: http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12771011
In case you missed it, a guest column titled “Students are key to solutions facing the economy and the environment” appeared recently in the Seattle Times. The piece was written by Gilda Wheeler, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Mike Town, teacher at Redmond High School; and Abby Ruskey, Executive Director of EEAW/E3 Washington. Wheeler, Town, and Ruskey make the case for sustainability education in the context of recent crises, such as the Gulf tragedy and the Wall Street meltdown. The column highlights the ways in which Washington State is poised to lead by example to ensure that future generations grasp the far-reaching economic, environmental and social implications of our choices and actions. "Imagine a future where you get to exclaim, 'Wow, we finally learned and generations to come will be the beneficiaries.' Isn't that the legacy we actually prefer to leave behind?” Read the full column here. In a related Education Week opinion piece, Jennifer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation, discusses the need for public and private entities to support rigorous science and math education programs that engage students in solving current and future challenges. “Just as we depend on our nation’s teachers to inspire the next generation’s quest for solutions to the problems of today and tomorrow, all of us, in both the public and the private sector, must find innovative new ways to support them in this difficult but essential task. The future of the nation depends on it.” Read the full article here. (Premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)
SEATTLE, WA (9/30/10)-- Despite occasional bouts with rainfall, the Salmon Homecoming Alliance successfully completed its 18th annual celebration on the Seattle waterfront September 16-18, highlighted by the coordinated visitation of up to 1000 fourth and fifth grade students from both tribal and public schools, according to Alliance President Walter Pacheco, Community Services Director for the Muckleshoot Indian Nation. The Salmon Homecoming theme this year was “Habitat Is Where It’s At,” one intended to focus attention on the issue that tribes have long said is the key issue in salmon restoration—habitat. “We have to take better care of Mother Earth for the sake of our children,” said Pacheco. “Salmon Homecoming is all about teaching people, including the children themselves, why this is important, and how it can be done,” he said. In the 18 years that the Salmon Homecoming organization has existed in Seattle, it has brought that message front and center by featuring educational exhibits and forums. “We’ve also featured cultural performances, tribal arts and crafts, and a salmon bake intended to show people how the tribes celebrate our Earth—by knowing where we belong as a part of it,” he said. This year’s celebration was no different, as both students as well as visitors of all ages, vocations and ethnic backgrounds were able to experience tribal culture—so integral to the long term history as well as contemporary stewardship of the region, as well as environmental exhibits sponsored by the city, the county and various tribes, companies and associations and an underwater show at the Seattle Aquarium. The Salmon Homecoming Alliance will sponsor a forum and job fair at some point to be determined in the months to come, and no doubt will remain a fixture on the Seattle waterfront for the years to come. For more information, contact: Steve Robinson (360) 951-2494 or Laura Austin (206) 386-4329
The Environmental Education Association of Washington has been awarded a $121,971 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Education in Washington D.C. The highly competitive selection process resulted in less than 3% of applications being selected and the E3 Washington program was among two awarded in this region of the country. The grant supports implementation of the E3 Washington plan. With a plan in place and a growing E3 network of education, business, tribal, community and governmental leaders ready to participate, this funding will allow EEAW to coordinate implementation, track, measure and adaptively manage towards achievement of the five E3 goals. "E3 Washington is about achieving together, something much greater than the sum of the parts”, stated Project Director Abby Ruskey. “The next phase supports a whole new level of networked implementation including use of the state-of-the-art E3 Washington site to facilitate and showcase connected action.” In addition to the grant received by EEAW, 13 other awards were made across the nation. Stated EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, “Every American community relies on clean air, water and land for their environmental and economic health. These grants will help communities across the country show how a clean environment starts at home.” To learn more about the E3 Washington award, other programs funded or the U.S. EPA Office of Environmental Education, visit http://www.epa.gov/education/grants.html. The U.S. EPA Headquarters and Region 10 press releases can be found at http://go.usa.gov/acL and http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/extaff.nsf/environmental+education/education.
On Monday, September 21, US Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke at the US Department of Education’s Sustainability Summit. "Today, I promise you that under my leadership, the Department of Education will be a committed partner in the national effort to build a more environmentally literate and responsible society," said Secretary Duncan. Duncan’s commitment to environmental literacy and the importance of environmental education was apparent throughout his remarks. Please see the attached copy of Secretary Duncan’s complete address. Also, please click on the link below to view an article from CNS News summarizing his incredibly supportive position. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/75711
Are you ready to get inspired, have your assumptions seriously challenged, and see science education for the 21st century in entirely new and connected ways (ala E3 Washington and STEM)? Then hold onto your hats and click here to learn about the keynote speakers for the joint EEAW-WSTA conference. With over 100 proposals submitted this year, the conference promises to provide dynamic exchanges and deep professional development opportunities for all. Please note, online registration for participants will open on December 15th and exhibitor and sponsor opportunities are available NOW. We’ll see you in Poulsbo in March!
The U.S. Department of Education announced today the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools that have taken great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds and overall building operations. The program, celebrated during a tree planting ceremony at the Department of Education headquarters, will help cash-strapped schools save money and prepare students for 21st Century jobs. The Green Ribbon School awards will be given to schools that best exemplify America’s transition to a sustainable economy, from graduating environmentally literate students to effectively managing their carbon... To read full article, click here.
You can almost hear the splash of paddles hitting the water, an eagle call overhead and the crash of whales breaching as Jamie Valadez tells her high school students about paddling through the inland waters of Puget Sound, reliving the tribal journeys of ages past. Valadez passes around handmade buttons, scarves and other commemorative gifts, and shares photos of canoes gliding through the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest... Read full article: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/01/03/1493106/tribal-history-comes-alive-in.html#ixzz1ADASf8lS
Richland teacher Jim Ryder was heartbroken this weekend when he read that funding for Salmon in the Classroom was ending. The state cut money for the school salmon-raising program last week, and its future looked grim.
"It's a very good program for kids to watch salmon develop," Ryder said.... Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/28/1480628/salmon-in-classroom-stays-alive.html#ixzz1ADBktQxA
In today’s society of texting, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets, people have lost the connection of relating to one another and to nature. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder believes “The future will belong to the nature-smart, those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech the world becomes, the more nature we need.” He makes a convincing case in his new book The Nature Principle that through a nature-balanced existence—driven by sound economic, social, and environmental solutions—the human race can and will thrive. This inspiring, and important work will give readers renewed hope while challenging them to rethink the way we live. More information about his work and ideas of how to create experiences outside with your family is available.
Keeping students interested in and sustaining the environment is crucial to our future. That was the message at a school assembly on Tuesday, October 18th at Seattle’s South Shore School. The assembly showcased three recent events: release of the Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan, receipt of a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and Washington’s participation in the Green Ribbon Schools award program. Environmental and sustainable education involves learning about the natural environment, society and the economy and how critical people’s actions are to the health of these. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a strong supporter of environmental and sustainability education and co-sponsor of the federal No Child Left Inside legislation said, “The Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan is another step toward protecting the natural resources that set our state apart. It is more important than ever that our young people know the stakes when it comes to the environment. “By giving them the opportunity to increase their environmental literacy, we are making an investment in their lives, their economic well-being, and the planet they are inheriting.” At the assembly, Alan Burke, deputy superintendent of K-12 education for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, praised the effort that went into the plan. “The Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan will provide a road map of how we are going to make sure that students have the best possible opportunities to engage in the world around you and prepare you for jobs of the future,” he said. The recently completed plan was developed by a committee of stakeholders led by OSPI in partnership with E3 Washington (Education, Environment, Economy). It is based on the E3 Washington plan and defines a 10-year vision that will increase students’ environmental and sustainability literacy and enhance their academic achievement. A $76,000 EPA grant will help implement key components of the plan and will be awarded at the event. “This grant is exciting,” Burke said. “It gives school districts additional support to provide environmental and sustainability education from cradle to career.” As part of the grant, OSPI will partner with the Pacific Science Center/Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) organization to embed environmental and sustainability concepts, as well as Native American reading curriculum, into elementary science materials. The grant also will support environmentally-related STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) early learning lessons. Third, the grant will help OSPI, in partnership with E3 Washington and design firm McKinstry, enhance the existing online network to support the career and technical education Green Sustainable Design and Technology course for middle and high school students. “Our state’s economy and the well-being of its people depend upon a healthy environment. Education plays a key role in ensuring this,” Burke said. At the school assembly, it was also announced that the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will participate in the pilot year of the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools award program. This voluntary federal program rewards schools that “green” the curriculum and school grounds and support student and school health. For more information visit http://www.k12.wa.us/EnvironmentSustainability/ and www.e3washington.org
Diana Fisher, a long-time high school math teacher from Portland, Oregon and collaborator with EEAW/E3 Washington, was presented with the System Dynamics’ Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 International Conference of the System Dynamics Society in Washington D.C.. The System Dynamics Society occasionally recognizes people for making a significant contribution to a field or a practice over an extended period of time by giving them the Lifetime Achievement Award. Diana has worked over the last 20 years to bring system dynamics into high school mathematics (algebra, pre-calculus, and calculus), and created a year-long system dynamics modeling course for students age 15 to 18 years, using the visual nature of system dynamics software to enhance students’ understanding of both mathematics and changes in complex systems over time. She has written two books based on her lessons, Lessons in Mathematics: A Dynamic Approach, and Modeling Dynamic Systems: Lessons for a First Course. Diana gave a moving acceptance speech in which she seconded Jay Forrester’s steadfast advocacy of the leverage that the use of system dynamics in K-12 education has for society. Ms. Fisher is currently developing curriculum materials and providing professional development services through CC Modeling Systems. For those unfamiliar with the concepts of systems thinking and dynamics, the recently approved WA State Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan explain that it is a perspective and a set of conceptual and simulation tools for policy analysis in complex systems. System dynamics helps individuals discover why social and physical systems behave the way they do, help build progressively richer understandings of dynamic problems, and anticipate weaknesses in policy and strategy initiatives that develop over time. These are useful tool for analyzing the impacts of sustainability policies and strategies and are also useful as a way-of-learning in K-12 education[1]. EEAW and E3 Washington strive to inform and educate people on systems thinking techniques and were represented at the 2011 Systems Dynamics conference by Dr. Ruth Fruland, Dr. Dexter Chapin, and Paul Newton, with their poster presentations, including the following topics (to access their poster sessions, please click on the attachments below):
Note: EEAW/E3 Washington would like to thank EEAW Board Member Paul Newton for submitting this article.
A National Press Club event featuring a new environmental literacy assessment framework is scheduled for December 1st and all are invited. The framework was spearheaded by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and developed by multi-disciplinary teams in policy, social science and education. At this event, leaders from national and international assessment fields will join the development team to define environmental literacy and its proper assessment. The partnership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) were critical in the release of the framework. Karen Hollweg, Past President of the NAAEE and a Project Manager for this initiative, stated: “Given the scope and scale of investments and interest in the enhancement of environmental literacy on the part of government agencies, professional organizations, education institutions and corporations, assessments for gauging our progress are needed”. “We’ve worked with experts from many disciplines to reach a multi-disciplinary consensus on what constitutes environmental literacy and to provide a framework that can be used by assessment developers as a blueprint for their work. Early indications are that many educators, researchers and policy makers will join us on December 1 to learn about what we’ve done and its potential application", said Hollweg To date, the following will be speaking at the National Press Conference event: Andreas Schleicher, Advisor to the Secretary-General on Education Policy Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division at the Directorate for Education, OECD The international importance of environmental literacy and the importance of assessing environmental literacy Scott Marion, Associate Director, Center for Assessment A national and state perspective on environmental literacy assessment Please oin the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) for the release of "A Framework for Assessing Environmental Literacy" in person at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., or live on the internet on Thursday, December 1, 2011 To register for this important event, visit: www.naaee.net/framework
During his keynote address for the Department of Education's “Sustainability Education Summit: Citizenship and Pathways for a Green Economy” last September, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated that preparing students to be good environmental citizens “is some of the most important work that any of us can do. It’s for our children, it’s for our children’s children, and it’s for generations to come.” The proceedings report from the summit was released last Wednesday, November 2, 2011 and provides not only an overview of summit activities but also includes recommendations on ways to advance sustainability education throughout the nation including the Green Ribbons Schools Program that was announced earlier this year. The report also includes comments from industry, academic and government representatives from the four panel sessions as well as Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter’s opening remarks. To view the entire proceedings report, please click here.
EEAW/E3 Washington are pleased to offer for the first time ever, the E3 Washington Annual Awards for Excellence with a deadline for nominations of December 15! As many know, E3 Washington is the leading initiative of the Environmental Education Association of Washington (EEAW). In the next two months you will begin to see the transition of EEAW, the organization into E3 Washington the organization. More about the E3 Washington Awards In the past EEAW has offered awards for excellence in environmental education in five categories. Six new categories and a new name for the awards is all part of the exciting transition that is to take place in the upcoming months from The Environmental Education Association of Washington to E3 Washington. (EEAW)/E3 Washington is seeking nominations for the below awards categories in environmental and sustainability education. You do not need to be a member of EEAW/E3 Washington to be recognized, and individuals and programs may self-nominate. All nominations should be made by December 15, 2011. Award Categories: Green Apple Awards (4 awards)-recognizes outstanding formal environmental educators in WA state. This award has 4 categories this year: PreK-5, 6-8, 9-12, and College/University. Informal Educator Award-recognizes an outstanding educator who provides learning for all ages in settings outside of, and/or linked to, the formal classroom. K-12 Student Environmental Leader Award-recognizes a student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in environmental education. Business Excellence Award-recognizes a business (or program within a business) that provides and/or supports exemplary environmental education programs. Government Agency Award-recognizes a government agency (or program within a government agency) that provides exemplary environmental education programs. Diversity in Action Award-recognizes an individual, organization, or program that demonstrates cultural awareness and encourages a multicultural approach to environmental education projects or programs. Timeline: Nomination Deadline-December 15, 2011 Award Announcements by January 30, 2012
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