Education on the Environment K-12

Here at Earth Month Network, we are developing "Arizona Education on the Environment Initiative K-12 -Establishing the Blueprint to Building Better Education with emphasis on Natural, Physical, Cultural, Social, and Economic Environs". It is also known as EEI, and it is not an easy task. You may ask…why do we need EEI? 

Our education system in the USA has not changed much in the past 60 years. It was a means to develop children to work in an industrial area at the time of our economic downfall in the late 30’s. Improvements have slowly come about, which is why so many private schools are out there, as public schools fail to meet the needs of a maturing society. 

We have a deteriorating society where current educational norms cannot educate students properly to prepare them for life, let alone sustain themselves in school with distractions, bullying, and many other issues. For the Arizona 2017 SY, more than 18,000 students dropped out of school, which will cost the State over $7.2-M in revenue over the lifetime of the students; worse yet, it is a tragedy to the student. Our environment has reached the critical cliff of not being able to recover, meaning its current state has become harmful, even deadly.  

If we can change the core of first why we teach, second the need to teach, and third what we teach…we can help cure education and our environment at the same time. This is done through the process of “communication, cooperation, and collaboration TM ” where students would be in peer-to-peer learning with faculty, teachers, parents, colleges, universities, government, and corporations working more closely together to resolve educational and environmental issues by addressing: natural, physical, cultural, social, and economic environments.  

EEI would be predominantly online for grades 1 - 12. It would be developed in each individual State either as an educational program, with State agencies, teachers, colleges, and universities writing the curriculum, making video presentations, etc., on some 90+ topics.

It will fit with Common CORE (for those States that have adopted standards, but far better off repealing Common Core standards altogether) and Next Generation Science Standards for classroom activities. The Arizona Department of Education has formally opted out of Common Core altogether, but the State has not formally repealed it as new ELA standards continue to replace CC and new ones developed. We have formally asked President Trump to repeal Common Core.

It will be in public, charter schools, and available to private schools to opt in. It will be ADA accessible and available to those earning their GED. We look to have in place a language translator for online text, as one learns better in their native language…the language of their heart. 

Students up to 4 grades ahead would be able to mentor younger students through the process of peer-to-peer learning. Students would be involved in environmental clubs, have a school garden, an assortment of projects, and collaborate on projects with other schools, thus diverting from the negative competition. 

Students would be encouraged to broaden their horizons by applying what they learn to poetry, music, art, and dance. What a wonderful means to express oneself and develop more fully! 

EEI and activities foster self-esteem, problem-solving & working skills, social skills, positive cooperative work ethics through collaboration, appreciation, accountability, good stewardship, citizenship, and much more. In the end, students will be better prepared for life, no matter what course they choose; e.g., a Kingdom proclaimer…a most admirable vocation; get a job, go to a trade school, and attend a two-year college, a four-year college, or university. 

Only about 8% of the schools in the USA have some form of Environmental Education and only address our natural environment. Most are private, and limits are placed upon credits and or approval for a diploma or certification from their State. With this program, a system of credits is applied by one's State Department of Education, and a certificate or diploma is provided upon senior graduation in addition to the regular diploma. 

The current cost of the program is estimated to be $25.00 per student over the course of 13 years, with a forecast for five years of inflation. The most expensive part is a student's diploma upon senior graduation. With the upcoming "No Student Left Inside" vs No Child Left Behind program, federal funding will permit more classroom instruction along with online instruction without federal mandates of instructing to the standard and test.

The 2018 Edition of our formal Prospectus has been developed and emailed to all State Legislators, the Governor, and hand-delivered to the State Superintendent of Public Schools. 

This Grassroots Project will allow you to support Environmental Education K-12, much like other countries have already in place. Seventeen other States have a program and have been progressively sustainable. The Project will allow us to directly participate with Corporations through the mail, PowerPoint presentations, videos, email, and travel visits so they may partner with the States, and allow us to work directly with the State Legislators in providing documentation and testimony. 

Project Sustainability:

This project, to date, has received no internal funding or earmarks. It is a fresh start, a grassroots effort with a new business approach for success. We forecast five years out for each state’s program. If a government or a business were to do this, the cost would be really high. Our process is approximately 75% less for total funding by the states, as well as what we can accomplish with your contribution. We are currently at 100% volunteer status, so we are able to do this without high overhead. We do not and will not use lobbyists; our children’s education is not a political issue. 

We could use some valuable volunteers, too.

Thank you for allowing us to get this program literally kicked off the ground. We need your financial support!

Remember…Earth Month is Every Month!