By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now
In an effort to get kids outdoors, the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act, aims to connect children with nature by making it a part of their education.
NCLI became the first environmental education bill debated on the house floor in a long time last year when it passed in the House, but failed to progress through the Senate.
With the installation of the new Congress, NCLI now needs reconsideration in both houses to pass.
Advocates believe it could get a second chance because environmental education has been given a clear opening in the US Department of Education’s budget plan released this week.
The proposed budget includes new funding of $1 billion for programs that improve instruction to support college- and career-readiness standards. Among those eligible for funding are classes deemed important to a “Well-Rounded Education,” which includes environmental literacy.
The Well-Rounded Education category calls for $265 million — an increase of $38.9 million or 17 percent — to consolidate seven current authorities and expand support for the subjects important to a complete curriculum, including history, the arts, foreign languages, environmental literacy, and economic and financial literacy, according to the budget.
“Advancing the environmental literacy of our students is key to addressing today’s increasingly complex environmental and related economic, social, natural resource, and energy issues,” said Don Baugh, Director of the No Child Left Inside Coalition, in a statement.
“It will not only better prepare students for college and the 21st Century workforce, but help to combat childhood obesity and related health problems by getting kids outside to learn about the natural world.
“On behalf of our entire 1,500 member Coalition, I commend the President and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for recognizing the critical role that environmental education plays in preparing our students for the green economy.”
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