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Minnesota EE How environmental education works in Minnesota |
- Minnesota's Environmental Education History
- The foundation for environmental education was laid in Minnesota and nationally long before the term was popularized in the 1960s. Its precursors include many organizations and movements formed decades ago to promote nature study, conservation education and outdoor education. For a more complete discussion of this history see A GreenPrint for Minnesota, Appendix F. Following is a narrative overview of the history of environmental education in Minnesota and a chronological list of important events.
Overview
Environmental education emerged along with widespread concerns about environmental quality raised in 1969-70. The federal government initiated programs that generated some state responses(e.g. monies for the development of state environmental education plans).
*Golden Valley School District 275 received a major grant from the U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare to establish an environmental science center to develop curriculum, design outdoor classrooms and provide teacher in-service training (1967). The center later became a nonprofit corporation, the Minnesota Environmental Sciences Foundation, Inc. (1969).
*The Minnesota Legislature authorized the DNR and the Department of Education to jointly create environmental education curriculum resources. A position was funded in each agency to facilitate this (1969).
*The Minnesota Legislature created the Environmental Conservation Library (ECOL) which was housed in the Minneapolis Public Library (1971). The collection included curriculum and ECOL provided a number of environmental education services to schools. Funding for ECOL declined in the 1980's and ended in 1993.
In Minnesota, the first environmental education legislation created the Minnesota Environmental Education Council and authorized it to develop a state plan. That plan, which was published in 1971, called for a system of 13 regional volunteer councils to promote environmental education in both formal and nonformal settings.
*Gov. Wendell Anderson's executive order established the Minnesota Environmental Education Council and a $440,000 grant from U.S. HEW funded a study that resulted in a state plan for environmental education (1971).
*The first state plan was published after a year of meetings and public discussion. The plan proposed program delivery via a regional system of volunteers and a small paid staff (1972).
*The Minnesota Legislature created and funded the regional structure (13 regions) proposed in the state plan. The program was attached to the Department of Education and was to serve people of all ages in formal and informal education settings (1973).
The Minnesota Naturalists Association was formed in 1973. Bylaws were formally created in 1982 and reflect what we have now for a mission.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, MEEB and its regional councils, the environmental learning centers, Minnesota naturalists and a few others worked quietly to promote environmental awareness. Institutional support for these efforts was limited and fluctuated constantly. Still, these early efforts paid off, building a critical mass of understanding.
During the mid 1980's there was an explosion of environmental education effort in private, non-profit and governmental sectors. Hundreds of organizations and agencies became active in environmental education but with few common goals and little coordination.
*The Minnesota Legislature formed the Energy Agency in 1974.
*The Minnesota Environmental Education Council and its staff (four coordinators and a director) were transferred from the Department of Education to the State Planning Agency (1976). The council was renamed the Minnesota Environmental Education Board (MEEB) in 1976.
*MEEB and the Department of Education sponsored a curriculum planning project providing small grants and free consulting to 30 school districts wishing to plan and implement environmental education programs (1975 - 78).
*The DNR shifted its emphasis from environmental education to "outdoor education" and hunter education (1977).
*The Energy Agency and the Department of Education collaborated in the development of energy education materials. Funding came mostly from federal sources (1977-80).
*MEEB was transferred from the State Planning Agency to the DNR (1978).
*Project Learning Tree (PLT), a supplementary environmental education curriculum subsidized by the American Forest Institute, was introduced by the Department of Education. Most statewide distribution was provided by MEEB (1978).
*The Minnesota Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) was established as a statewide forum for environmental/outdoor education professionals (1980). The association dissolved a few years later.
*The Minnesota Legislature authorized the nongame wildlife checkoff. Public comment favored using some of the funds for education (1980).
*The Minnesota Legislature required the DNR, PCA and Department of Health to study and report on the status of acid rain in Minnesota. MEEB was required to provide a program of public education on the subject, but no funds were allocated (1980).
*MEEB's budget was cut 50 percent (1981).
*The Waste Management Board was established to site a hazardous waste disposal facility (1981).
*The Governor's Council on Rural Development funded a soil conservation curriculum for elementary students known as Ag-Stravaganza (1983).
*The nongame wildlife program introduced Project WILD, a supplementary environmental education curriculum featuring wildlife themes, with support from MEEB and the Department of Education (1984).
*The State Board of Education revised its Elementary Education Rule and included an environmental education requirement (1984).
*The Waste Management Board formed a Waste Education Roundtable to advise the state about waste education needs (1985).
*Environmental education became a priority of the Environmental Quality Board and was reinforced by participants in EQB's Environmental Congress (1986).
*The Waste Management Board, Pollution Control Agency and MEEB prepared and circulated learning materials about household hazardous waste (1987).
*The Waste Management Board established a Waste Education Coalition and developed a Waste Education Clearinghouse and waste education materials for grades K-6 (1987).
*Voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting creation of an Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (1988).
*The Minnesota Legislature reduced funding for MEEB by 73 percent and transferred the program to the State Planning Agency (1989).
*The Minnesota Legislature abolished MEEB and established an Office of Environmental Education and an Environmental Education Advisory Board in the State Planning Agency (1990).
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) struggled to prioritize an ever growing number of education-related proposals. In 1990 the commission convinced the Legislature to fund development of a new state plan for environmental education. The old environmental education act was amended eliminating MEEB and its regional councils and creating a new Environmental Education Advisory Board (EEAB).
Using the input of the 1,500 or so people who contributed, the new board produced A GreenPrint, State Plan For Environmental Education that laid out environmental education policy and goals, and identified strategies by which these might be achieved, relying on the continuing activity of all the players. Since then a lot of work has gone into building an infrastructure that will support and guide implementation of the plan.
At the same time the new state plan was being developed the Addendum to the GreenPrint: a Guide to Integrating Environmental Education was created by eight school districts to help teachers integrate environmental education into the curriculum. This too was funded by the Legislature as recommended by the LCMR.
In 1991 the environmental education consultant's position in the Department of Education was eliminated. In 1993 the Legislature repealed most of the mandates for schools including the mandate for environmental education. Since 1991, the Department of Education (now the Department of Children, Families and Learning) has been working on the development of new graduation requirements.
*The Minnesota Legislature requested that the EE community be gathered to begin the process of developing a State plan for EE. The meeting was held October 27-28, 1990 at the Hilton in Bloomington. It was billed as the 1990 EE Conference and attracted over 300 environmental educators from around the State. It was co-sponsored by Minnesota State Planning Agency, Office of Environmental Education Minnesota Environmental Quality Board and the Minnesota Department of Education.
*Minnesota hosted the 1991 North American Association for EE Conference, "The Head of the Pack in '91", Sept. 27 - Oct. 2, 1991 at the Radisson in St. Paul.
*The Minnesota Legislature allocated money for several environmental education projects from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund including the development of a new state plan for environmental education and a study of the state's day use and residential environmental learning centers (1991).
*In the wake of the continuing changes at the state level, several EE professionals gathered at the state EE conference, held at Cragun's Resort near Brainerd in November 1992 to form the Minnesota Association for Environmental Education, a non-profit professional organization (1992).
*The Minnesota Legislature abolished the State Planning Agency and transferred the Office of Environmental Education and the Environmental Education Advisory Board to the Department of Education (1992).
*The Office of Environmental Education and its advisory board published A GreenPrint For Minnesota, State Plan for Environmental Education (1993).
*The fledgling Minnesota Association for Environmental Education (MAEE) hosts their first statewide EE conference in October 1993 on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota (1993).
As a result of recommendations in the GreenPrint, the LCMR, the Legislature, foundations and other organizations have implemented many other environmental education programs in recent years.
*The Minnesota Legislature approved $7.5 million in bonds for capital improvements at several environmental learning centers. That amount was matched by the Blandin Foundation (1994).
*St. Olaf College launched the School Nature Program (SNAP) with support from the Blandin Foundation (1994).
*The Blandin Foundation funded the GreenPrint Council to coordinate and strengthen the work of the state's environmental learning centers (1994).
*The MAEE and EEAB begin a partnership to host an annual Minnesota EE conference, with the State taking the lead role in producing the 1994 EE Conference, November 18-19 at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria. 276 people registered for the conference (1994).
*Work began to integrate environmental education into the state's emerging "graduation standards" (1995).
*With significant coordination and assistance from the Southeast MN EE Committee, MAEE and EEAB hosted the 1995 Midwest EE Conference at the Radisson Hotel in Rochester, October 12-15 (1995).
* The Teacher Preparation Project was established. This was a partnership of 10 Higher Education institutions in Minnesota that developed a coordinated set of environmental education in-service courses and pre-service teacher education in environmental education. The LCMR recommended funding. OEA and EEAB administer the appropriation (1995).
*The 1996 Environmental Education Conference was co-sponsored by Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, Minnesota Environmental Education Advisory Board, and Minnesota Association for Environmental Education. Titled "Environmental Issues '96: Inform Yourself, Educate Others". The Conference draws 120 participants to the Sheraton Metrodome in Minneapolis on June 17 after being canceled in March due to a snowstorm (1996).
*The Legislature transferred the Environmental Education Advisory Board (EEAB) to the Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA), which had been hosting the EEAB since 1995 (1996).
*SEEK (Sharing Environmental Education Knowledge) a computer-based environmental education resource center is launched. SEEK directs Minnesota citizens to environmental education resources throughout the state, provides a calendar of events, a method for all environmental education providers to collaborate, and a forum for discussion (1996).
*MAEE, OEA and EEAB once again host the 8th annual state EE conference, May 17-19, 1997, On Lake Superior, at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. Over 200 people attend workshops, presentations and field trips, including an update on Minnesota's deformed frogs (1997).
* MAEE, OEA and EEAB host the 9th Annual State EE Conference, June 19-20, 1998, on the beautiful campus of St. John's University, Collegeville. The keynote speaker was Bill Hammond, Florida Educator. Attendance was again approximately 200 people and several people attended a pre-conference hosted by SNAP (1998).
*EEAB and OEA lead mid-point revision and assessment of the GreenPrint (1998).
*Voters approved a constitutional amendment extending for another 25 years the allocation of a percentage of lottery proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (1998).
Compiled by: Bob Bystrom, Pam Landers, Jeff Ledermann, Robert Olson, and Colleen Schoenecker
June 1999
Updated August 2008- Posted: 10/26/00
- Revised: 6/9/09
- The foundation for environmental education was laid in Minnesota and nationally long before the term was popularized in the 1960s. Its precursors include many organizations and movements formed decades ago to promote nature study, conservation education and outdoor education. For a more complete discussion of this history see A GreenPrint for Minnesota, Appendix F. Following is a narrative overview of the history of environmental education in Minnesota and a chronological list of important events.
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