-
Wilbur Jackman
Wilbur Jackman writes a book titled Natural Study for the common school and the nature study movement is born. This movement emphasized people’s responsibility towards nature and that students should spend a large amount of time studying the natural world. -
Dust Bowl
The dust bowl creates a movement in environmental education and non-government organizations for the purposes of conservation -
Progressive Education Movement
The progressive education movement is born emphasizing the importance of students learning by doing -
College Degree
The University of Wisconsin becomes the first college to offer a degree in conservation education. -
Thomas Pritchard
Thomas Pritchard uses the term environmental education at a conference in Paris. This may be the first professional use of this term to the public. -
Silent Spring
Silent Spring is published, and the American Public is awakened to the impacts of pesticides and chemicals on the environment and human health. -
Environmental Education
Environmental Education, the first journal of its kind, was published with a formal definition of what environmental education is -
NEEA
Congress passes the National Environmental Education Act which authorizes the creation of the Office of Environmental Education -
Earth Day
The First Earth day is observed on over 1500 college campuses and by 20 million people to bring attention to pollution and the decreasing quality of the environment -
NAAEE
The National Association for Environmental Education (Now called the North American Association for Environmental Educators) was created for the professional development of environmental educators -
Global Move
The UN calls for the provision of environmental education as a means to address global environmental crises -
PAEE
The Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Education is established. It is one of the oldest state environmental education professional development groups -
NEEA
The National Environmental Education Act is passed, and the Office of Environmental Education is created as a division of the EPA and environmental education training programs are created. -
Benchmarks created
The NAAEE release the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education which provides guidelines for the development and assessment of EE materials as well as benchmarks for practitioner and student knowledge on environmental topics -
New Research
The study, Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning, is published, showing that environment-based programs can improve performance on standardized tests, reduce classroom management problems, and increase engagement and enthusiasm for learning -
Guidelines Created
The NAAEE creates the Guidelines for Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators, which establishes guidelines for how educators are taught and prepared -
Training Bureau
The national Project for Environmental Education Excellence launches the Guidelines Training Bureau to further the use of guidelines in environmental education -
Accreditation
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) adopts EE standards in 2007, thus holding EE programs in NCATE-accredited colleges of education to high standards of performance -
ECSA
The Every Child Succeeds Act becomes law and includes language that supports opportunities to provide students with environmental education and hands-on, field-based learning experiences. -
New Guidelines
The NAAEE releases their updated K-12 Environmental Education: Guidelines for Excellence which provides a comprehensive framework for environmental education, demonstrating benchmarks towards environmental literacy.
