A great deal has been happening in California Environmental Education during the last year. We have seen the unveiling of the California State Department of Education’s State Plan for Environmental Education, the continuation of grant programs sponsored by the Sierra Club’s Youth in Wilderness Project, Outdoor Education funding provided by The Wildlands Conservancy, and continued expansion of the AEOE membership.
Many of the faithful AEOE membership made their voices heard during the State’s listening sessions as planning began for the California State Plan for Environmental Education. It was made loud and clear that it is essential for students to get into the environment in order to create good environmental education. As such, getting the students out became one of the priorities in the plan. Residential Outdoor Schools also made it into the plan as part of an effective environmental education program. Without your participation and the extra efforts of AEOE Board Members such as Stephen Hopkins, Michael Charnofsky, and Maggie Wolfe, experiential and residential environmental education programs may not have been so prominent in the plan. Obviously, the plan is well from complete or implemented, however, it is expected that AEOE leadership will continue to be asked to the table for input.
In other good news, over the past two to three years Outdoor School Programs have received $1.5 million from the state (AB 1498), and several million more dollars from the Sierra Club Youth in Wilderness Grant and The Wildlands Conservancy (the latter primarily in Los Angeles, Orange and Kern Counties). These dollars have translated to serving over 50,000 students who otherwise may not have attended a program. These monies have also translated to the purchase of a new site for Los Angeles County’s program.
The expansion in Los Angeles County is significant because this program will now be able to serve additional students that would not have been able to attend in the past due to infrastructure concerns. There are simply too many students in the County to accommodate. While this expansion does not guarantee participation of all students (Los Angeles County is still too large to be accommodated by existing sites), it does guarantee that year in and year out, more students will be served by this program than ever before.
I make this point about the Los Angeles County program because, looking ahead to 2003, all of the funding sources listed above will have all but stopped. Unfortunately, due to the present economy, the retirement of some major donors, and other factors, Outdoor Education will not benefit from State Funds, Youth in Wilderness Funds, or The Wildlands Conservancy funds at the same level as we have seen in the past three years.
There is, however, a great deal of hope in what has happened on a statewide level regarding funding. While it is true that many individual programs have always had varying degrees of success with regard to funding, there have not been many times (if any) when such a focus of funding has been available on a statewide basis. And, as is pointed out with the case of Los Angeles County, these funds will have a lasting and long-term effect in our communities. Additionally, many new schools attended programs due to these funds. While finances will again become a stumbling block for many of these schools, there are those that will continue to find a way to participate even in the absence of this funding. The seeds for long-term participation have been planted in many new places thanks to this wave of new funding.
Looking ahead, we all know that funding will continue to be an issue in many communities, but we must remember the significant gains that have been made in the past few years and continue to strive to serve all California students. The nature of this recent statewide focus is reason to be encouraged. The word is getting out about what we do for students in this profession. As such, it is up to us to keep putting the word out. We have gained some momentum and have made ourselves known in Sacramento, and among many statewide agencies and organizations. And with our statewide membership over 1,000, we have become a true voice in this state. Keep talking, keep spreading the word-- while the times may be getting tougher, we are being heard!