Environmental adult education
Encyclopedia
Environmental Adult Education is recognized as a “hybrid outgrowth of the environmental movement
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....

 and adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...

, combining an ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

 orientation with a learning paradigm to provide a vigorous educational approach to environmental concerns” (Sumner, 2003).

In laymen’s terms, environmental adult education refers to efforts in teaching environmental issues and how individuals and businesses can manage or change their lifestyles and ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....

s to live sustainably. The overarching goal of this field of study is to educate global societies to live more sustainably.

History

Environmental adult education is a relatively new and unique field of study and practice. It is a community-based method in which educators listen and respect the input of learners, and all participants are considered essential.

During the last thirty years, environmental adult education has evolved. For more than a century, environmental and conservation organizations taught adults environmental education with very little structure.

The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 was one of the first countries to officially recognize environmental education. During a joint House-Senate session in 1968, Congress acknowledged the importance of environmental education, and in 1970 passed the Environmental Education Act, which established the Office of Environmental Education.

Timeline

  • Mid-1970s: EAE recognized as distinct field of study
  • Late 1980s: EAE focus on learner experience
  • Late 1990s, Early 2000: Focus shifted to how to teach EAE
  • 1997: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO
    UNESCO
    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

    ) hosted conference on adult education with EAE being one of the 33 workshops presented

Earlier environmental education initiatives

According to the UNESCO Web site, in 1968 it organized the first intergovernmental conference aimed at reconciling the environment and development, now known as “sustainable development”. In the following years, UNESCO and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) initiated three major declarations that defined environmental education. Those included:
  • 1972: Stockholm Declaration. This document included seven proclamations and 26 principles “to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment.”
  • 1975: Belgrade Charter. The product of the International Workshop on Environmental Education, this charter built upon the Stockholm Declaration by adding goals, objectives and principles for environmental education programs.
  • 1977: Tbilisi Declaration. This document updated and clarified the Stockholm Declaration and the Belgrade Charter by including new goals, objectives, characteristics, and guiding principles of environmental education.

Methods

Educators in this field of study consider environmental problems with a holistic approach that combines social, political and environmental concerns into community dilemmas.

Participatory methods allow learners to make connections between social issues and environmental problems. This connection allows adult learners to understand the core causes of major environmental issues and the resulting social inequalities. This method also allows educators to stress the importance of instilling environmental awareness so that learners do not forget their relationship with the natural world.

To summarize the methods of adult environmental education training, environmental adult educators strive to instil learners with:
  • a knowledge of environmental problems and their causes
  • the skills to engage in social activism to combat those problems
  • the attitude of respect and connection to the natural world
  • a desire to change current practices to protect the Earth


Environmental adult education generally takes place in a nonformal education setting. This means that the organized learning can take place in many forms including vocational education, literacy education and on the job training.

The Need for Adult Environmental Education

Environmental problems are a reality in today’s culture that cannot be ignored. Growing environmental troubles that the world is facing today include:
  • Global warming
    Global warming
    Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...

  • Pollution
    Pollution
    Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...

  • Habitat devastation
  • Overpopulation
    Overpopulation
    Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...

  • Waste disposal
  • Diminishing resources


Education is the key to reaching environmental sustainability, defined as “developing a way of human living that will ensure an enduring and sufficient level of support from the earth’s resources”.

Programs and organizations that encourage adult environmental education

  • Conservation education and governmental agencies such as the Forestry Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were established to educate adults in broad areas of the environment.

  • The Nature Conservancy, originally the Ecological Society of America, was formed in 1915 with the missions of supporting ecologists and preserving natural ecosystems.

  • The 4-H Organization was also established to reach adults by educating youth in areas of new agricultural technology and environmental awareness.

  • The Peace Corps
    Peace Corps
    The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...

    , established in 1961, has worked to incorporate adult environmental education and conservation practices into its international programming. Volunteers assist in:
  • Environmental education
  • Recycling
    Recycling
    Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...

  • Wildlife protection
  • Park management
  • Alleviating water-borne diseases
  • Providing potable water

  • Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is a nonprofit water education program and publisher. This program “promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and the establishment of internationally sponsored Project WET programs.” Committed to global water education that is implemented at the community level, the mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.

  • Project WILD is a conservation and environmental education program for educators of students in kindergarten through high school. Project WILD addresses the need for human beings to develop as responsible citizens of the planet. It is based on the belief that young adults and educators have an interest in learning about the natural world.

  • Project Learning Tree, a program of the American Forest Foundation, is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-Grade 12.
  • Gobar Times
    Gobar Times
    Gobar Times is a monthly environmental education magazine for the young adult, published by the Centre for Science and Environment. It is published along with Down to Earth as a supplement. The magazine was first published in May, 1998 and has widespread circulation across India and abroad...

    a monthly environmental education magazine for the young adult.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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