In September 2022, we launched Phase 2 of our landscape analysis of environmental education efforts in eight southeastern states. This phase follows the successful Phase 1 project, which focused on environmental education (EE) in nonformal settings. Data from Phase 1 allowed SEEA to identify gaps and barriers to access that prevent successful implementation of EE in the region and determine next steps for increasing environmental literacy efforts in the southeast. Collected from more than 650 programs in eight states, the data also allowed the network to equip organizations conducting environmental and conservation-related work in the region with the resources they need to allocate their own resources more effectively and to ultimately serve as a guide for future strategic planning efforts at the local, state, and regional level. The baseline data we gathered in Phase 1 has the potential to do even more than it already has, and that is one reason why the next step, Phase 2, is essential. We will gather data from PreK-12 schools in the eight SEEA states, enabling us to get the full picture of EE happening in schools throughout the region. Then, in late 2022 and early 2023 we will compare this data with that collected in Phase 1. The two datasets together will offer the most complete picture ever collected of current EE offerings in the region and what gaps and barriers exist in both formal and nonformal settings for students of all ages and in all areas. Comparing the data from nonformal and formal EE providers will allow us (and our eight states) to further the goal of advancing EE in the region and building collective impact that has a lasting effect on the southeast.
THE SURVEY
We are now distributing a robust survey to PreK-12 schools around the southeast. The primary target audience for the Phase 2 survey is school and district administrators and formal educators, at all grade levels, who work in the PreK-12 setting. The survey is the result of several collaborative sessions with EE leaders from the participating states and across the nation, and an in-depth analysis of the findings from Phase 1. Questions relate to organizational operations, audiences served, programming themes, and services to better understand environmental education and engagement in the southeast.
To thank you for your time, you'll be entered into a drawing for one of 120 $25 gift cards to the Outdoor Learning Store upon submitting your survey.
Following the survey period, we will share tools custom tailored to the needs of teachers and administrators in the southeast. We will also distribute our findings to survey participants, school administrators, community leaders, classroom teachers, nonformal education providers, and other potential stakeholders through various communications tools such as a shared narrative, website, presentations, infographics, and reports.
This project builds on the collaborative work of many different organizations and individuals and was made possible with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Pisces Foundation.
