Education Workgroup

The Education Workgroup enables students in the region to graduate with the knowledge and skills to act responsibly to protect and restore their local watershed.

Meetings

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About

The goal of the Education Workgroup is to have every student in the region graduate environmentally literate having participated in meaningful watershed educational experiences in elementary, middle, and high school that were supported by teachers who have received professional development in environmental education and schools that are models of environmental sustainability. The Education Workgroup provides a forum for cross-jurisdictional coordination and support on all aspects of environmental education with an emphasis on:

  • Increasing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) and other place-based, outdoor education;
  • Increasing school district preparedness to implement a comprehensive and systemic approach to environmental literacy education;
  • Supporting training for teachers and environmental education professionals in content, pedagogy, and outdoor-learning techniques related to environmental topics;
  • Encouraging green infrastructure and operations on school grounds;
  • Supporting federal, state, and regional environmental literacy planning, including providing an ongoing forum to collaborate on the goals and objectives of the federal Executive Order and the nonprofit community Regional Roundtable.

The Education Workgroup is tasked with evaluating and recommending policies related to PK-12 bay education, maintaining the Bay Backpack website, and tracking state implementation of the MWEE in elementary, middle, and high school. The Workgroup also convenes a biennial Environmental Literacy Summit with leaders from around the region to advance the education outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The primary outcomes are Student Environmental Literacy Experiences, School District Environmental Literacy Planning, and K-12 aspects of the Workforce outcome. 

Our Education Workgroup membership is composed of strategic representatives from:

  • State leadership:  key officials from state departments of education and natural resource agencies
  • Federal partners:  representatives from federal agencies providing oversight and technical support
  • Regional catalysts:  leaders from organization actively engaged in regional capacity building and cross-state partnerships

Projects

Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT)

In Progress

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT) was developed to monitor the capacity and progress of public school districts toward meeting the Environmental Literacy Goal in the 2014 Watershed Agreement. The ELIT is administered biennially.

Environmental Literacy Summit

In Progress

Environmental Literacy Summits are convened biennially to share innovative practices, collaborate, and coordinate between federal, state and non-governmental leaders about the future of environmental education in our region.

Environmental Literacy Forum

In Progress

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office hosts training forums to build the skills of educators to plan and implement Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) and sustainable school programming at the classroom or school district level, among other topics. This allows educators to better understand, promote, and deliver important programs that contribute to the Environmental Literacy outcomes of the Watershed Agreement.

Publications

Related Resources

  • Bay Backpack

    Bay Backpack provides educators with the tools they need to support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, or MWEEs, for their students. Explore Bay Backpack for teaching resources, action projects, and funding opportunities related to the Chesapeake Bay.

Our Watershed Agreement Goals & Outcomes

Engaged Communities Goal

Our Members