Salazar, Duncan Partner to Boost Use of Parks & Public Lands as 21st Century Education Centers Initiative will help build skills among students in the growing outdoor economy
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Education Arne Duncan today announced a new agreement to build, develop
and formalize programs that use national parks, national wildlife refuges
and other public lands as classrooms and catalysts for 21st century
education – designed to benefit teachers, students and parents in rural
America and urban classrooms alike.
Today’s announcement comes in advance of Friday’s White House Conference
on Conservation being hosted at the Department of the Interior that will
spotlight community-driven conservation efforts as part of President
Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Secretary Salazar and Secretary
Duncan enables the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Education to work together in new and more effective ways to connect young
Americans to the outdoors, improve environmental literacy, support
experiential learning outside the classroom, and form partnerships at the
local level to learn from and conserve public lands.
Additionally, the agreement will help implement the President’s goals for
the Department of Education by investing in the education necessary to
build a workforce with skills to succeed in the conservation and outdoor
recreation economy and to develop careers in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM).
“An economy that’s built to last requires that we make sure our children
get the education and training they need so we have a workforce ready to
take on the jobs of tomorrow,” said Secretary Salazar. “This innovative
partnership will help schools use our national parks, wildlife refuges and
other public lands as educational and professional development tools to
bring new environmental and historical knowledge to students and develop
skills for the next generation of workers in America’s growing outdoor
economy.”
America’s outdoor economy – including outdoor recreation, conservation and
heritage initiatives – powers 8.4 million jobs and generates more than $1
trillion in economic activity annually, according to recent
non-governmental estimates. Independent estimates also show that the
leisure and hospitality sector could add 2.1-3.3 million jobs this decade
– the third highest job growth potential by sector.
“Science, technology, engineering and math fields are driving forces in
the global economy," said Secretary Duncan. “Partnerships between our
nation's schools and our national parks, wildlife refuges and other public
lands is a smart approach that can better prepare our children in STEM
subjects by providing engaging, hands-on learning experiences, making
lessons tangible, and enhancing schools’ ties to their communities.”
Today’s agreement will create new bridges between America’s schools and
its public lands – often at the local level, where national parks,
wildlife refuges and other public lands exist in close proximity to
communities, ideally situated as outdoor classrooms for teachers and
students nationwide.
Under the agreement, Interior may offer both in-service and pre-service
professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators,
including workshops, in-depth subject-matter seminars, and summer
employment opportunities. The goals include improving teaching skills and
developing deeper levels of subject-matter expertise, with a special
emphasis on those who work in, or will work in, Title I, rural, and other
high-need schools.
Through its relationships with state educational agencies, local school
districts, and colleges and universities, the Department of Education can
serve as a resource in developing a range of teaching and classroom skills
for Interior employees, including Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funded
schools, and partners who serve as educators in the classroom and on
public lands. The Department of Education will also commit to encourage
math and science, American history, and other programs.
To view the agreement, click here.
This initiative will build upon, elevate and formalize some programs
already in place. The National Park Service, for example, presents more
than 95,000 education programs annually and reaches more than 2 million
students enrolled in K-12 schools. It also provides extensive online
resources for students and teachers. More than 40 parks have educational
institutes and field schools.
In fact, the National Wildlife Refuge System welcomes almost a million
school children each year to these and other environmental education
programs and partnerships held at hundreds of refuges around the nation.
Additional programs include Science camps held by the U.S. Geological
Survey, and the Hands on the Land initiative – a network of outdoor
classrooms involving six federal agencies that connects America’s
students, teachers and parents to their public lands and waterways, while
supporting school-based curricula correlated to local standards of
learning.
“The future of wildlife conservation depends on developing a new
generation of wildlife professionals with the knowledge and skills
necessary to manage wildlife and natural systems in a changing
environment,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “At a
time when our nation is increasingly urbanized, outdoor education programs
are vital to helping children see the possibilities of a natural resources
career, and to help them understand that they have a personal stake in
conservation.”
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