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Location of the WCEE
Map
and directions to the WCEE offices.
History of Environmental
Education in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's history of formally recognized environmental education (EE)
dates back to the 1935 Wisconsin Conservation Education Statute which
required preservice teachers to have "adequate instruction in the
conservation of natural resources" and that the conservation of natural
resources be taught in public schools. Wisconsin was the first state in
the nation to have such a requirement and it provided a foundation for
the growth of EE initiatives in the state. For details about the history
of EE in Wisconsin, visit the Wisconsin Association for Environmental
Education's
timeline page.
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History of the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education
Through the 1980s, need for
greater EE capacity in Wisconsin was expressed by staff in the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Wisconsin Department of
Public Instruction (DPI), as well as, the state's professional EE
organization, the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
(WAEE). Representing all these interests, Randy Champeau, then Professor
of Environmental Education in the College of Natural Resources (CNR) at
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) and CNR Associate Dean
at the time, Rick Wilke, proposed the creation of:
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a statewide EE Center
that included university faculty and outreach staff who would assist
in the development, dissemination, implementation, and evaluation of
K-12 teacher and student EE programs to be housed at UWSP
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an Environmental
Education Board that would identify needs and establish priorities
for EE in Wisconsin
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an EE grants program
State Representative, Stan
Gruszynski, and Senator, David Helback, submitted the proposal to the
Wisconsin legislature. In 1990, the Wisconsin Center for Environmental
Education (WCEE) was officially created under
Wisconsin Legislative Act 299 (see section 9). Randy Champeau went
on to serve as the first and is the current director of the WCEE. Under
the same legislative act, the EE grants program was given to the
Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) to administer and the
WEEB was placed in the DPI. Subsequent legislation moved the WEEB to the
UW System and it is currently housed at UWSP.
Goals of the Wisconsin Center for
Environmental Education
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Develop, offer and
evaluate graduate and undergraduate credit courses in environmental
education.
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Collaborate and
develop partnerships with agencies, organizations and institutions
on the development, implementation, evaluation and recognition of
environmental education programs to benefit the state of Wisconsin.
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Develop and conduct
environmental education needs assessments and program evaluations.
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Develop and conduct
environmental literacy assessments of Wisconsin's students and
teachers.
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Maintain an
environmental education resources center for use by educators.
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WCEE
Recognition |
| 2002 |
Support
Organization of the Year 2002, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources. "In appreciation for outstanding support to
Project Learning Tree and Project WILD." |
| 1999 |
WAEE Award,
Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. "Excellence
in environmental education. Presented for significant
contributions to the field of EE having statewide, regional,
national, or international impact." |
| 1996 |
Environmental
Excellence Award, The Midwest Renewable Energy Association |
| 1995 |
Outstanding
Service to Environmental Education, The North American
Association for Environmental Education. "In recognition of
contribution to environmental education at the local level by an
organization." |
| 1994 |
Conservation
Educator of the Year, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation
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