Development of an EE Promotional Handbook and National EE Capacity Building Strategies

DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORGANIZING HANDBOOK AND NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE PROMOTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL(1998)

Masters Thesis by Abigail M. Ruskey

In the late 1980s and early 1990's, there was a nationwide call for organizational support and resources for the development of comprehensive environmental education programs at the state and local levels.  The research which addressed this need was conducted in 1991-1993 by graduate assistant and NEEAP coordinator Abigail Ruskey.  This research is contained in a thesis titled " Development of an Organizing Handbook and National Implementation Plan for the Promotion of Environmental Education at the State and Local Level".  This document can be obtained from the library at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  Following is an  abstract of this research.

This study responded to a nationwide call for organizational support and resources for the development of comprehensive environmental education (EE) programs at the state and local levels. There were two components to this research. The first entailed researching and writing an organizing handbook. The second involved developing a national EE implementation plan to further EE capacity building throughout the United States. The replication multiple-case study design was utilized to develop and correlate state and local case histories for the handbook. These case histories in turn provided data and contacts for the national implementation plan.

As a result of this research, 5000 copies of Promoting Environmental Education: An Action Handbook for Strengthening EE in Your State and Community were published. This handbook sold out, but NEEAP will be offering the book electronically by chapter on the website by Summer 2004. The national EE implementation plan was completed with the input of over 200 EE leaders. This plan led to funding for a demonstration states program in 1993. The National Environmental Education Advancement Project (NEEAP) that grew out of the national implementation plan was included in the EE and Training Partnership (EETAP), a 5-year consortium effort funded by the United States EPA in 1995 to provide leadership in EE training.

Building on the two projects that were the focus of this research, NEEAP has continued to provide resources such as organizational and leadership development videos, workshops, booklets, and packets all specifically geared to EE practitioners. Additionally NEEAP continues to provide strategic services and leadership towards the growth and sustainability of EE organizations, and the full incorporation of EE into local, state, and national education institutions.