Since the emergence of EE, the field has expressed a desire to be inclusive and accessible to all citizens. At times this objective has been challenged by historical trends that keep EE by and for white elite individuals. EE is increasingly looking for ways to overcome systems of power that keep the field exclusive. Increasing access and inclusion are critical objectives to achieve a field of EE that effectively addresses environmental issues within the current social context of the United States. This essay will discuss how EE history and goals, education policy, and EE research can be used to foster equitable EE in my practice as an environmental educator and in the EE field.
EE History and Goals
The roots of mainstream environmental education (EE), as outlined by Carter and Simmons (2010), stem from the published works of naturalist writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, John David Thoreau, George Perkins, and John Muir. These writers are frequently cited as influential contributors to the environmental movement. In the United States, two books, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962) and The Quiet Crisis by Steward Udall (1963), caught public attention and ignited a wave of grassroots action.
Following the grassroots activism of the mid-'60s, there was a significant increase in environmental legislation: the Wilderness Act (1964), the Solid Waste Disposal Act (1965), the Clean Air Act (1965), the Species Conservation Act (1966), and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968) all of which were aimed at environmental action. In 1969 and 1970 alone, a number of significant events shaped the incoming decade. Namely, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) became law, the first Earth Day took place, and the Environmental Education Act became law. The Journal of Environmental Education continued to run, beginning with its first publication in the fall of 1969. In 1971 the currently named North American Association for Environmental Education was established. EE was explicitly identified as a vital component of the environmental movement at the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. International conferences around EE produced two defining documents that outlined EE's goals, principles, and future direction, The Belgrade Charter (1975) and the Tbilisi Declaration (1977).
As the rest of the world was making EE strides in the 1980s and 1990s, US EE was repeatedly undermined by the federal government. Despite the setbacks, dedicated educators, writers, and organizations continue to advance the field of EE by promoting the importance of playing in and learning about the environment (Carter, 2010).
The three goals outlined in the 1977 Tbilisi Declaration remain central to the EE movement: The goals of environmental education are: 1. To foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political, and ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas; 2. To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment; 3. To create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups, and society as a whole towards the environment (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977).
This paper will review the last two goals of the declaration, discuss the influence of racism on their application in mainstream US education, and identify how I can address the goals in a way that prioritizes equity in my work as an environmental educator and citizen.
The second goal outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration identifies five critical components of EE that should be available to all people: knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). These key components are needed to prepare individuals for environmental action for reasons I describe below. First, it is the responsibility of EE providers to equip students with knowledge of environmental processes and issues. This knowledge base provides the foundation to review environmental arguments and discuss solutions to environmental issues critically. Good EE also addresses values that foster environmental action. Values such as empathy for other humans and living beings, appreciation for outdoor recreation, educational opportunities, and economic sustainability motivate individuals to protect and improve the environment.
Next, EE must address haw individuals' attitudes impact their environmental action. If people do not think they can effect change or believe that their actions will not have a substantial impact, they will be much less likely to improve or protect the environment (Hungerford & Volk, 1990). Similarly, motivating individuals to commit to participating in environmental action is another critical component of EE. Actions speak louder than words; EE must motivate individuals to align their actions with their environmental beliefs. Finally, providing individuals with the necessary skills is the last component of environmental action. For people to believe that they are capable of environmental action, they must be provided the opportunity to learn skills that will allow them to analyze and address environmental issues effectively. Importantly, the goal also contains language implying the importance of including all people in EE to ensure sustainable and responsible environmental behaviors (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). This language seems to explicitly address equitable EE, a point to which I will return.
The last goal outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration states that EE should work to create changes in behavior at the individual, group, and societal levels (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). Creating new patterns in behavior implies that this goal of EE promotes action or some form of environmental advocacy (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). Often, education or schooling is limited to an individual improvement process. While value is increasingly placed on collaboration and teamwork, at the end of the day students receive individual grades and work towards their personal academic growth. This goal identifies that change must be made in groups and as a society in addition to the individual; thus, EE cannot only consider individual behavior changes associated with traditional EE. Groups may refer to corporations or communities such as neighborhoods and religious organizations. Promoting behavior changes on a group level may include people who are less motivated and would otherwise not work to protect and improve the environment. In addition, legislation and large-scale shifts in understanding around environmental issues would be considered societal changes. These changes are important because many environmental issues stem from societal institutions. The best way to address such large-scale environmental issues is through societal behavior changes. Thus, behavior changes on all three levels are needed to fully address environmental issues embedded within society's systems and institutions.
Addressing White Supremacy in EE
Environmental action favoring a respectful relationship with nature is a significant part of EE. Therefore, the field must provide effective instruction for individuals wanting to advocate for environmental issues. To address environmental issues, people must have the tools to understand issues and the confidence to address them. One way to achieve this is through organizations like Earth Force.
Earth Force is an EE non-profit that provides youth with the experiences that develop knowledge, commitment, empowerment, and skills needed to become active citizens equipped to protect the environment (Impact, 2021). Students develop their understanding of environmental issues and learn civic skills needed to solve environmental issues. The Earth Force website advertises impressive statistics, including that “91% of students met with school or community leaders and asked them to take action” (Impact, 2021). GLOBIO is a non-profit organization that supports behavior changes on the individual, group, and societal levels. The organization creates models that calculate the impact of various factors on biodiversity (Globio). These models are used to educate individuals, support other conservation organizations, and inform policy. Although many individuals and organizations are working towards the three goals outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration, imbalanced systems of power, such as through racism, have sabotaged their equitable implementation.
Systems of power exist to concentrate and hold on to power to benefit a singular identity. Racism, or white supremacy, describes systems that maintain power for white people and consistently undermine the efforts and lives of individuals that do not benefit from white privileges. Education is political and, therefore, influenced by existing power structures (Sauvé, 2005). Standpoint theory identifies that “all knowledge is socially situated” (Stapleton, 2019). Individuals view the environment and environmental issues through different lenses based on their social histories and experiences. This variability is evident through the difference in knowledge, values, and attitudes expressed in the environmental movement versus the environmental justice movement. The mainstream environmental movement views the environment as a place needing protection (Stapleton, 2019). Expression of this sentiment is especially apparent in how the second goal aims to prepare individuals to be able “to protect and improve the environment” (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). Conversely, different social experiences cause many environmental justice activists to view the environment as a potential source of danger (Stapleton, 2019).
EE has not avoided the devastating effects of white supremacy and historically has been designed and administered to benefit white citizens. In her work Alien Land Ethic: The Distance Between (2015), Lauret Savoy expressed feeling that the “we” and “us” mentioned in environmental works such as Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac excluded non-white Americans. Her feelings of exclusion highlight how the mainstream environmental movement has often prioritized the knowledge and values of white Americans over all others (Savoy, 2015). In her work Theory as Liberatory Practice (1991), bell hooks discusses how women of color and other marginalized groups are often rejected or de-legitimized by academia. Knowledge is a form of power, and these practices represent white supremacy working to maintain existing power structures.
The roots of EE stem from mainstream environmentalism, which continues to exclude the knowledge and values of marginalized groups. This trend will continue unless EE can incorporate the many complex standpoints around the environment that exist in our society. Anti-racist practices emerging in critical EE address some of these issues that arise from a whitewashed narrative of the environmental movement. EE providers should create and deliver curriculum that includes various perspectives of the environment. It is also essential for instructors to include research conducted by scientists of color and take the opportunity to discuss societal barriers that frequently exclude BIPOC from academia to work towards equitable implementation of EE goals (Cronin, 2021). An inclusive, anti-racist EE would benefit from the various perspectives of the environment. Including these perspectives would allow the field to better understand how environmental issues are situated within a social context and identify environmental solutions that work in conjunction with solutions to social issues.
Racism has also impacted the implementation of the third goal of the Tbilisi Declaration; specifically, the types of behavior changes advocated for in EE. Environmentalism has used racist arguments such as “populationism” to control power and people. In the second half of the 20th century, 'Populationism' became a headlining concern for the environmental movement. The issue warned of the negative environmental impacts of the increasing global population. Ultimately, 'Populationism' has been used to devalue certain bodies, particularly citizens of stereotyped 'poor' or 'underdeveloped' nations (Bhatia, 2019). The ‘populationism’ argument has even been used to blame people of color for climate change. However, there is little unbiased evidence in support of the argument. In reality, people of color disproportionally face the negative impacts of climate change (Bullard, 1993). Racism has subverted many environmental arguments and caused the environmental movement and EE to advocate for inefficient and hurtful behavior changes. The impact of efforts to control the population in the name of environmentalism has caused more harm to people than help to the environment (Bhatia, 2019). Additionally, the time and space dedicated to 'populationism' reduce the time and space available to advocate for more impactful behavior changes.
White supremacy has also undermined EE's ability to advocate for effective behavior changes. The exclusion of indigenous voices and traditional ecological knowledge from academia has undermined EE's ability to implement the Tbilisi Declaration's final goal effectively. Traditional ecological knowledge, which has been around for a lot longer than EE or the environmental movement, could inform the behavior changes advocated for by EE. Indigenous perspectives provide valuable ecological knowledge informed by the particular social experiences of Indigenous people (Stapleton, 2019). For this to become a reality, environmental educators must continue to identify and break down racist barriers that undermine the inclusion of indigenous voices in academia. Environmental educators should know when Indigenous knowledge has been rebranded as environmental knowledge and explore these discussions with their students. Another way educators can increase inclusion and accessibility is to translate research findings into local and Indigenous languages (Cronin, 2021). The act of translating findings can invite Indigenous people who have historically been excluded from spaces of scientific research and academia to participate in respectful sharing of knowledge.
As an environmental educator, it is essential to consider how I will work towards the equitable implementation of the three EE goals outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration. First, to be an effective educator, I must identify my positionality and limitations. Understanding my privileges and perspectives is necessary to identify what knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills may be more prominent in my teaching and where I may be lacking. Identifying the limitations of my identity will allow me to look for resources and individuals that can help me provide my students with a holistic environmental education. Lucie Sauvé (2005) identifies 15 currents or ways of practicing EE. In my EE practice, I identify primarily with the socially critical current as well as the humanist/mesological current and the systemic current. The socially critical current highlights that environmental issues are intrinsically situated in a social context. To accurately address environmental issues, one must also consider the social dynamics of all stakeholders. Considering social dynamics increases the likelihood that perspectives of individuals with varied life experiences are included in any environmental issue analysis.
My next step as an educator is to identify my students' positionalities. Understanding my students will help me teach in a way that highlights systems of power and engages all my potential students. An example of how I have done this was in my short high school science curriculum at Tesla EOS. In this teaching opportunity, I was tasked with creating a curriculum loosely based in science that aligned with principles of multicultural education and critical race pedagogy. The curriculum that I created with my co-teacher focused on the accessibility of science. We used that opportunity to discuss local issues that were important to our students and the resources they had to address the issues. One way I could improve our curriculum would be to discuss barriers that exist to inhibit my students' ability to use science and solve the identified issues. To align my teaching with an equitable implementation of the second goal, I must ensure that the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills included in my curriculum are inclusive to all my students.
To align my teaching with the third Tbilisi Declaration goal, I will advocate for behavior changes that focus on issues harming people disproportionally impacted by climate change. This intention further aligns with teaching environmental education through a socially critical current. I hope to include critical analysis of social dynamics that add complexity to environmental issues in my curriculum by highlighting the effects of environmental racism and including many aspects of the environmental justice movement within my curriculum. As an educator who experiences most aspects of white privilege, I must highlight the voices and experiences of individuals who frequently face the effects of environmental racism. To align my goals with my actions, I should work to actively participate in opportunities such as professional development training where I can continue to learn from and connect with individuals who have personal experiences facing and addressing environmental justice. It is also important to align my actions as an activist with my socially critical teaching. This requires me to consider my actions and impacts as a citizen of Colorado, the United States, and the world. Some critical questions to periodically ask myself are: In what ways do my privileges keep me complacent in a white supremacist society? What actions can I take to increase equity and support the success of marginalized people? And finally, what barriers may prevent me from taking these actions, and what can I do to overcome them?
Systems of power such as racism have historically prevented the goals outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration being equitably implemented within EE. Recently, environmental educators have begun to identify and implement anti-racist strategies that make the goals of EE and EE itself more accessible and engaging to historically excluded students. Educators should intentionally work to dismantle systems of power in EE by including diverse knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills for addressing environmental issues. Additionally, environmental educators should advocate for and accredit behavior changes informed by Indigenous knowledge and address issues that disproportionately impact people of color.
EE Contemporary Policy
Most influence over education policy in the US public schooling system is exercised at the local level. However, states have the power to reclaim authority over education policy if they choose to do so. The U.S. federal government can only influence education policy through legislation that distributes funding. Often, state and local policies will align with federal-level policy to qualify for education funds. Thus, federal legislation and funding can motivate state governments to prioritize educational initiatives such as EE and, more specifically, equitable EE. In this section, I will first discuss how federal policies like the A Nation at Risk report and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contribute to educational inequities in the U.S. public schooling system. I will then identify how these federal-level policies interact with the implementation of equitable EE goals and propose changes to federal policy to achieve more equitable EE opportunities.
Since the mid-1960s', equity has been advertised as an objective of federal education policy. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was the first federal legislation that provided equity-based funding (Beachem, 2018). Just as equity was becoming a fundamental goal of federal education policy, President Nixon’s administration released a report entitled “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform” (1983). The report warned that the failures of the U.S. education system would result in economic disaster by citing several bleak educational statistics. The report famously compared the state of the country’s education system to an act of war (the United States, 1983) and implies that its failures would result in the nation falling behind other competing countries. A primary outcome of the report was the promotion of educational excellence. This emphasis on excellence and superiority aligns with capitalist values embedded in the education system. An education system driven by capitalism aims to achieve economic growth and produce citizens who agree with or are at least complicit within a capitalist society by promoting excellence. The concept of excellence is positive, implying dedication to quality. However, excellence and equity in education are often at odds. The report ultimately prioritized values of economic excellence over social and political equity (Strike, 1985).
In the wake of "A Nation at Risk," federal education policy struggled to balance conflicting goals of excellence and equity. Despite the continued tensions between educational objectives, several acts were passed reauthorizing the ESEA. President Clinton signed the Improve America’s Schools Act (1994) which supported dropout prevention, charter schools, and educational technology. In 2001, President Bush passed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that emphasized teacher accountability through high-stakes testing. In December of 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (Beachem, 2018, the current federal-level policy governing United States K-12 public education.
Like many previous policies, ESSA attempts to promote both excellence and equity. The act requires states to adopt “challenging standards” and continues NCLB’s legacy of accountability and testing. However, it is more flexible on the specific standards states may choose and incentivizes alternative teacher accountability strategies. In addition, states are required to intervene and provide support to low-performing students and schools with low graduation rates. Overall, ESSA is committed to promoting educational excellence (Beachem, 2018).
Despite advertising goals of equity, contemporary education policy often aligns with the values of the “A Nation at Risk” report and perpetuates educational opportunity gaps. Individual and institutional racism contribute to educational inequities that disadvantage students of color (Beachem, 2018). These inequities are described by Critical Race Theory (CRT) as persistent and permanent facets of American society. The lingering preference for excellence over equity perpetuates educational opportunity gaps in the U.S. public schooling system. Institutional racism has a deep history in our public schools. It can be identified through the continued segregation of schools, high teacher turnover rates in urban schools, and a minority of teachers of color, specifically male teachers. Individual racism, like deficit mindsets attributed to students of color, continues to disadvantage children. The continued emphasis on excellence in federal education policy like ESSA reproduces educational inequalities that continue a legacy of white supremacy. Fortunately, parts of ESSA are beginning to highlight equity and dismantle systems of power that perpetuate educational inequities. One example of the act addressing educational inequities is schools' requirement to provide evidence-based intervention plans. This focus on the integrity of intervention strategies will hopefully increase attention to systemic issues that disadvantage students of color.
Due to the partisan nature of EE, it has frequently been overlooked and left out of federal legislation. EE was excluded from federal education policy until the National Environmental Education Act of 1970. This act was created the Office of Environmental Education within, what is now, the Department of Education. In 1990, Congress passed another Environmental Education Act, which reauthorized the Office of Environmental Education inside the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most federal involvement in EE occurs through grant allocations by the Office of Environmental Education. EE was included for the first time in federal education policy with the passage of ESSA. However, EE is mentioned only two times in the entire policy as an additional activity that provides "well-rounded educational experiences" and "opportunities" (Itza, 2017). The policy provides EE funding opportunities but does nothing to promote the implementation of EE. While federal education policy is limited to incentivizing local control through funding, ESSA does not go beyond offering EE as one of many options that qualify for funding (Itza, 2017). The lack of inclusion of EE in federal policies reproduces educational inequities in EE. White narratives have historically controlled the field of EE. This has led to the exclusion of people of color in EE spaces. The avoidance of promoting EE and equitable implementation of EE in federal education policy only reinforces this opportunity gap.
US federal education policy, and thus federal EE policy, does not align with the equitable implementation of EE goals outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration. As a reminder, the second goal outlined in the declaration is “to provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment” (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). The lack of promotion of EE in federal policies exemplifies that there is no urgency on the part of the federal government to ensure that all school-aged people, let alone all people, have access to EE opportunities. The key components of values, attitudes, and commitment needed for environmental action are entirely excluded from any education policy. One could argue that emphasis on excellence in science, math, and civics provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to protect and improve the environment (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). The third goal of the Tbilisi Declaration aims “to create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups, and society as a whole towards the environment” (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). Federal education policy does not address environmental advocacy and subsequently does not promote environmental behavior changes. While Federal education policy may provide funding for EE efforts, it does nothing to support the equitable goals of EE.
Changes to education policy should include more specific guidelines that promote quality and equitable EE. Current federal policy avoids all details around defining and implementing EE. Future policy should highlight the importance of EE and prioritize funding for equitable EE opportunities. Defining equitable EE in federal policy would create a shared vision and understanding. It could also provide targeted funding that would motivate mainstream EE providers to align their goals with the goals of equitable EE explicitly. ESSA includes EE as one of many categories that states can direct federal funding to provide "well-rounded educational opportunities" (Itza, 2017). For similar categories, such as "college and career guidance and counseling programs," the policy provides extra details on the importance of such programs and provides example programs states may implement (Itza, 2017). An addition of detail about the importance of EE would provide a helpful endorsement of EE programs by the federal government. To align with the goals of equitable EE, federal funding should prioritize EE programs that prove their commitment to equity and inclusion. An additional policy that requires EE programs to submit an evidence-based commitment to the equitable implementation of EE goals would further benefit the field of EE. The lack of inclusion of EE in education policy exemplifies challenges to include the controversial topic of environmental advocacy in federal education policy. I suggest that advocates consider the benefits of including EE policy in environmental protection legislation separate from formal education policy. This may be an opportunity to include more radical EE goals within federal legislation. As an educator, I am committed to advocating for federal policy that highlights the importance of equitable EE. I can use my position to inform students about the historical and potential impact of education policy on the field of EE and our relationship with the environment.
One cannot overstate the importance of education policy that aligns with an equitable implementation of the goals of EE. Unfortunately, federal education policies such as the "A Nation at Risk" report and ESSA have continued reproducing educational inequities within the U.S. public schooling system and EE. New federal policy is urgently needed to highlight the importance of equitable EE. Policymakers are advised to develop creative solutions to bypass barriers that prevent the ratification of education policies that endorse equitable EE.
EE Research and Professional Development.
The Colorado Environmental Education Master Plan (CEEMP) outlines seven current goals, including diversity as an area for growth within EE. Awareness of and efforts to implement equitable EE goals continue to increase within EE nationwide. This shift is visible through rising published research addressing the inequities existing in EE. In addition, an increase in published, marginalized voices historically excluded from academia expresses an emphasis on equity. This paper will discuss one research study by Nicholas Stahelin that reviews an EE program delivered in the public schools of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Based on the study’s findings, this paper will propose an EE professional development course that highlights how educators can include and address socio-environmental issues in their instruction.
Nicholas Stahelin currently lives and works in the United States. He previously lived in Brazil for 20 years. He is a native Portuguese speaker and conducted all interviews and document analyses in Portuguese. In addition, Stahelin’s current work focuses on climate change and environmental justice. In Spatializing environmental education: Critical territorial consciousness and radical place-making in public schooling, Stahelin (2017) reviews critical theories on space, place, and territory and describes a case study of the EE program Elos da cidadania (Elos). The word “elos” means link or bond and has connotations of relationship and obligation. “Da cidadania” translates to “of citizenship.” Elos is a year-long program that works with students (young mobilizers) in different schools to address an issue within the school’s territory. The program begins with each school creating a Participatory Socio-Environmental Diagnostic that compiles information on the landscape, climate, biome/vegetation, demographics, urban infrastructure, public health, environmental problems, socioeconomic conflict, and organizations of power. Next, the young mobilizers create an environmental history and socioenvironmental map of their territory with the compiled information. School groups then identify an environmental issue, create an action plan, and execute an intervention project to address their chosen issue. The Elos program effectively created spatial identities and fostered civic activity within young mobilizers (Stahelin, 2017).
This case study highlights how the Elos program model addresses inequities in EE through student-centered, action-based civic projects. Stahelin (2017) observed the Elos program for an entire year. In that time, he conducted 35 interviews with Brazilian policymakers and adults in various positions within the Elos program. The researcher's methods also included analyzing pertinent archival documents (Stahelin, 2017). As a result, Stahelin discovered deeper meaning through research methods, allowing me to classify this study as a constructivist epistemology. This epistemology indicates using a methodology of observation and analysis to construct conclusions. This was an appropriate strategy to find the truth in this research study because it assumes that there is no absolute truth; rather, a truth can be constructed through careful observation and analysis. Furthermore, this epistemology allowed the researcher to identify the specific ways that the Elos program addresses EE inequities.
Stahelin (2017) uses the Elos program model to discuss the ability of critical place-based EE and fostering territorial consciousness to address inequities within the EE field. He concludes that critical place-based EE goes beyond generating knowledge or connection with place and can be used to dismantle power structures. This form of critical EE increases class consciousness, promoting access to land and advocating for political activity in its defense of systems of power like white supremacy. In addition, building territorial consciousness can be a political strategy that empowers marginalized individuals to participate in radical place-making within historically oppressed territories (Stahelin, 2017). Thus, critical place-based EE and fostering territorial consciousness can empower marginalized individuals to use EE as a tool to dismantle the systems of their oppression. These conclusions identify how EE can be transformed and used by individuals who have historically been excluded from white, elite EE.
Stahelin’s conclusions on the ability of critical placed-based EE and territorial consciousness to work against systems of power can inform environmental educators who wish to include anti-racist principles in their instruction. A professional development course that defines critical placed-based EE and territorial consciousness and explores their ability to empower individuals is often excluded from EE. Such programs could assist in the equitable implementation of the three goals outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration. First, the course should define space, place, and territory. Next, the course should address how systems of power such as white supremacy influence how populations experience space, place, and territory. Participating educators would create projects modeled after the Elos program. Educators would initially identify a territory and compile relevant socio-environmental information about that territory. Ideally, projects would focus on the territory of the school or area where they work. Next, educators would identify a socio-environmental issue related to racism existing within the territory. Finally, the project would culminate in an instructional proposal that would require the course participants to identify how they could address the problem within their teaching. Environmental educators who participate in this course would develop a strong understanding of the influence of racism within their working communities.
The conclusions of the research paper and the proposed professional development course could help me and other environmental educators work towards equitable implementation of the last two goals outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration. The second goal outlined in the Declaration is “To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment” (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). Critical place-based EE and building territorialized consciousness address the key components of awareness and commitment to environmental protection. These critical forms of EE foster personal connection and empower students with a sense of autonomy and control over their environment. Educators can work towards equity in EE by fostering attitudes and commitment to protect and improve the environment in individuals who may have negative connotations of their environment or space. The third goal outlined in the Tbilisi Declaration is “to create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups, and society as a whole towards the environment” (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). Fostering territorialized consciousness within students is a strategy to motivate subjugated identities to participate in radical place-making. Participating in radical place-making represents a behavior change that focuses on equity and resistance to existing power structures.
Conclusion
As the field of EE begins to realize how the implementation of equity aligns with its fundamental goals, environmental educators and EE providers must show a commitment to anti-racist pedagogy. Working to dismantle systems of power will help make EE opportunities impactful and accessible to everyone. To achieve this commitment to systemic EE equity, Federal legislation and education policy must explicitly include EE and promote equitable EE. Education research in the field of EE should continue to focus on equity and should be used to inform professional development opportunities for environmental educators. As an environmental educator, I am dedicated to continued learning about and advocacy for improving equitable environmental education.
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