1. FEDERAL UPDATE Shannon Sprague, NOAA

2. Federal Funding  Environmental Education Programs largely eliminated in FY 2013:  NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants ($8M appropriation)  NOAA B-WET Grants ($9.7M)  EPA's Office of Environmental Education ($9.7M)  NSF climate change education grants ($6M down to $500K)  Also – in FY 2012 the Administration eliminated NASA's $10M climate change education grant program  Administration proposed including environmental literacy in a new $90 million "Effective Teaching and Learning For a Well Rounded Education" grant program at the Department of Education that combines existing grant programs for civics, arts, economics, history, and others.

3. White House Summit  April 16, 2012  Panelists and participants addressed the challenges of environmental education in an increasingly technology-driven world  Panels:  21st Century Environmentalism  Innovators in Environmental Education  Federal Government as a Convener and Catalyst - Supporting and Connecting Environmental Education Partners, Activities and Goals

4. EPA EE Capacity Building Workshop  EECapacity is funded by EPA and housed in Cornell University’s Civic Ecology Lab  EECapacity links two groups of professionals:  established environmental educators  emerging group of grassroots, urban environmental educators  States: Maryland, Colorado, California + Mexico  Dissemination partners: NOAA, FWS, NAAEE affiliates, AZA, etc.  NAAEE will be developing guidelines on engaging communities

5. Next Generation Science Standards  26 states drafting new standards  Views science as both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model and theory building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge  3 dimensions are used to create each standard:  Practices  Cross-cutting concepts  Disciplinary Core Ideas Physical Sciences Life Sciences Earth/Space Sciences Engineering, Technology,and Applications of Science  First public comment period from May 11-June 1; Second public comment period Fall 2012  Will be completed 2013  http://www.nextgenscience.org/

6. Green Ribbon Schools  Award ceremony – June 4, 2012  78 schools honored; 50% underserved  3 pillar areas:  Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency  Healthy School Environments  Environmental and Sustainability Education  July 2012 – Criteria for next round of awards will be release  First Green Strides Webinar: Thursday, June 21, 2012, from 1 – 2 p.m. EDT

7. Awardees  D.C.  Stoddert Elementary, NW  Sidwell Friends School, NW  Maryland  Dunloggin Middle School, Ellicott City, MD  Francis Scott Key Middle School, Silver Spring, MD  Folger McKinsey Elementary School, Severna Park, MD  Lucy School, Middletown, MD  Pennsylvania  Radnor Middle School, Wayne, PA  Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School, Chambersburg, PA  A.W. Beattie Career Center, Allison Park, PA  Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, PA  Virginia  Fishburn Elementary School, Roanoke, VA  Gereau Center, Rocky Mount, VA  West Virginia  Hilltop Elementary, Wheeling, WV  Wyoming County Career and Technical Center, Pineville, WV