No Child Left Inside Act

NCLI - Environmental Literacy for All Children

No Child Left Inside Act -  Key Messages
Advocate for its support today!
 
The No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, for children in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Teacher training would include funding to train teachers to deliver high quality environmental education and utilize the local environment as an extension of the classroom.
 

Camps and NCLI

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Camps can play an important role in these environmental literacy plans. Camp experiences are uniquely poised to provide children and youth with the sense of wonder and excitement so essential to encouraging scientific inquiry. Environmental education has been shown to improve student achievement across core subject areas and increase engagement in learning. In addition, getting kids outside and active promotes a healthy lifestyle that is essential to fighting obesity and reducing symptoms associated with attention deficit disorder, depression, and stress.

NCLI and Education Reform
Right now, Congress is considering the reauthorization of the ESEA. The current ESEA has defined the core content that all students in the United States must learn to be considered proficient at each grade level. Currently, this includes content standards in reading, math, and science. Environmental education is not included. In many school districts, this has translated into teaching only those subjects and standards that are assessed.

No Child Left Inside Coalition
The American Camp Association has joined with thousands of other organizations into a coalition to advocate for the adoption of the provisions in the NCLI Act when Congress reauthorizes the ESEA. If Congress adopts the NCLI proposals, a substantially strengthened Elementary and Secondary Education Act will include:

 
  • Funding to train teachers to deliver high quality Environmental Education and utilize the local environment as an extension of the classroom (such as camps).
  • Incentives for states to develop State Environmental Literacy Plans to insure that every student is prepared to understand the environmental challenges of the future.
  • Encouragement for teachers, administrators, and school systems to make time and resources available for environmental education for all students (opportunities for camp/school partnerships).
  • Environmental education integrated across core subject areas.
     
Call to Action
We urge your to contact your legislators to ask them to support NCLI.  First, find out if your Senators and Representative have already signed on as a co-sponsor.  List of Co-Sponsors.  Then - advocate! Advocacy is quick and easy!  Advocate Today!
 
Links and Resources