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About Us
EPA's Office of Environmental Education (OEE), Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education (OEAEE), leads and coordinates EPA programs to provide national leadership in promoting environmental literacy, in accordance with the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (NEEA).
Our Programs
OEE leads many programs through innovative partnerships to promote environmental literacy.
- OEE administers the Environmental Education Grants Program to support environmental education projects that enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality.
- OEE leads the National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) student fellowship program, which was created in 1986 to foster a growing interest among higher education students in environmental careers. The NNEMS program is a comprehensive fellowship program that provides undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to participate in a fellowship project that is directly related to their field of study.
- Since 1971, EPA has sponsored the President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) to recognize young people across America for projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment.
- OEE supports environmental educator training through the Environmental Education and Training Partnership.
- To better build on long-standing environmental education efforts and to improve communication among environmental educators, OEE participates on several advisory groups.
- OEE works with other federal agencies and environmental education organizations through various kinds of partnerships to assure the effective coordination of programs and to leverage available funding resources.
- OEE publishes, collects, and provides different kinds of resources for various audiences, including environmental educators, students of all ages, and the general public.
Our Future
OEE strives to continuously improve current programs, expand the breadth of our partnerships, and provide the latest resources to strengthen the field of environmental education and to provide national leadership in promoting environmental literacy.
Our Vision and Mission
| Vision Statement: | People use their environmental knowledge to engage in environmental stewardship. |
| Mission Statement: | Ensure that environmental education, based on sound science and effective education practices, is used as a tool to promote and protect human health and the environment and to encourage student academic achievement. |
Our Strategic Goals
- Goal 1: Promote the use of environmental education in schools and communities to improve academic achievement and stewardship.
- Goal 2: Increase the capacity of states to develop and deliver comprehensive statewide environmental education programs.
- Goal 3: Promote research and evaluation that assesses the effectiveness of environmental education in improving environmental quality and student achievement.
- Goal 4: Improve the quality, access, and coordination of environmental education information, resources, and programs.
- Goal 5: Promote and encourage environmental careers.
More details about the goals and objectives of EPA's environmental education program
Our History
The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 established the Office of Environmental Education (OEE), which was first funded in 1992.
Since 1992, OEE has developed and supported programs to improve understanding of the environment, innovatively using collaborative partnerships with other organizations within the field of environmental education. Today, OEE leads and implements various programs to develop and disseminate model curricula, educational materials, and environmental education publications; to support environmental education seminars, workshops, and training programs for education professionals; and to provide grants and fellowships that further the field of environmental education.
