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Connections Newsletter
NNREC
is a catalyst for environmental literacy |
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Dear ,
In this issue we bring you up to date on our previous request for letters on EPA funding, and an new opportunity to support environmental education by adding it to the No Child Left Behind reauthorization. We also have brief news items on NNREC's strategic plan and VISTA program.
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The outcome of letters to EPA
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In March we asked people to write to Stephen Johnson, the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, asking that funding for the Office of Environmental Education be maintained. NNREC wrote a letter that was co-signed by a number of our partners.
Though the effect of such efforts is always a little uncertain, EPA decided to halve the program for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, rather than eliminating it completely. It looks like full funding will be restored in 2008-2009.
With the partial success of that effort, we now have the opportunity to influence the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Read on!
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Environmental Education in No Child Left Behind
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From Linda Rhoads, Executive Director of the Environmental Education Association of Oregon:
"With the barrage of recent media coverage about the environment, doors in Congress are opening for environmental education and legislators are embracing the role of environmental education in addressing the natural resource challenges we face.
One area in which we are making significant progress is in our work to include environmental education in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The environmental education language will provide funds for states to develop, improve, and advance environmental education standards; create an environmental education grant program for teacher training; and include environmental education as an authorized use for the Fund for the Improvement of Education.
The House Education and Labor Committee will be voting very soon on the legislation to include environmental education in the reauthorized No Child Left Behind Act. Your voice is critical in passing this legislation!"
The EE in NCLB website has everything you need to get informed, and take action if you wish. Recognition of the value of EE in the act, as well as additional funding would make a big difference for NNREC mission to be an catalyst for environmental literacy in Nevada, as well as the work of all our partners.
Dean Heller (NV-02) sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, which is considering the legislation this week, so comments to him would be especially appropriate, though comments to any of Nevada's representatives would be valuable. For contact information on Nevada's congressional delegation, go to congress.org. The EE in NCLB website also has a template letter which you can review and submit online, though personal letters are always more effective than form letters.
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Strategic Plan Complete!
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NNREC has completed its strategic plan for 2007-2012! We have a revised mission statement: "Nevada Natural Resource Education Council is a catalyst for environmental literacy."and a new vision statement: "Nevadans are environmentally literate. Their sense of place and land use ethic lead to safe, healthy communities and stewardship of the state's resources. Collaborative partnerships create this environmental literacy through lifelong learning."
The strategic plan is organized into four goal areas: partnerships, professionalism, leadership and funding. For a one page summary of the goals and objectives, as well as a long document with the actions included, please visit our planning page at http://nnrec.org/governance/planning/index.shtml. Grab a copy to hang on your wall or refrigerator. We are very proud of these documents. The mission and plan will guide our activities for the next five years, so you can expect to hear a lot more about the details in upcoming newsletters. The strategic plan was largely developed at the NNREC Board of Directors Spring Retreat, where we were ably facilitated by Sue Bumpous of North American Association for Environmental Education. Thanks, Sue! And thank you to all the people throughout Nevada who participated in our strategic planning process since January 2005, providing good ideas and useful perspective. |
VISTA Program
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Four VISTA members for NNREC and partners
NNREC has been awarded a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service for four AmeriCorps*VISTA positions for NNREC and partners. Public Lands Institute will host one member in Las Vegas who will work on the certification program, the statewide conference next year, and other projects. Sierra Nevada Journeys will host one member in Reno who will work on the Women's Science and Leadership Initiative for middle school and high school females. Nevada State Parks will host one member at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, working to develop on-site and outreach interpretation and education programs. Another member will be shared between NNREC and state parks, working at Dangberg Ranch to develop one-site and outreach programs, and in Carson City to develop our mini-grant program and relationships with schools.
The focus of the AmeriCorps*VISTA program is development of programs to serve low-income schools and families. Each of the projects we and our partners are implementing will focus on low-income, Hispanic and Native American communities in a way which we have not been able to achieve previously.
Again, expect to hear a great deal more about the VISTA program in future newsletters.
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NNREC has made the IRS Form 5768: "Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible
Section 501(c)(3) Organization To Make Expenditures To Influence Legislation" election, which allows us to make limited expenditures to influence legislation.
For more information about the ability and obligation of nonprofit organizations to "lobby," we suggest you visit the Alliance for Justice Nonprofit Advocacy web page at http://www.afj.org/nonprofit/. The Nonprofit Advocacy Brochure is a great introduction to the rights and responsibilities of nonprofits.
Please let us know what you'd like to see in the next
newsletter!
Sincerely,
Dan Allison, Executive Director
Nevada Natural Resource Education Council
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