Colorado Environmental Education Plan
Call for feedback
In May 2010, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed HB 10-1131 into law which recognized the importance of the outdoor environment on the health of the state’s residents, specifically Colorado youth. The new law established the Colorado Kids Outdoors Grant Program, and required the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to adopt a statewide plan for environmental education. The goals of both the grant program and the statewide plan are twofold: (1) to improve young people’s knowledge of the environment, and (2) to increase young people’s opportunities for outdoor educational experiences.
Specifically, the new law required the Colorado Department of Education to adopt a statewide plan for environmental education: “22-2-138: Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, the Department, in consultation with the Department of Natural Resources, shall develop and the State Board shall adopt a state plan for environmental education. At a minimum, the state plan for environmental education shall address strengthening the reach and coordination of environmental education in public schools and providing to educators professional development in environmental education.”
In partnership with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and with support from experts from across the state, CDE is developing the Colorado Environmental Education Plan as a roadmap for building the partnerships and awareness needed to promote, coordinate, and sustain standards-based environmental education across the state.
Main components of the Colorado Environmental Education Plan:
- A vision and goals for environmental education in Colorado
- Recommendations for meeting the goals of Colorado’s environmental education plan
- An infrastructure for leveraging partnerships and resources across the state
- Action steps for implementation
Development Timeline
The timeline for development of the Colorado Environmental Education Plan (CEEP) is represented in the following diagram.
Timeline Details
Fall 2012
Presentation of Environmental Education Plan to the State Board of Education
April-June 2012
Analysis of feedback and revisions to plan
February 2012
Public feedback outreach
January – February 2012
Focus group feedback sessions conducted to obtain feedback from resource developers, environmental educators, school district personnel, and other interest parties.
September – November 2011
The Colorado Department of Education and Colorado Department of Natural Resources finalized the draft Environmental Education Plan.
August – September 2011
Colorado Department of Education and Colorado Department of Natural Resources met to discuss changes needed for the plan to meet agency requirements.
July 2011
The proposal was submitted to Colorado Department of Education and Colorado Department of Natural Resources for review. Each agency reviewed the proposal.
September 2010-March 2011:
Initial proposal developed by Colorado Environmental Education Plan work group.
For more information contact:
Stephanie Hartman
Social Studies Content Specialist
303-866-6764
hartman_s@cde.state.co.us