Now, consider environmental education (EE). Parents would be justified to wonder how, prior to college, their children could possibly incorporate EE into the larger scope of their studies. Is such a goal even feasible with ongoing cutbacks to education programs? The answer is a resounding yes. Both public and private schools have embraced EE. Like spring flowers, it is blossoming across the country!

So, what initiatives are taking place? Let’s examine some standout EE programs on the rise nationwide.

Just last month, sustainable school supporters received some welcome news when the U.S. Department of Education announced the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program. According to the Education Department’s official news release, this pioneering program is modeled after their Blue Ribbon Schools program, and will honor both public and private schools.

The Green Ribbon Schools program will recognize schools for teaching environmental literacy, energy conservation, and creating healthy learning spaces. The Education Department will work in conjunction with the support of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the CEQ (White House Council on Environmental Quality) to identify those schools that qualify. Later this year, the Education Department will release the application for the program, and the inaugural group of Green Ribbon Schools will be announced in 2012.

“By making green living a part of everyday learning, Green Ribbon Schools will prepare our children to win the future by leading our global green energy economy,” commented EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson during an event announcing the new program.

Supporting EE from the foundation sector is the Green Education Foundation (GEF), whose goal is centered on the creation of a sustainable future via education for K–12 students as well as their teachers. One of GEF’s primary goals is to challenge youth to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions.

To achieve their goal, GEF pairs standards-based curricula with active participation by students to enrich their experience beyond the actual lessons. Teachers are able to tailor each lesson within GEF’s programs accordingly, and receive guidance on further expansion. The foundation’s online community also offers educators additional support as well as the opportunity to connect with fellow green teachers nationwide.

GEF’s 2011 programs include: the Green Thumb Challenge, I Play Green, National Green Week, the Green Energy Challenge, and the Green Building Program. To grow their program base, GEF acquired the support of Sprint Nextel and Samsung Mobile to create their Green Teacher Program. Still in its development stage, with its first courses being offered online this October, it is being designed specifically for K-12 faculty. According to GEF’s website, the goal of its Green Teacher Program is to provide the knowledge, skills, and curricular resources essential for teachers to integrate sustainability education into their current disciplines.

Supporting EE from the association sector is the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Serving as the professional association for environmental, conservation, and outdoor educators and practitioners, NAAEE holds their 40th annual conference this October, when they anticipate bringing together a large group of environmental educators from North America and worldwide. According to their mission statement, they promote excellence in environmental education, and serve environmental educators for the purpose of achieving environmental literacy for current and future generations to benefit from.

NAAEE offers environmental educators, in addition to other organizations and agencies, a dynamic system to communicate with one another through its EElinked Networks. This unique forum (which goes beyond mere Internet link sharing) connects the global community of environmental educators to their varied interests, from job listings to research to environmental literacy plans. The EElinked Networks gives them the opportunity to interact with one another however they prefer, whether it’s posting their own content, requesting information, or sharing lesson plans.

Another organization that works to advance green curricula is the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Established by the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 and chartered by Congress that same year to serve as a complementary organization of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NEEF aims to spread environmental education beyond schoolchildren. Its audience is extended to health professionals, business managers, and the adult age public.

NEEF’s core programs include: Classroom Earth, Earth Gauge®, Health & Environment, National Public Lands Day, National Environmental Education Week, Business & Environment, and Planet Connect (a social networking site for teens who care about the environment). Through these programs, NEEF creates and leverages partnerships with professionals across sectors in order to develop environmental awareness. To further strengthen EE, NEEF offers a variety of grants for middle and high school students and educators. According to their website, last year they presented over $300,000 to more than 100 grantees in 34 states.

The initiatives outlined here are just a few of the many taking place that collectively will help to ensure the continued growth of EE in the U.S. Whether you may view EE as part of the responsibility we have to the planet (what’s in one is in the whole) or as a vital component for building a sustainable future, it is clear that it has taken root in our nation’s classrooms.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan echoed the significance of EE in his remarks at an event announcing the Green Ribbon Schools program, stressing, “Environmental literacy is an important part of a well-rounded, world-class education.” He added, “Preparing our children to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do…it is work that will serve future generations and quite literally sustain our world.”