freshare.net
A bill being sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Maryland, may help ease the way for children across the U.S. to get outdoors and learn more about nature as part of their education process.
The measure, which may be voted on by the House as early as next month, has already passed muster with strong bipartisan support in the House Education and Labor Committee earlier this summer.
As interest in environmental education soars, the “No Child Left Inside” (NCLI) bill would provide federal funding to states and non-profit organizations as they develop curriculum to support nature, environmental and outdoors studies.
Organizations and individuals across the country are beginning to email, write and call their representatives in Congress urging passage of the bill during the upcoming session. Concerns over high energy prices, global warming and a recent study by The Nature Conservancy that shows a sharp drop in youth interest in nature have all prompted parents and educators to act.
Scientists and others worry that a lack of outdoors activity leads to higher obesity rates and generally poor health.
The idea behind NCLI is to pull children away from computer screens and video games and re-introduce them to the great outdoors. Some states started earmarking funds well before the movement in Washington and have already begun new programs that take children outside to learn.
In some ways, it’s a throw back to the days of field trips, except these trips can involve diverse opportunities depending on the region of the country. There may be camping trips where kids learn to read topographical maps, studies in greening up households, camps to study endangered plants and animals or stepping into a desert to learn how that ecosystem operates.
“The next generation is the one that’s going to make or break us as a planet, said Rep. Sarbanes. Other politicians are listening as well as the call for action increases.
For more information, check out the video below: