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Ask Your Federal Legislators to Co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007
Congressman John Sarbanes of Maryland and Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island introduced legislation that strengthens and expands environmental education in America's classrooms and reconnects children with nature. These bills, each entitled the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007, were introduced in the House (H.R.3036) and the Senate (S.1981).
Please encourage your senators and representative to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 and help get its provisions included in the House and Senate bills that reauthorize the No Child Left Behind law.
With the nation facing complicated environmental issues that will challenge us for years to come, it is critical that schools provide students with a solid grounding in environmental education. But because of the No Child Left Behind law (NCLB), many schools are scaling back or eliminating environmental education programs. Congress has the opportunity to change this as it reauthorizes NCLB.
The No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 amends the NCLB law in the following ways:
  • Provides federal funding to states to train teachers in environmental education and to operate model environmental education programs, which include outdoor learning.
  • Provides funding to states that create environmental literacy plans to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate.
  • Provides funding through an environmental education grant program to build state and national capacity.
  • Re-establishes the Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education.
Help us guarantee that no student is left inside when it comes to the learning about their environment.

1. Email a letter urging your legislators to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007.

2. After sending your email, call each of your legislators' offices and ask to speak to the education staff person. Tell them how important it is that your legislator support the No Child Left Inside Act.

3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Tell them how important environmental education and outdoor learning are to you, your family, and your community.

4.Inform your friends, family, and colleagues about this important issue and ask them to contact their members of Congress.

5. Add your local group to the growing list of Coalition members.  Click here for information about how to join.

6. Publish a story about No Child Left Inside in your organization's newsletter, on your website, or elsewhere. Feel free to use our sample story. 

You can also visit our Action page for sample press releases, media advisories, suggested activities and more.

By making a few changes to NCLB, we can dramatically improve our schools’ ability to prepare children for real-world challenges and careers and ensure an environmentally sustainable future.

Note: “No Child Left Inside” is used with permission from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Learn more about Project Learning Tree® at www.plt.org

©American Forest Foundation, 2006