§5504 Environmental Education and Training Program

Summary

Creates an Environmental Education and Training Program to teach school and college educators how to design and lead lessons, field studies, and training about the environment. The program covers classroom instruction, hands-on field study demonstrations, curriculum development for diverse cultural groups, international teacher exchanges with Canada and Mexico, a library of print and electronic materials, evaluation and sharing of tools and methods, conferences and seminars (including international ones), and support for partnerships and distance learning. The program must focus on creating portable, easy-to-share workshops and materials. Each year the Administrator must give a grant to a nonprofit college, university, or similar nonprofit (or a group of such schools) to run the program. Applicants must apply in the form the Administrator requires. Grants are awarded based on factors such as the ability to develop and deliver training to many kinds of participants and settings, staff expertise, cost-effectiveness, use of existing national resources, and results of program reviews. Grant money cannot be used to buy land or buildings or to build or heavily change a building. The Administrator must regularly review the grantee’s program to decide if funding should continue. Eligible participants include teachers, college faculty and staff, state education and natural resource employees, and nonprofit environmental educators; selections are by application and must ensure geographic and demographic diversity. Selected participants may get a stipend for travel and lodging in amounts the Administrator sets.