Reinvigorating CBF's Student Leadership Program
The Education department is reinvigorating the Student Leadership program. Today's students are not just kids who will inherit the Bay several years down the line. They have already inherited it and they have just as much power to clean the Bay as older citizens do. Through student-directed projects focused on Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint campaign priorities, CBF student leaders will realize their legacy as the inheritors of the Chesapeake, while discovering the capacity within themselves as successful environmental leaders.
 Maryland Association of Student Councils' Former President Mark Ritterpusch (left) with CBF's Jeff Rogge (right). Photo by Emmy Nicklin/CBF Staff.
 Middletown High Schoolers participate in a CBF Fox Island experience. Photo by CBF Staff. |
Jeff Rogge and Lucas Johnson have been hired to work full time on the Student Leadership campaign, identifying and supporting environmentally active students in projects and activities that align around CBF priorities such as the Blueprint campaign. Lucas will be focusing on students who have participated in CBF education programs, and Jeff will be networking with organized student groups, such as the Maryland Association of Student Councils.
In his prior role as the Education Field Senior Manager for the MD/DC/PA team, Jeff was presented with the Susan Nash Travetto Friend of MASC Award, for his efforts on behalf of CBF. Lucas returns to the Education department, having previously worked on the No Child Left Inside campaign. Most recently, he was a field organizer for the Obama Presidential Campaign. He worked in the electoral battleground of Williamsburg, Virginia, where he coordinated Obama supporters to persuade undecided voters and turn out other supporters.
Both Jeff and Lucas are very excited about empowering students to support the Blueprint and Save the Bay™.
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Photo by CBF Staff
Maryland Is the First State to Require Environmental Literacy
The Maryland State Board of Education now requires that each public school student be environmentally literate before he or she graduates from high school. The historic vote cements Maryland as the first state in the country to approve a graduation requirement in environmental literacy, a credit to Governor O'Malley, to board members, and to Dr. Nancy Grasmick, the former State Superintendent of Schools.
The state school board vote clarifies for schools that each child must receive a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary environmental education that meets the approval of the State Superintendent of Schools. Regulations given final approval by the board provide critical flexibility and oversight for school systems as they develop effective environmental literacy programs aligned with the Maryland State Environmental Literacy Standards.
While many exemplary environmental education programs already exist in some Maryland schools, not all students have access to these programs. That can occur when schools feel compelled to emphasize math and reading instruction over science and other subjects because of the 2002 federal No Child Left Behind law. School districts must now move beyond standard courses that provide minimal focus on the environment. With programs that use an interdisciplinary approach, CBF's education programs are the ideal way for classes to get experience outside and to tie classroom lessons to real world situations. Whether the topic is STEM material, local literature, or even music, using the environment as an integrating context brings local issues to life and now directly helps students graduate.
Studies show environmental education has a measurable, positive impact on student achievement not only in science but in math, reading, and social studies. Business leaders also increasingly believe an environmentally literate workforce is critical in a burgeoning green economy. Field experiences and related activities, when part of the regular school curriculum in environmental education, also help students become healthier.
"This is a defining moment for education in Maryland," said Governor O'Malley. "By approving this environmental graduation requirement, the Board of Education is ensuring that our young people graduate with a keen understanding of and connection to the natural world. Only through exposure to nature and education about our fragile ecosystem can we create the next generation of stewards."
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Teachers sift through underwater grasses on a recent professional development trip. Photo by CBF Staff
Virginia Beach, CBF Partner for Environmental Literacy
Through a unique public/private partnership, the Virginia Beach City Public Schools system has a new systemic environmental literacy program with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) that could be a model for school systems across the Bay region and the country. The program includes public, private, and non-profit partners. It provides hands-on Chesapeake Bay field experiences and classroom activities for all 11,500 sixth-grade students, as well as professional development for more than 50 middle and high school biology and oceanography teachers.
During the 2012 summer season, CBF worked with three different groups of teachers and administrators from Virginia Beach Public Schools to get them outside, experiencing the environment so they feel comfortable using it as their classroom. The Lynnhaven River is the backyard for many Virginia Beach residents, yet many don't know the major issues surrounding its poor water quality. These professional development courses not only introduce basic environmental concepts but also show teachers how the material naturally pairs with the Virginia Standards of Learning…and can be fun!
Any class is encouraged to join CBF on the water for field experiences with their students. The systemic environmental literacy program is designed to integrate environmental concepts with a multi-disciplinary approach so that all students find out more about taking action to save the Bay.
The partnership is funded by a $120,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office, a $55,000 commitment from CSX Transportation, and a $12,700 grant from the Junior Virginia Beach Garden Club. Other partners are the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Lynnhaven River NOW, First Landing State Park, the Elizabeth River Project, and Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia.
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