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Report from National Conference on Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future Now Available

In a briefing on Capitol Hill, the National Council for Science and the Environment released a report today that presents an agenda for education for sustainability as essential to global security.  The agenda was developed by more than 800 educators, scientists, decisionmakers, and other citizens at the 3rd National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment in January 2003. It is intended to influence educational policy and practice in the United States and to provide a basis for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2015).  

Representative Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) Chairman of the House Science Committee stated, "We applaud NCSE for underscoring the importance of sustainability in environmental education and policy." 

Recommendations for Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future defines education for sustainability as building on environmental education to include issues of international development, economic development, cultural diversity and human health and well-being.  Such education must be infused across the educational enterprise for life-long learning.  The interdisciplinary approach features inclusiveness and diversity and emphasizes that the context of information is as important as the content.  Such education is interdisciplinary, experiential, inquiry-based and emphasizes team-building, problem-solving, systems approaches and critical thinking. Educational institutions should lead by "practicing what they teach", integrating sustainable practices with sustainability education.

Briefings on the report are scheduled for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanographic Administration, U.S. Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation.

Copies of the report are available by calling 202-530-5810 or contacting Lhubbell@NCSEonline.org. A PDF version of the report can be found at NCSE's online clearinghouse for education for sustainability: www.ncseonline.org/EFS.

The National Council for Science and the Environment is committed to working towards implementation of the recommendations in this report.  To help, contact Dr. David Blockstein David@NCSEonline.org.



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