On December 9th the U.S. Congress passed a renewed version of the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 entitled the Every Student Succeeds Act. This is the federal government’s main legislation supporting public K-12 education and replaces the 2001 No Child Left Behind.
Importantly, the new Act contains language that makes support of environmental education and literacy and field learning clearer and more explicit in federal education policy.
This all came from an important and longstanding effort by the 2,000 member No Child Left Inside (NCLI) coalition, the North American Association for Environmental Education, the STEM Coalition and others who came together on behalf of environmental education and improved science learning.
Click here for a great recap from National Wildlife Federation.