Can the Impact of Environmental Education be Measured?

Chewonki Science Educator Jessica Woodend is working with Teach ME Outside on their new Environmental Education (EE) Evaluation Collaborative. The group was formed earlier this year to better understand the impacts of outdoor education in Maine schools. 

Teach ME Outside works in partnership with Maine communities to ensure that all Maine youth have access to powerful hands-on environmental learning experiences. Lack of shared metrics has been identified as a major roadblock in this work – schools, nonprofits, and other EE stakeholders are often measuring different learning outcomes and may not understand how outdoor education can fulfill state-mandated academic requirements. 

The Collaborative aims to create a dynamic shared vision for how environmental education can be integrated into curriculums statewide so that every student has the vital opportunity to learn outdoors. Agreeing on desired learning outcomes and measurements is just the first step. 

Teach ME Outside is led by a partnership between the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, Maine Environmental Education Association, and Nature-Based Education Consortium. This project is made possible with support from the Pisces Foundation and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.