From: Karen A. Mendelow (karenm@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 06 2002 - 12:15:40 PST
Message-Id: <l03130303b8873f075ab7@[192.174.3.212]> Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 12:15:40 -0800 From: "Karen A. Mendelow" <karenm@exploratorium.edu> Subject: The Office of Integrated Education and SB 373
Here is information about a state of california program
>The Office of Integrated Education and SB 373
>
>
>Who Are We?
>The Office of Integrated Education (Office) is an office
>within the California Integrated Waste Management Board
>(IWMB). The Board is under the umbrella of the California
>Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). This Office is
>unique in that its purpose is to oversee education policies
>and programs both within the IWMB and between all of the
>boards, departments, and offices under Cal/EPA.
>
>What Do We Do?
>
>The Office is charged with carrying out the statutes found
>in the Public Resources Code Section 42603. We do this by
>providing standards-based curriculum materials for grades
>K-12 to Californiaís schools. Currently we offer no-cost
>teacher-training workshops and attend conferences to promote
>our materials and services. In addition, we work closely
>with local agencies to promote waste management education in
>local schools, and non-formal settings, such as science
>centers and museums. Check out our calendar of upcoming
>events on our web page at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools/Events or
>give us a call at 916-341-6769.
>
>What is SB 373?
>
>In September of 2001, the Governor signed into law SB 373
>(Torlakson, Chapter 373, Statutes of 2001), which puts in
>place many more mandates for the Office to fulfill. The
>mandates found in SB 373 will help us to further our mission
>of assisting schools with establishing an integrated systems
>model where academics, administration, and facilities work
>collaboratively to incorporate resource conservation and
>sustainability into their organizational philosophy,
>planning and implementation.
>
>Here are a few specific highlights of SB 373:
>þ Mandates the State Board of Education, through the
>California Education Code, to incorporate environmental
>concepts into the California State Science Framework.
>
>þ Creates an Environmental Ambassador program, which will
>identify and recognize schools or districts that have
>programs or projects that facilitate the utilization of
>Environmental Education as a means to environmental action.
>
>þ Under the direction of the Office and in cooperation with
>the State Department of Education, State Board of Education,
>and the Secretary of Education, develop and implement a
>unified education strategy on the environment for K-12
>schools.
>
>þ Establishment of a grant program ($1.5 million) for county
>offices of education, school districts and schools to
>promote programs that incorporate concepts of Integrated
>Waste Management into teaching, on-site waste reduction
>practices, and adoption of the unified education strategy.
>
>When Will We Get There?
>
>Our game plan calls for one year of planning before
>implementation. Our office will survey California teachers
>regarding their views/needs in environment-based education;
>the findings will be used to help scope grade level
>environment-based education modules that will be
>standards-based and connected to statewide assessment. In
>addition, the scope, criteria, and parameters of the grant
>program will be constructed using input from stakeholders
>and the CA Dept. of Education, the State Board of Education,
>and the Office of the Secretary of Education. The grant
>program and unified education strategy will be publicized
>and marketed in early 2003. Stay-tuned for updates that we
>will post on our web site, www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools.
>
>Why Is This Important?
>
>Cal/EPA and the IWMB are extremely committed to
>consolidating state government resources to develop unified
>programs. In addition, we support the same concept within
>the school environment. While SB 373 does not mandate
>school recycling programs, one of the desired end results is
>to achieve implementation of waste reduction and recycling
>programs at 75% of the schools by 2004.
>
>School districts can be viewed as a ìsystemî where
>everything is inter-connected. If the districtís
>administration is working in tandem with facilities
>operations, and these two are involving the teaching staff
>on policies and practices that promote resource conservation
>and efficiency as a means to bring real world issues into
>the classroom setting, we believe there is great potential
>for student learning and on-site resource conservation and
>cost savings. Studies show that using the environment as a
>context for learning has improved student performance and
>understanding in all subject areas. Applying systems
>thinking to learning is not a new approach to teaching; it
>is merely a springboard by which any educator can teach a
>variety of subjects and standards in a methodical,
>practical, and integrated way. SB 373 grant funds will be
>used to promote integrated, student-participatory
>environmental education projects.
>
>
>
>For more information contact us at:
>Office of Integrated Education
>P.O. Box 4025, MS 14A
>Sacramento, CA 95812-4025
>(916) 341-6769
>www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools
>---------------------------------------------------------------
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Karen Mendelow Nelson
Program Manager and Educator
Exploratorium Teacher Institute
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
karenm@exploratorium.edu
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