Environmental Management Education: Status and the OSU/SNR Program.

Overview & Synopsis

A major goal of environmental education is to encourage individuals to develop ability to make thoughtful decisions which will create an environment that allows them to live a quality life. To this end, comments in this speech review the progress of environmental education in this direction and the role of The Ohio State University, School of Natural Resources, in contributing to such progress. A status report is prepared for both teacher education and school and non-school environmental education and communication. Facts show there are few programs aimed specifically at pre-service teacher education; teacher certification is practically non-existent; and inservice teacher training efforts are relatively small. Indicators for the level of literacy about environmental issues and alternative management strategies show there are relatively few operational programs in public schools compared to the number of school districts; materials are extensive in amount but are not interdisciplinary; the most successful programs involve teachers, administrators, and community citizens; and environmental education has been promoted at the federal level through the Environmental Education Act of 1970. Coverage of the Ohio State program includes its philosophy, objectives, undergraduate and graduate program structure, related programs, and facilities. (BL)