Career Environmental Educator

Environmental Educator

• One of the most sought after positions in the environmental field, despite low pay and limited career paths.

what is environmental education?

• “The communication of environmental messages to audiences by all means and through all channels…and is achieved through effective message delivery, interactive listening, and public discussion and debate.”

• Teach people how to think critically and creatively to solve environmental problems is the common goal of all environmental education (EE) programs

• Provides information for the public to make informed, balanced decisions about the environment that result in taking responsible actions

Typical Areas of Environmental Education

• Classroom teaching – all levels

• Interpretive education – museums, zoos, parks, nature centers, aquaria

• Media – print, broadcast, and electronic journalism

• For Advocacy

• Public information efforts by businesses and government

Key Job Titles

• College Professor / Grade-school teacher

• Environmental advocate

• Environmental education specialist

• Interpretive naturalist

• Photographer

• Right-to-know coordinators

• Videographer

The Career Market

• Over 300,000 positions nationwide

• 5% annual growth in the past 10 years in this field

• Many more job opportunities in the public sector than in private or nonprofit

Salary

• Entry-level: average $18,000 to $25,000

• Experienced: around $28,000 to $45,000

• Upper-end: range from $60,000 to $75,000

Career Opportunities

• FEDERAL GOVERNMENT-– Thousands of people compete for a handful of

positions– Some work as seasonals or volunteer workers

w/out ever becoming permanent employees– Agencies that recently began incorporating

EE, are less competitive but still attract many applicants

Career Opportunities CONT.

• STATE GOVERNMENT-– “rising star” in the EE profession– Full-time and part-time EE specialist positions in

almost every state– Often the first line of EE for preparation and

implementation of EE plans on the Environmental Education Act

– State level jobs include: state EE coordinator and staff, preservice and inservice teacher training, and K-12 curriculum designers, among others

Career Opportunities CONT.

• Local Government-– Opportunities depend on economic and

population growth of an area– Local government agencies, parks and

recreations departments– Public schools normally hire more EE’s than

any other sector• Librarians, science teachers, biology professors,

wastewater certification instructors are all considered EE’s

Career Opportunities CONT

• PRIVATE SECTOR:– Community involvement coordinators for private

companies– Environmental training services– Environmental media– Small but growing area of employment

• NONPROFIT SECTOR:– Serve as information resources to media and

education– Small neighborhood groups to large international

organizations such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund

Requirements

• Interdisciplinary studies including both emphasis on technical/scientific knowledge and teaching/communication skills

• Typically require a masters degree

Environmental change starts with educating the public.