“Restoring Environmental Balance to the Techno- mersion Paradigm” Tom Occhipinti Environmental Education Coordinator Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Mar 18, 2016
“Restoring Environmental Balance to the Techno-mersion
Paradigm”
Tom OcchipintiEnvironmental Education Coordinator
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
• By the time the average American child has reached the age of five, he or she has spent more time watching television than the average college student spends attaining a degree.
Dr. Herb Broda, Education Professor at Ashland University
The very generation that will face the most difficult environmental issues will have the least exposure, understanding, and
appreciation for the environment.
Health RisksIncreased time spent
indoors
Sleep disorders, decreased attention
span
Obesity,early onset
diabetesVitamin D deficiency
Kevin Coyle, National Wildlife Federation
An hour per day of outdoor and physical play and
activity is recommended.Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics, and National Wildlife
Federation
A Sense of Place
Using the local community as the classroom
“Expanding classrooms. Strengthening communities.”
Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative
• Discovering PLACE• GRAND Learning Network• Grand Traverse
Stewardship Initiative• Groundswell• Lake Superior Stewardship
Initiative• Northeast Michigan Great
Lakes Stewardship Initiative
• Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition
• West Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative
Michigan No Child Left Inside
• Environmental Literacy– MORE Blueprint
• Marketing and Outreach
• Outdoor Learning• Capacity Building• Communication• Steering
An association of professional environmental and outdoor educators promoting
environmental literacy through education.
Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD)
• Provides a large network of support for communities and businesses
• Involved with natural resources at the local level
• 4-H Youth Conservation Council
Network of 33 math andscience centers to provide
resources to educators in the fields of math and science
Environmental Action Councils
The Stewardship Network:Connecting in Michigan to protect our
natural areas
• Grassroots Organization
• 8 Regional Clusters
• 4,000 Michigan Partners
Environmental education curriculum unitstargeted toward Michigan middle schools
MEECSTo provide students with the skills and
understanding needed to make informed decisions based on:
• Science concepts• Economics and ecological sustainability
• The role of government• Stewardship and pollution prevention
• The impact and consequences of individual decisions
• Data-based decision-making
A Need for Environmental Education
For the first time in history, we are facedwith the real possibility that life-spans forthe youngest generation may struggle to
reach current life spans projected formiddle-aged adults.