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However, if individual communities are to achieve

the recognition they deserve at the State and Federal level, it is essential to provide mechanisms that reflect their interests, needs and resources. Recognizing this, invited each State to develop its

Commissioner Allen

own State Plan for Environmental/Ecological Education.

A.

The State Plan for EEE

Increasing the level of participatio at the local level achieves two specific objectives. It emphasizes the need to develop Environmental/Ecological Education that is relevant to the particular needs of the community, and--at the same time--it carries out the mandate of the President and Congress to decentralize governmental structure (while giving coherence to the great variety of programs of the Federal agencies now involved in envirom ntal education). The State plan should, as a beginning:

Provide comprehensive State recognition
and support for local models by clearly
defining the support and cordination
activities that can be provided by State,

national and other organizations.

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B.

Develop priorities within the State for

local, State and Federal funding.

Q Develop programs to increase environmental

awareness and disseminate information

developed by other school systems.

Coordinate all. governmental and private
environment activities, such as volunteer
youth projects, with formal and nonformal
environmental education activities of

school and colleges.

School Systems

Each school system within a State will be asked to originate action-oriented environmental education curricula that will involve the entire range of community resources (the school system itself, local govermarat, community

organizations, and business and industry) and, where

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feasible, such area resources as State and National Parks, reclaimed open space in urban areas, and community colleges and universities.

A number of school systems within a State where there are promising programs may be designated as demonstration projects to serve as models.

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Each school system will undoubtedly want to coordinate its activities with local or area plans for environmental action and manpower training, in order to benefit from resources which may be identified in a State plan for curriculum development activities and to cher training.

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Programs of environmental action should be developed at the local level by community organizations, local governments and other appropriate organization. Ideally, these activitics will be coordinated with edus tional programs. For instance, an environmental action på gram to measure the pollution levels of a local river s tem could be coordinated by a State agency, with date collection by high school students as part of their cvriculum and by volunteers from community organizations, and with data analysis by the students and faculty of nearby community college as part of a manpower training program for

environmental technicians.

D.

State Councils of Environmental Education

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A State plan would call for heads of the various

State agencies to serve on a State council for environmental education, to coordinate planning and to assist local groups. Staff support should come from each of the agencies participating on the council. A principal recommendation is that an environmental study center be designated or developed in each State. The center world provide the primary staff support for the education section of the council and would also be the focal poin: for coordination, reference services, conferences, seminars, curriculum development, and other State-wide activi ies.

The State plan will consider, as a matter of course, the various other factors of Environment 1/Ecological Education ranging from public awareness to manpower training. It is, therefore, a workable plan for the best use of local, county, State and Federal resources and funds.

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