WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to reconnect more children with nature and address critical environmental challenges, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has introduced legislation to strengthen and expand environmental education in America's classrooms. Senator Reed's bill - the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 - would provide federal funding to states to train teachers in environmental education and to operate model environmental education programs. It would also provide funding to states that create environmental literacy plans and would re-establish the Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education to oversee critical environmental education activities.

"From saving the Bay to confronting the challenges of climate change, we need to prepare the next generation to tackle and overcome some very complicated environmental challenges. Teaching children about the world around them should be an important part of the curriculum in our schools," said Senator Reed, a member of both the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal spending on education programs. "This legislation will free up critical funding for environmental education to inspire the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens."

Environmental education experts say that Senator Reed's legislation is needed to undo some of the unintended consequences of the No Child Left Behind law, which went into effect five years ago. That law's strong focus on reading and math has led many teachers to reduce the time spent on environmental topics that may not be tested on assessment tests.

"Unfortunately, environmental education has not been a priority under the Bush Administration, but this legislation will begin to change that. I know that most Rhode Islanders, and Americans nationwide, want their kids to be environmentally literate and I'm proud to sponsor this important legislation."

In many cases, field trips and outdoor environmental activities have been curtailed because school leaders are reluctant to take time away from subjects that are tested.

"It is important to give students a hands-on understanding of their environment. It teaches them to be good conservationists and good citizens and can have added health benefits for children too," concluded Reed.

When children explore the outdoors, it increases their physical activity level, but it can also boost their self-esteem and improve their academic performance in other subjects. A recent study by the American Institutes for Research shows that children who participated in outdoor education programs significantly raised their science test scores by 3 points (27 percent), as measured by a pre- and post-survey administered immediately upon their return to school.

Reed's legislation is supported by a national coalition of environmentalists and educators working to give new emphasis to environmental education in America's classrooms, including: Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, Save the Bay, Rhode Island Environmental Education Association, Rhode Island Zoological Society/Roger Williams Park Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, Audubon, the National Education Association, and the National Science Teachers Association.