Demonstration
Communities Project
Vision
The
EETAP Demonstration Communities Program will provide insight into the importance
of diversity, partnership, and initiatives that will move the nation towards
environmental literacy one community at a time.
Teams,
Goals and Strategies
The
EETAP partner identified the community liaison in each of the three communities.
This liaison and other education and community leaders have formed teams
and teams have identified goals to achieve during the project period.
All teams will help each other learn strategies for achieving goals.
NEEAP and other partners are also available with planning, fundraising,
coalition building, promotional and communication resources, as well as
information about community based environmental education programs.
Evaluation
Evaluation
is key to the success of the project. Project
partners established measurable objectives and various evaluation tools in order
to gain maximum insight from the process of developing partnership for community
based EE.
Project
Period
January
2002 to September 2003
Demonstration Communities "In a Nutshell" (in PDF)
Demonstration Communities Project Brochure
(in PDF)
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CZaPP
(Challenge Zone: A Partnering Project)
April 2000-2001
Challenge Zone was a pilot project that
assisted three state EE organizations (of Idaho, Kentucky and
Pennsylvania) in increasing diversity and
outreach. These two areas of challenge are central to the development of
sustainable and effective EE organizations through capacity building.
Diverse organizations with structures in place and leaders trained to
continuously outreach will be better equipped to strengthen
environmental education programs at the state and local levels. The
Challenge Zone project helped state EE organizations be more inclusive
and representative of all of the constituencies and organizations that
are either providing environmental education programs and/or are a
target audience for mainstream EE programs.
Following is a list of
original Challenge Zone project goals, outcomes, and the progress made.
|
Project Goal |
Progress Made |
Progress Outcomes |
Progress to Date |
|
1. Increase the self
awareness of the existing diversity of the leadership in
organizations |
Achieved during first site
visits to states. All three organization boards valued the
opportunity to both understand and celebrate the diversity that
existed as well as identify future targets to further diversify
association membership and leadership. |
Each Leader of the state EE
organization will know their counterparts better on a personal and
professional level. |
Achieved through first
in-state meetings with consultants. Board representatives were
introduced to each other in new ways and were amazed at how diverse
they already were on a cultural and professional level. |
|
2. Increase the diversity of
state organization leadership body. |
All three of the states made
progress in this arena although one state (KY) concluded that the
process to achieve sustainable, diverse leadership is necessarily a
long-term one and entails a leadership development process up
through the ranks of the organization. |
Increased diversity among
the leadership of statewide EE capacity building organizations and
initiatives. At least three new partners will become involved in
working together to strengthen EE. |
New stakeholders were
contacted and invited to partner with the EE associations in the
three states as a result of the marketing surveys and strategic
plans. The relationship building process with organizations listed
in each of the state reports is underway. |
|
3. Build the collaborative,
communication, outreach, and promotional skills of the leaders of
state EE organizations. |
Project consultants provided
training, consultation and coaching with state EE association board
members. In the case of KY and ID, the people trained utilized the
skills to develop the organization. PA�s organizational crisis
resulted in a leadership turnover and the current leadership is
receiving direct organizational development and management support. |
Increased coalition
building, communication, outreach, and promotional skills among
state EE leaders. At least 80% of board members of the state EE
organization will demonstrate an increase of their use of these
skills. |
Training has taken place and
the progress made by boards towards achievement of outreach goals
shows an increase communication and outreach competencies. In one
state (PA) there was significant leadership turnover so the goal of
80% would not be met there. |
|
4. Develop and implement
strategies related to collaboration, outreach, and promotion. |
Achieved in each states�
outreach action plan. |
State EE organizations will
develop and execute a plan for collaboration, outreach and
promotion. |
Plans were developed and
implemented. |
|
5. Develop a plan in each
state to retain and recruit new partners over the long run. |
Achieved as either
objectives in association strategic action plans or as separate
plans. |
State EE organizations will
have an on-going process in place and a three-year plan to attract
and retain new partners. |
Each organization developed
strategies to include in EE association strategic plans. Plans
range from one to ten years. |
|
6. Enhance the
implementation of state strategic plans for achieving comprehensive
EE programs. |
States did not
directly plan to enhance implementation of comprehensive EE
programs, but this is occurring as a by-product of this effort. For
example, one component of a comprehensive EE program is a networking
and resource website and this came out of the Challenge Zone project
for ID. In KY, regional delivery systems for EE resources are being
established and in PA, interagency coordination is being supported. |
Increased voices
will bring about changes in existing strategic plans. |
Changes were made
in existing plans as a result of the questions the Challenge Zone
project raised in each of the states. "Increased voices" could be
seen as the people who were interviewed for the market survey in
each of the states and in the new board leadership recruited and
staff hired since the project start. |
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Community Outreach
Project for EE
Summary
The Community Outreach Project for EE was designed to increase the
knowledge of and support for environmental education by elected, civic,
business, community and education leaders. The avenue for increasing
leadership for EE was EE outreach seminars led by locally based EE
leaders including those with EE Masters degrees, administrators of EE
centers, EE personnel in agencies, church and youth leaders and others.
This project aimed to strengthen EE in Wisconsin as well as serve as a
model for other states.
Background
The Community Outreach Project represented a new era in environmental
education (EE) leadership development and capacity building in
Wisconsin. In 1995, hundreds of Wisconsin�s EE leaders participated in
the Wisconsin EE Board (WEEB)-sponsored EE Summit to identify the needs
of EE in the state. The EE Summit resulted in setting WEEB�s priorities
of 1) increasing leadership in EE; 2) increasing the communication and
coordination of EE; and 3) implementation of Wisconsin�s EE programs.
Based on these priorities, the WEEB funded the National EE Advancement
Project (NEEAP) at UW-Stevens Point to facilitate a project targeting
communities and engaging EE leaders from across the state.
NEEAP staff wish to acknowledge
the members of the WEEB for their support and input on project
objectives.
Project Goals
�
To increase leadership for
environmental education in Wisconsin.
�
To communicate the value of
environmental education to civic, community and business leaders.
�
To increase support for environmental
education from civic, community and business leaders.
�
To increase the communication and
networking between Wisconsin�s environmental education leaders.
�
To build the foundations toward the
development of comprehensive local level environmental education
programs.
The Outreach
Seminars and the July 2000 Community Outreach Leadership Clinic
The Community Outreach Leader in EE (COLEE) in selected regions of
Wisconsin worked with NEEAP staff to assemble their local Community
Outreach Project Team (COPT). Each COPT participated in an
expenses-paid, two-day Community Outreach Leadership Clinic July 13-15,
2000 in Stevens Point.
At the Clinic,
Community Outreach Project Teams gained advanced leadership and team
building skills specific to the needs of EE leaders. Examples of
successful EE programs in Wisconsin were highlighted and teams had time
to discuss and plan improving EE in their communities. The Team was also
trained to provide EE Outreach Seminars that reach community leaders at
programs such as a Chamber of Commerce leadership program. During the
fall of 2000 each team provided at least one EE Outreach Seminar in
their community.
In meeting WEEB�s
three priorities for strengthening EE in Wisconsin, this program hoped
to build bridges between groups and organizations with a stake in
leadership for EE and help strengthen the communities involved. The key
to the success of the program was the leadership and teamwork of each
Community Outreach Project Team.
This research was
conducted by NEEAP graduate assistant, Kerry Eastman. The research is contained in a
thesis titled "Evaluation of a Community Outreach Project for Environmental Education". This document can be obtained from the
library at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Following is an abstract of this research.
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EE 2000 & EE 2000 Associate
States
Environmental Education 2000 (EE 2000) was a five-year collaborative
effort (1995-2000) of national organizations and teams of state EE
leaders that centered on strengthening and promoting environmental
education at the state level. The National Environmental Education
Advancement Project�s (NEEAP) role was to provide leadership and
organizational development support, networking and resource
opportunities, and pass-through-grants to 12 states. In addition, 14 EE
2000 Associate states were involved in the EE 2000 network and
participated in NEEAP activities on a limited basis.
At the State Level
Each state worked to build their state's capacity to achieve
comprehensive EE programs. Broad based coalitions of professional
educators, natural resource personnel, business representatives, and
concerned citizens teamed up in each of the states to work on the
specific state-level EE initiatives supported by EE 2000. United in the
belief that environmental education addresses many needs in our
educational systems, natural environment, and society today, the goals
of each of the EE 2000 state teams varied from state to state. However,
all states applied a process of strengthening EE organizations,
networks, and resources.
Services
To support the efforts of the states that participated in EE 2000, NEEAP
provided services such as intensive
leadership and organizational clinics,
in-state workshops, seed funding, informational services, and networking
opportunities. As the EE 2000 network grew and strengthened nationally,
state EE leaders exchanged skills and services realizing that they were
often times each other�s best resources. NEEAP helped to facilitate
cross-state organizational and leadership development support through
two new services in 1998: the
EE Barter Network and
EE Outreach Teams.
Funding
Funding for EE 2000 was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation,
The Tides Foundation, the North American Association for Environmental
Education, and the National Wildlife Federation. Many other national
partners work collaboratively with NEEAP to leverage funding and
administrative support to enhance EE programs at the state and local
level.
As a result of the success of the Demonstrations
State Project, a collaborative partnership developed between the National Environmental
Education Advancement Project (NEEAP) and a number of
national partners enabled this program to continue on a larger scale as the Environmental
Education (EE) 2000 program.
In 1997, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
EE 2000 program was conducted by NEEAP graduate assistant, Michelle Kirk. This research is
contained in a thesis titled ".
In 1997, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
EE 2000 program was conducted by NEEAP graduate assistant, Michelle Kirk. This research is
contained in a thesis titled "An Evaluation of the Implementation Of the National Environmental
Education Advancement Projects' Environmental Education 2000 Program". This document can be obtained from the
library at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Following is an abstract of this research.
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Demonstration States
In 1994, a case study was conducted to evaluate the
effectiveness of a Demonstration States Program to assist state level working committees
at enhancing their state environmental education (EE) initiatives. This research was
conducted by NEEAP graduate assistant, Robert Holsman. This research is contained in a
thesis titled "Evaluation of a Demonstration States Program to Strengthen State Level
Environmental Education Initiatives". This document can be obtained from the
library at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Following is an abstract of this research.
Five states participated in a 14-month Demonstration States
Program through NEEAP (Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Hawaii). These pilot
states received small grants, printed resources, workshops, a video, a project newsletter,
professional networking, and consultation on how to achieve comprehensive state
environmental education programs.
Components of comprehensive state EE programs include such items
as the development of a state funding source for EE, teacher training requirements, state
EE councils, EE grants programs, state EE master plans, and curriculum planning and
instruction requirements for EE.
Data for this case study was collected through written surveys of
state coordinators, telephone interviews with selected state EE leaders, and from
documentation of events and activities provided by the states throughout the course of the
program.
Evaluation of Demonstration States Program effectiveness was
based on:1) pilot state’s success at meeting their one-year objectives and 2)
respondent’s perceptions about the effectiveness of the program’s services and
of program participation.
During the program study, three of the four states were able to
achieve new initiatives that strengthened their state programs. Results indicate that
resources produced specifically to assist state grassroots organizing efforts were the
most effective program services. Perceptions of state EE leaders about changes in the
status of their state EE programs and the impact of Demonstration State program
participation varied. In general, the Demonstration States Program participation had a
greater impact on states that more actively sought consultation and were at an earlier
stage of organizational development.
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