News From Here and There:  Louisiana

 The Environmental Education Advocate - Fall 1998

The following information is provided to you as a service of the National Environmental Education Advancement Project (NEEAP). We encourage you to use it and please credit the National Environmental Education
Advancement Project where appropriate.

Gwen Emick has been appointed by Governor Mike Foster to head up the newly created Office of Environmental Education (OEE), which is housed within the Office of the Governor. The Louisiana OEE and the Louisiana EE Commission are both direct results of legislation passed in the Louisiana Legislature and were patterned after "model" Wisconsin legislation. Louisiana was one of five states that participated in the NEEAP Demonstration States Project, 1993-1995.

Since coming on board in April, Gwen has helped facilitate a state-wide media campaign promoting the sale of a "pelican" prestige license plate, which helps fund the OEE. She has also facilitated several TV public service announcements to help promote both awareness of the OEE and the sale of the plates. Besides these initiatives, the OEE will award teacher grants (from the sale of the prestige plates) during the Spring of 1999. The OEE will also launch a website to connect both educators and the general citizenry to EE links within the state and throughout the nation. Finally, plans are underway for the 1999 "Sharing Our Vision" Environmental Education Symposium to be held February, 1999. It looks like capacity building is taking big strides in the bayou state!

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