Teach ME Outside is excited to announce that the 2022 Census of Community-Based Environmental Learning in Maine will be opening in August. This statewide outdoor and environmental learning survey is a follow up to the wildly successful 2019 Census. This follow up to the 2019 Census will help us understand how our field has changed in the last 3 years and how we can continue to grow and support this important work.
Findings from the 2019 census helped increase:
• Support from funders and policymakers
• Equity of access
• Resource sharing
• Network collaboration
The goal of the Census is to learn how schools and organizations across Maine are educating youth about the environment while also connecting them to their communities. These learning experiences do not have to necessarily take place outdoors, but they do need to connect to locally relevant content. There are many terms for this type of learning including “Community-Based Education,” “Inquiry-Based Education,” “Nature-Based Education,” “Environmental Education,” and many others.
With this information, we will be able to gain a better understanding of the landscape of Community-Based Environmental Learning across the state of Maine in order to move the field forward and support capacity building; provide needed resources, including professional development, for schools and organizations; and ensure equitable access for all youth across the state.
Visit teachmeoutside.org for more information and stay tuned for an announcement when the survey launches in August to ensure that your voice and programs are represented.
Teach ME Outside builds on the collaborative work of many different organizations and individuals over the past decade and is led today by a partnership between the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, Maine Environmental Education Association, and Nature Based Education Consortium. This project is made possible with support from the Pisces Foundation and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.
