Why include EE in teacher prep programs?

Environmental education (EE) programs for pre-service teachers will help K-12 students adapt to the multitude of ever-increasing environmental issues affecting our planet. K-12 students will need environmental literacy to implement solutions to these environmental problems; therefore we need to develop this literacy within pre-service teachers first. Additionally, environmental education can help to develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students need, even outside of environmental education such as decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership, collaboration, communication, concern for others, confidence, and connectedness.

This Hub aims to provide a vision and introduction to environmental education, specifically through meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs), for faculty and staff who may not have studied in this area. It also provides a set of ideas for better embedding environmental education into pre-service teacher preparation based on practices and strategies developed in universities in Virginia.

MWEE Courses

Faculty can begin to familiarize themselves with MWEEs through the MWEE 101 and MWEE 201 courses and can share with students to build their understanding.

MWEE 101 is the first course in an online series. It introduces the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) framework and shows how a MWEE can support educational standards and goals.

MWEE 201 is the second in the series and provides more in-depth instruction on how to plan your own MWEE or refine an existing MWEE with emphasis on planning and conducting outdoor investigations, student-led action, and incorporating student voice.

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