SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Environmental literacy is an important element of the next generation science standards that California has adopted as well as a key component, via California’s adopted environmental principles and concepts, of both the science and the history-social science curriculum frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education.
(b) Not only does environmental literacy constitute an important curriculum content area, but it also provides problem solving skills and hands-on, real-world learning experiences that can enhance pupil understanding across many subject areas.
(c) Developing an environmentally literate population will not only enhance our ability to develop and implement solutions to our environmental challenges but will provide a critical foundation of skills and knowledge to help pupils compete in a growing job market where science, mathematics, and language arts proficiency are highly sought after.
(d) California teachers and other school and out-of-school educators are in great need of support for the in-service professional development, lesson planning, standards-aligned curriculum and instructional materials, and hands-on problem solving activities that can help pupils develop environmental literacy. Furthermore, there are wide disparities across the state in access to environment-based learning experiences.
(e) California has a rich array of scientists, community-based organizations, and environmental education providers whose deep expertise can be harnessed to support expanded environmental literacy instruction in our public schools.
(f) The most effective and cost-efficient means of expanding environmental literacy instruction is a state-local partnership of regional networks comprised of teachers and other school and out-of-school educators, full-time science, health, and environmental professionals, community-based organizations, and environmental education providers. Further, regional networks can improve access to environment-based learning experiences for pupils in all parts of California.