Field Scan: Environmental Education

and Collective Impact

Environmental Education Collaborative Meeting

January 31, 2012

2

Who is in our field?

Bay Area Environmental Education Evaluation Learning Community:Over 200 providers

CREEC Resource Guide: 233 listings for Alameda County

3

Who is in our field?

Criterion 1: Definition of Environmental Education

Environmental education provides people with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment.

4

Who is in our field?

Criterion 2: Key Characteristics of Environmental Education•Uses the outdoors as a learning environment.•Is a lifelong learning process.•Is interdisciplinary and draws upon many fields of study and learning.•Is relevant to the needs, interests and motivations of the learner.•Is based on accurate and factual information.•Presents information in a balanced, unbiased manner.•Inspires critical thinking and decision-making.•Motivates people to take responsible action.

5

Who is in our field?

Criterion 3: Area of Impact

Area of Impact Way of Measuring

Transportation • Commuting , Vehicle Miles Traveled

Natural Assets • Protected Land, Brownfields, Water Use per capita, Ecological Health of the Bay , Ecological Footprint

Resource Use • Energy Use, Carbon Emissions, Ozone, Particulate Matter , Waste Disposal and Diversion

Civic Engagement • Voter Participation, Voter Behavior

6

Who is in our field?

Criterion 4: Method of EE Program Delivery*

*NSW Council of Environmental Education Survey, 2003

Method % Responding

Community education/advocacy 35%

Information services 26%

General education curriculum 20%

Social marketing 20%

Outdoor education 19%

Vocational education & Workplace training 16%

Community development 14%

Extension 11%

Vocational education & educational institution training 9%

Labor force training program 5%

Cultural/eco tourism 3%

7

Who is in our field?

Typology of Environmental Education Providers in the Bay Area

*NSW Council of Environmental Education Survey, 2003

8

Environmental Education Collaboratives

Bay Area and Non-Bay Area Examples

*NSW Council of Environmental Education Survey, 2003

9

Collective Impact: Strive Partnership

10

Collective Impact: Strive Partnership

- Members organized into 15 different Student Success Networks (SSNs) by type of activity (such as early childhood education or tutoring)

- Each SSN has met with a coach and facilitator for two hours every two weeks for the last three years

11

Strive Partnership Goals

Goal 1: Prepared for School

Goals 2 & 3: Supported In and Out of School & Succeed

Academically

Goals 4 & 5: Enroll in College & Graduate and

Enter a Career

“From Cradle To Career”

12

Strive Partnership: Core Functions

Work that happens in each SSN:

- develop shared performance indicators- discuss progress- learn from each other- align efforts to support each other

13

Strive Partnership: Learning

5 conditions required for a successful collective impact initiative:

1.Common agenda2.Shared measurement3.Mutually reinforcing activities4.Continuous communication5.Backbone support organization

14

Collective Impact: Lessons from the Field

• Costs $ (broad base of support to make Strive work)• Funders more interested in short-term solutions• Must be led by credible leaders who can serve as

conveners and who genuinely “understand that every community needs a common table;” their job is to catalyze the process and set the right tone,

• It takes time to build trust (measured in years, not months)

15

Collective Impact: Trends

• To date, common focus of collective impact has been on “cradle to career” and children’s issues, with much of it tied directly to education

• Promise Neighborhoods (federal initiative that propelled collective impact model) is increasingly looking at environmental and social factors that influence health.

16

Collective Impact: Local Example

East Bay Promise Neighborhood

• Management team composed of CSU East Bay, Chabot College, Hayward USD, the City of Hayward, 4C’s of Alameda County and the Eden Area Regional Occupational Program

• A number of other regional partners also contribute to the planning process as part of the Advisory Board, including public safety officials, government groups, non-profit organizations and local residents.

• The partnership focuses on improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and developing pathways to college.

17

Collective Impact: Local Example

Redwood City 2020

Participants:•Redwood City Elementary School District•City of Redwood City•County of San Mateo – Human Services Agency and Health System•Sequoia Union High School District•John W. Gardner Center For Youth and Their Communities, Stanford University•Sequoia Healthcare District•Kaiser Permanente

18

Collective Impact: Local Example

Redwood City 2020

Participation Guidelines:•Members must commit to consistent and ongoing participation in Redwood City 2020’s governance structure.•Members must contribute annual membership fee. (At this time it is $25,000)•Members must be ready to contribute resources (fiscal, in-kind and /or staff) to actively support the priorities and key strategic activities identified by Redwood City 2020

19

Systems Change: Considerations

Systems tend to be resistant to change Systems have tipping points Knowing the cause and effect between the parts

(feedback loops), enables one to change a system effectively

Managing system change requires multiple perspectives