 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ONTARIO (EEON)
Environmental Eduaction Ontario (EEON) came into being in 2000, catalyzed by the removal of the Environmental Science course from the Ontario curriculum.
Given the traditionally voluntary nature of much environmental and
ecological education, EEON set as its task the facilitation,
development and implementation of a Strategic Plan for Environmental
and Sustainability Education (E&SE) for Ontario.* EEON members recognized the power of broad-based collaborative planning in setting out a vision for improving the quality, scope and status of environmental learning across public sectors.
EEON has since evolved into a charitable corporation, but maintains its role as a coalition of environmental
and ecological educators, concerned citizens, parents, and representatives
from non-governmental organizations and government agencies. EEON members and supporters work in many capacities to advance environmental literacy in the province.
Late in 2003, EEON launched its first-of-a-kind "public strategic plan" for environmental literacy - Greening the Way Ontario Learns. Since then, EEON members have worked tirelessly to disseminate the plan. They have met with and made presentations to decision-makers, government officials, educators, students, universities, community groups and individual Ontarians to share a vision of education as a path to a sustainable future.
In a more recent effort, EEON has collaborated with environmental education groups, school boards and concerned citizens to express support for an application to bring the Ontario Ministry of Education under the purview of the (unique) provincial Environmental Bill of Rights. Such a move could bring more transparency and accountability in environmental policymaking as it relates to eduational curriculum. Despite strong public support for this application, including formal motions from some Ontario school boards, the government thus far has suggested that the Education ministry should only be required to draft a Statement of Environmental Values, but not be required (like all other 13 prescribed ministries) to post proposed environmentally significant policies on the Environmental Registry for public review. More than two years after the application - and despite an emphatic recommendation by Ontario's Enviroment Commissioner to prescribe the Minsitry of Education - no final decision has been forthcoming from the government (2007).
*Environmental and Sustainability Education requires a shift
in traditional learning to include a systematic examination of what is ecologically
sustainable. It then explores a range of options to achieve positive change that considers social, environmental and economic needs.
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EEON maintains an active listserv, the EEONlist, which has become a hub for environmental news, views, resources, ideas, events, conferences, courses and discussion related to education for a sustainable future. For more information, please click on "Join the EEON Listserv" in the menu to the left.
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A Little History and Background
Two documents to learn more about EEON and the development of its organization.
EEON's Mission
To promote environmental literacy and to elicit a commitment from all sectors to act toward a healthy, sustainable environment. EEON will support, facilitate and document Ontarians' progress towards this goal. |
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