EEPSA- Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association

Stephanie Leaman

What is the name of your professional association or specialist organization?

EEPSA- Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association

How did you find out about it?

http://bctf.ca/eepsa/ it is listed as a Provincial Specialist association on the BCTF website.

What is the mandate of the association?

1. To promote and advance the teaching of environmental education throughout BC.
2. To develop awareness of environmental education issues.
3. To maintain and improve communication networks among EEPSA executive, local chapters and other members.
4. To communicate with related associations within and outside BC.
5. To forward recommendations and advice concerning environmental matters to the executive and other committees of the BCTF.
6. To provide professional development leadership in environmental education.

What kinds of projects is your association currently working on (e.g., publications, mission statements, professional development initiatives, collaborations with museums, conferences, etc)?

-Currently accepting applications for the BC Green Games contest which takes applications of BC class projects that promote “eco-action” (www.bcgreengames.ca)

- A professional development conference on Oct 22-24 at Blue Lake Forest education Centre in East Kootenay, BC (only $50 with meals, accommodation and materials!)

Who are its funders?

-Conference funded by Columbia Basin Environmental Education trust, BC Hydro, the BC Teacher’s Federation and the Regional Centre for Excellence.

            -Membership Fees- non-BCTF $45.68, BCTF $25, Student/retiree/TOC $15.

How would you describe the possible link of this group to your teaching?

There are very practical guides and resources to incorporating environmental education into the classroom.

Also many environmental teaching resources including videos, curriculums and BC events to have a positive environmental impact.

What other organizations does it work with?

It also works with the BC government and has had its Environmental Learning and Experience (ELE) guide approved by the Ministry of Education.

2.

Review one of the association’s resources or journals (e.g., Social Studies and the Young Learner: A Quarterly for Creative Teaching of Grades K-6) and locate a social issue that is central to an issue of import to educators in this association. Write one-two paragraphs summarizing the issue and other salient information on educating to address this social issue from the article/resource.

            The association has a newsletter, but it was out of date so I looked at some of the articles and journals from associated sources to find a related article. I found it very interesting that EEPSA listed the Fraser Institute as a resource for articles. It directs the readers to this right-wing organization so that alternative views on environmental issues can be known and discussed as part of the “whole picture” of environmental education. I thought this was a great approach for teachers to remember that we are often including our own biases when we teach lessons and this will not always be the lessons that are taught at home. When we teach on subjects that we would like the kids to “take in” like issues in education, the whole picture should always be included.

3.

Brainstorm one additional pedagogical strategy of your own dealing with the major social issue of importance that was discussed in the article/resource (e.g., How to teach soccer to students with a physical disability; how to discuss the environment in the classroom; how to teach science to English language learners?).

            To approach the issue of bias when teaching on the environment, I think it would be beneficial to also study alternative theories so that I would be best prepared to teach on education in it’s entirety. I also would try to infuse environmental education into various aspects of my teaching, so that specific tasks and outlooks are not preached, but are simply classroom practices. One specific and easy method to teach appreciation of nature and the earth is to take kids outside for lessons. This exposure to the natural environment simply by being surrounded by it, can allow kids to spend some more time outside when they otherwise might not when they leave school.