Local College Encourages Environmental Literacy Education

Mount San Jacinto College hosted its first ever Environmental Education Academy last week.

Through the Academy, 20 local teachers and docents were provided with a four-day series of workshops on four separate campuses. The workshops educated them on ways to incorporate environmental awareness into curriculum for middle and high school students.

Facilitators from environmental education programs Project WET, Project WILD and Project Learning Tree presented on water conservation, wildlife habitats, forest ecosystems and environmental career paths.

Kathy Havert, academy facilitator and environmental education consultant, said it is important for children these days to incorporate environmental literacy into their education to understand the causes of global warming, air pollution, rampant loss of species diversity and other serious environmental issues students could prevent.

“Environmental literacy means knowing how organic and inorganic components, including humans, of our environment work together sustainably,” said Havert. “It’s extremely important that environmental education take a major role in the education of our children.”

Project Coordinator Lori Benson said a grant awarded to Mt. San Jacinto College's Career Technical Education department made the training possible.