The New Jersey Turnpike may be the first thing that comes to mind when the Garden State is mentioned, but its students are pretty well-educated about the environment thanks to a 2020 change in state learning standards that added climate change to the curriculum in all schools, at every grade level and in all subject areas.
A bipartisan group in Congress would like to extend that type of environmental literacy across the nation, under companion bills introduced in April dubbed the No Child Left Inside Act.
The idea, according to Senate sponsor Jack Reed, D-R.I., and co-sponsor Susan Collins, R-Maine, is to authorize about $100 million for grants to “fund educational programs that aim to get children outside” and to “promote professional development for teachers on how to integrate environmental literacy and field experiences into their instruction.”
