Closing the Environmental Literacy Gap

Originally aired April 27, 2017

Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Wildlife Federation joined The Nature Generation in a wide-ranging discussion on America’s environmental literacy gap — its extent, its implications for security, economics, and society, effective approaches to closing it, and the disparities that exist within the gap itself. The conversation includes an extensive Q&A and spotlights the 2017 Green Earth Book Award honorees.

Speakers

Amy Marasco Newton (Moderator)

Founder & President, The Nature Generation

Amy Marasco Newton is the Founder and President of The Nature Generation (NatGen), a nonprofit focused on inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards through outdoor programs, curriculum enrichment, and recognition initiatives including the Green Earth Book Awards. She brings together educators, authors, and environmental leaders to advance environmental literacy among young people nationwide.

Kevin J. Coyle, JD

Vice President, Education and Training, National Wildlife Federation

Kevin J. Coyle is Vice President for Education and Training at the National Wildlife Federation, where he has committed over 35 years to improving America’s education and environmental education fields. He is a nationally recognized authority on environmental literacy, nature-based learning, and the cognitive and behavioral effects of children’s connection to the natural world.

Louisa Koch

Director, Office of Education & Chair, NOAA Education Council, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Louisa Koch is the Director of the Office of Education and Chair of the NOAA Education Council, where she leads programs to educate and inspire the public and future workforce about the Earth system. She works across NOAA’s array of scientific assets, partners, and field sites to build environmental literacy and connect learners of all ages with ocean, weather, and climate science.

Jonathan Jefferson, EdD

Administrator, Uniondale Public Schools, New York

Jonathan Jefferson, EdD is an innovator in environmental education and Administrator of Uniondale Public Schools in New York, where he has integrated environmental learning into the curriculum for students in underserved communities. He is also the author of Echoes from the Farm, drawing on his experiences as a city boy spending summers on a family farm to inspire a new generation of environmental stewards.