* What is the purpose of the commission and work group?

The New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education and Interagency Work Group (on Environmental Education) are state level groups charged with guiding, supporting, promoting, assisting and monitoring the state's environmental education efforts. Such efforts include school-based, youth, family, adult, business and public education efforts on such broad themes as natural resources, ecology, pollution, waste, conservation, energy and environmental health.

* How were the commission and work group established?

Convened by the Commissioners of the State Departments of Environmental Protection and Education in 1989, the commission has formally existed through Executive and Administrative Orders since that time. Both the commission and work group were statutorily established in 1996 by the New Jersey Environmental Education Act (N.J.S.A. 18A:6-91.1 et seq.).

* How are the commission and work group administered?

The commission and work group are administered as "in but not of" groups of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Environmental education staff in the department's Constituent Services Office provides primary support for commission and work group activities and secures and/or administers any state funds designated for State environmental education efforts. Department staff also provides support services such as writing, editing, graphics and mailings.

* What is the relationship between the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education's (ANJEE) and the commission and work group?

Members of ANJEE, the state's nonprofit membership association for environmental education, played pivotal roles in advocating for the Executive and Administrative Orders and the 1996 law establishing the commission and continue to support the work of the commission and work group. The Alliance and its members are also active partners in many statewide commission and work group efforts.

ANJEE, the commission and the work group coordinate their efforts to ensure that their respective agendas compliment the needs, goals and activities of each organization. Commission and work group members participate in ANJEE's annual environmental education conference in January and its annual retreat in March and each summer, all three groups hold a joint planning meeting. In addition, ANJEE members regularly attend commission and work group meetings.

* What is the membership makeup of the commission?

Commission membership is diverse and includes representation from environmental, conservation, civic, youth and faith-based organizations; school boards; colleges and universities; business and industry; local environmental commissions; state and local government; agricultural interests; environmental health professionals; and public and private school teachers and administrators.

* Which state agencies currently make up the work group?

Work group membership currently includes representation from five state government agencies -- Education, Environmental Protection, Community Affairs, Law and Public Safety, and Human Services. Over the past seven years, work group members have provided support and assistance to commission members and have served as a contact regarding the policies of and resources available from their respective agencies.

* How and why was the Plan of Action developed?

Beginning in 1990 the commission researched the status of environmental education in New Jersey and compared it with environmental education in other states. State officials then asked commission members to develop a master plan to facilitate environmental education in New Jersey. Commission members and select members of their organizations participated in multi-day workshops that resulted in a draft plan. This draft was reviewed by dozens of environmental education and education professionals, as well as interested citizens, through three regional public meetings. An extensive final review process was then carried out.

The final plan, Environmental Education in New Jersey: A Plan of Action, was presented to state officials in 1993. It quickly became a popular planning tool for environmental education leaders. Thousands of copies of the plan have been distributed as a reference and planning document, not only in New Jersey, but in other states as well as around the world.

* What is the purpose of the Plan of Action?

The Plan of Action is a collection of goals, guiding principles and recommendations designed to foster environmental literacy among all ages and audiences statewide. The goal of the plan is to "develop in the citizens of New Jersey the knowledge, attitudes and values, skills and behaviors needed to maintain, protect, manage and improve the environment." Its purpose is to provide long-term direction for environmental education in the state, as well as to improve communications, program design, information sharing, collaboration and coordination among all involved with environmental education in New Jersey.

* What plan components have been accomplished in the past decade?

During the past ten years a number of accomplishments have been achieved, among them:

A) The inclusion of environmental content in the state core curriculum content standards;
B) Environmental education professional development providers registered with the New Jersey Department of Education and able to provide classroom-based training in environmental education;
C) Implementation of environment-based student improvement models, such as the EIC Approach;
D) State and private funds have been secured to provide grants for environmental education programs;
E) Annual statewide Earth Day efforts to boost public knowledge about priority environmental topics;
F) The creation of the interagency work group on environmental education; and
G) The development of an online directory of New Jersey environmental education resources.

* When and where do the commission and work group meet?

The commission and work group meet jointly at least seven times per year (usually in September, October, November, February, March, May and June). These meetings are held in Trenton at DEP headquarters or in other central locations in New Jersey. They are open to the public. There are also committee meetings that are held at various locations around the state with an agenda that reflects the various priorities of the commission or work group during any given year. These meetings are also open to the public.

* What are the planned priority activities?

The primary agenda for the Commission and work group in the coming months is to revise the Plan of Action through an extensive, inclusive and comprehensive process. As part of this process they will conduct a survey of New Jersey teachers. They are also developing an "Environmental Primer" for distribution at Earth Day and other events. Additional partnership efforts with state agencies will focus on energy education and expanded implementation of the EIC Approach to environmental education.

* Who can I contact to get involved with commission or work group activities?

Contact Tanya Oznowich, Environmental Education Supervisor, DEP Constituent Services Office, P.O. Box 402, Trenton, New Jersey, 08625-0402. She can be reached at 609-984-9802 or at tanya.oznowich@dep.state.nj.us. Or, visit their Website at www.nj.gov/dep/seeds/njcee.