About the Office - What Educators Say
Chelsie Bobbitt, Alleghany Soil and Water
I enjoyed meeting new people that have the same goals as I do and making new friends that I can call and ask for advice. The program helped me realize how important hands-on lessons can be when teaching.
Read more about Chelsie
Elizabeth Miles, Waxhaw Elementary School, Union County
The program transformed my teaching by reinforcing the importance of outdoor learning and hands-on experiences. I now take my students outside more often, allowing them to connect with nature in meaningful ways.
Read more about Elizabeth
E.J. Dwigans, NC Forest Service Educational Ranger
Throughout the certification process I continually added things to my skill set allowing me to reach my target audience more effectively.
Read more about E.J.
Ashley Lamano, Teacher, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
I have found this certification program to be an invaluable experience. I look forward to continuing to deepen my understanding and broaden my network in the months to come. Thank you again for the opportunity.
Congratulations to 2024 Certified Environmental Educators! Check out the blog post to see what educators say about the certification program.
Read what educators say
Goal
The NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs in the NC Department of Environmental Quality was established to improve environmental literacy, stewardship of natural resources in North Carolina.
Mission
The N.C. Office of Environmental Education encourages, supports and promotes environmental education programs, facilities and resources and equips educators with the skills and knowledge to improve environmental literacy, stewardship of natural resources in North Carolina.
What We Do
The NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs offers the NC Environmental Education Certification program and serves as the state's environmental education information clearinghouse. The office provides resources, support and consultation for North Carolina's PreK-12 teachers, nonformal educators, homeschool educators and the public. You can use the environmental education website to find professional development opportunities for educators as well as outdoor experiences, field trips, curriculum, lesson plans and classroom visits. These opportunities and resources are offered by agencies, organizations, colleges, and universities throughout North Carolina. The office also identifies and promotes programs provided by the state's environmental education centers, including nature and science centers, arboretums, public gardens, museums, coastal reserves, zoos, aquariums and local, state, and national parks and forests. The Office is a state agency within the NC Department of Environmental Quality.
Why Environmental Education?
In the classroom and beyond, the desired outcome of environmental education is environmental literacy. People who are environmentally literate understand how natural systems function and how humans and the environment are intertwined. To that end, environmental education strives to provide learners with sound scientific information and the vital skills of problem solving, critical thinking and decision-making. At one time or another, individuals will be compelled to address and solve complex environmental problems affecting the economy, public health or shared natural resources. Environmental education provides the necessary tools.
Certified Environmental Educators in North Carolina by County
This interactive map shows N.C. Certified Environmental Educators who are currently active in North Carolina. Use your mouse to hover over a county to see the county name, and click on the county to see a list of all certified educators in that county. Click on "Text Version" to view a list of all the counties and the names of the certified educators. The regions on this map are consistent with the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers section representatives map and the Environmental Educators of North Carolina's (EENC) membership sections: Green = Western, Red = Piedmont, Blue = Central, and Olive = Eastern.