Unless: Your Voice Can Make A Difference for EE in North Carolina

Our state’s nationally recognized Office of Environmental Education — a vital, one-of-a-kind resource that supports thousands of teachers, students, and citizens every year — is on the chopping block in the proposed state budget.

Environmental education empowers students to understand and address the pressing environmental challenges of our time. The Office of Environmental Education manages our state's EE Certification program, provides a list-serv resource, the Lunchtime Discovery series, the annual Nonformal Educators meeting in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction, maintains a website that serves as a clearinghouse for all the programs and EE opportunities across the state, and much more. It’s a small investment with a massive impact. Eliminating this office would undermine decades of progress in fostering an informed and engaged citizenry.

Right now, the NC House is forming their budget proposal. When approved, members of the House and Senate will come together to negotiate a final budget proposal, which is then sent to the Governor for approval. If funding for the OEE is not in the House budget, there is little room for negotiation, and it could be much more difficult (or too late) to save this vital resource for our state. If you have benefited in any way from the OEE or the programs they provide and promote, this is a call to action and share your story.  Please consider reaching out to members of the committees below and share your stories of how the OEE benefits you, your students, and your community -- especially if any members on these committees are your Representative. Phone calls are the best, but emails are good as well (copy their legislative assistant).

• House Appropriations Committee https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/HouseStanding/6

  
  

•  House Appropriations, Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources 

  https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/HouseStanding/12

  
  

• House Finance Committee 

  https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/HouseStanding/24

If you aren't certain who your representative is, visit this web site and enter your address. Just be certain you have NC HOUSE selected.

EENC has created this email template you can use for your communications.

We have faced this challenge before - in 2011 and in 2017 - and work from the EE Community and supporters saved this vital office and we can do it again!