FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 18, 2008 Contact: David Willett, 202-675-6698 House Votes to Get Kids OutsideBill Would Create New Opportunities for Environmental Education Washington, D.C.-Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expandand improve the opportunities for children and adolescents to learn aboutand experience the natural world. Hands-on outdoor environmental educationoffers an opportunity to improve academic performance in our schools andprovides a solution for reversing the trends of childhood obesity and"nature deficit disorder" that are afflicting a generation. "Today’s vote signifies a new national commitment to youth and theenvironment. Right now children are spending their days inside and theirevenings and weekends plugged into electronic media," says Carl Pope,Executive Director of the Sierra Club. "They are missing out on the dailychildhood joy of playing outside that their parents’ took for granted justtwenty years ago." Research shows that when children spend time outdoors, they are morephysically active, engage in more creative forms of play and are betterfocused. Environmental education contributes to significant improvements inacademic performance and motivation to learn. It also leads to studentgains in problem-solving skills, conflict resolution abilities, andself-esteem. Opportunities for youth to get outdoors to exercise, play andexperience their natural world are critical to help prevent obesity,alleviate symptoms of attention deficit disorders and address other relatedhealth problems. The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008, HR 3036 The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008, sponsored by John P. Sarbanes (D-MD)along with sixty-four co-sponsors, would support local and statewideefforts to expand and improve environmental education for K-12 publicschools. This legislation would provide needed support to States to developscientifically sound curriculum, train teachers, and ensure students areenvironmentally literate upon high school graduation. "Today’s youth will be asked to tackle severe environmental challenges asadults, yet American children are not being provided with the foundationneeded to address these challenges," says Pope. "Environmental educationtoday will provide the foundation necessary for tomorrow’s workforce toeffectively address real world environmental challenges." ###
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