| Last updated on August 12, 2008 |
Earth Force engages young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future.
Description:
Now is the time to foster a scientifically capable and civicly-engaged populace. Through Earth Force young people get hands-on, real-world opportunities to practice civic skills, acquire and understand environmental knowledge, and develop the skills and motivation to become life-long leaders in addressing environmental issues.
Earth Force achieves these results by training and supporting educators as they implement our unique six-step model for engaging young people. Thanks to 10 years of rigorous evaluation, we know that our model positions young people to use their creativity and passion to play a meaningful role in environmental decision-making.
Earth Force knows that little can be accomplished by working alone. To meet our goals, Earth Force partners with businesses, schools, community-based organizations and civic leaders nationwide.
The Earth Force program was recently recognized in Family Circle Magazine.
History:
Earth Force launched in 1994 to address two emerging national trends among young people identified by The Pew Charitable Trust:
- Their overwhelming desire to act on behalf of the environment
- Their desire to help their communities through voluntary service
Polls consistently indicate that youth have a passion for the environment and wish to improve it. Earth Force gives young people the skills and knowledge they need to channel their passion into actions that improve their environment and communities.
in the past 10 years Earth Force has served thousands young people across the United States. Initially, efforts focused on large, national, youth-driven campaigns that were designed to mobilize young people around issues that concerned them. These campaigns tackled issues such as wildlife and bike-friendly communities.
In 1997, Earth Force determined that while the national campaigns were important for reaching large populations of young people, there was a need for more community-based programming to engage youth over the long term. Since then Earth Force has established offices and affiliates around the country. Partnerships with corporations, agencies, foundations, nonprofits and schools have given Earth Force the support necessary to expand programming and improve the work with young people in each of those communities.
Since its creation Earth Force has developed a series of tools designed to assist educators in facilitating youth-driven civic action with their students. Community Action and Problem Solving (CAPS) was the first program developed, and is the basis for Earth Force programming today. The program is always evolving, with an after-school version of CAPS created in 2001 and new version with community history activities premiering in 2004.
In 1998 Earth Force adopted the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) as a program. GREEN began in 1984 as a vision for involving citizens in local water quality issues. Through GREEN partnerships students in more than 47 communities around the United States protect and improve their local rivers and streams.
Contact person: Anna Richardson, Executive Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (843) 720-1432
Address:
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PO Box 22583
Charleston, SC 29413 |
Web Site: http://www.earthforce.org/lowcountry
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