20 U.S.C. § 5504 — Environmental Education and Training Program

submitted 36 years ago by Pub. L. 101-619 to r/title-20-EDUCATION · 676 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

The Environmental Education and Training Program trains education professionals and supports environmental teaching, studies, materials, exchanges, partnerships, and conferences. EPA awards annual operating grants to qualified nonprofits or higher-education institutions, evaluates continued support, and may provide selected participants stipends.

(a) Program. An Environmental Education and Training Program is established to train education professionals to develop and deliver environmental education and training programs and studies. (b) Activities. At minimum, the program includes classroom instruction in environmental education and studies, science and theory, teaching methods, environmental careers, and environmental issues; demonstrations of environmental field studies and assessments; development of programs and curricula for diverse ethnic and cultural groups; exchanges of teachers and other education professionals among the United States, Canada, and Mexico; a library of materials, information, literature, and technologies accessible electronically and in hard copy; evaluation and distribution of materials, training methods, and programs; conferences, seminars, and forums, including international ones; effective partnerships, networks, and distance learning; and other activities the Administrator finds consistent with this chapter. Special emphasis should go to portable programs, workshops, and training tools that can be widely distributed. (c) Grants. (1) Each year the Administrator must grant an institution of higher education or another nonprofit institution, or a consortium of them, to operate the program. (2) An interested institution or consortium may apply in the form and with the information the Administrator requires. (3) Grants are awarded based on the applicant's ability to develop programs; train a range of participants in a range of settings; provide staff expertise in appropriate disciplines; operate economically by its overhead-to-direct-service ratio; use existing national resources and programs effectively; evaluation results under paragraph (5); and other factors the Administrator considers appropriate. (4) Grant funds may not buy real property, including buildings, or construct or substantially modify a building. (5) The Administrator must establish careful, detailed review and evaluation procedures to decide whether a grantee's program quality warrants continued support. (d) Participants. Eligible participants are teachers, faculty, administrators, and related support staff associated with local educational agencies, colleges, and universities; employees of state education, environmental-protection, and natural-resource departments; and employees of nonprofits involved in environmental education activities and issues. Applicants must use the form the Administrator approves. Selection must provide broad geographic representation and a mix of people, including minorities, working at primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels and with appropriate agencies and departments. Selected participants may receive grant-funded stipends for travel and lodging in amounts the Administrator considers appropriate.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a) Establishment

There is hereby established an Environmental Education and Training Program. The purpose of the program shall be to train educational professionals in the development and delivery of environmental education and training programs and studies.

(b) Functions and activities

The functions and activities of the program shall include, at a minimum—

(1)

classroom training in environmental education and studies including environmental sciences and theory, educational methods and practices, environmental career or occupational education, and topical environmental issues and problems;

(2)

demonstration of the design and conduct of environmental field studies and assessments;

(3)

development of environmental education programs and curriculum, including programs and curriculum to meet the needs of diverse ethnic and cultural groups;

(4)

sponsorship and management of international exchanges of teachers and other educational professionals between the United States, Canada, and Mexico involved in environmental programs and issues;

(5)

maintenance or support of a library of environmental education materials, information, literature, and technologies, with electronic as well as hard copy accessibility;

(6)

evaluation and dissemination of environmental education materials, training methods, and related programs;

(7)

sponsorship of conferences, seminars, and related forums for the advancement and development of environmental education and training curricula and materials, including international conferences, seminars, and forums;

(8)

supporting effective partnerships and networks and the use of distant learning technologies; and

(9)

such other activities as the Administrator determines to be consistent with the policies of this chapter.

Special emphasis should be placed on developing environmental education programs, workshops, and training tools that are portable and can be broadly disseminated.

(1)

The Administrator shall make a grant on an annual basis to an institution of higher education or other institution which is a not-for-profit institution (or consortia of such institutions) to operate the environmental education and training program required by this section.

(2)

Any institution of higher education or other institution (or consortia of such institutions) which is a not-for-profit organization and is interested in receiving a grant under this section may submit to the Administrator an application in such form and containing such information as the Administrator may require.

(3)

The Administrator shall award grants under this section on the basis of—

(A)

the capability to develop environmental education and training programs;

(B)

the capability to deliver training to a range of participants and in a range of settings;

(C)

the expertise of the staff in a range of appropriate disciplines;

(D)

the relative economic effectiveness of the program in terms of the ratio of overhead costs to direct services;

(E)

the capability to make effective use of existing national environmental education resources and programs;

(F)

the results of any evaluation under paragraph (5) of this subsection; and

(G)

such other factors as the Administrator deems appropriate.

(4)

No funds made available to carry out this section shall be used for the acquisition of real property (including buildings) or the construction or substantial modification of any building.

(5)

The Administrator shall establish procedures for a careful and detailed review and evaluation of the environmental education and training program to determine whether the quality of the program being operated by the grantee warrants continued support under this section.

(d) Eligibility

(1)

Individuals eligible for participation in the program are teachers, faculty, administrators and related support staff associated with local education agencies, colleges, and universities, employees of State education, environmental protection, and natural resource departments, and employees of not-for-profit organizations involved in environmental education activities and issues.

(2)

Individuals shall be selected for participation in the program based on applications which shall be in such form as the Administrator determines to be appropriate.

(3)

In selecting individuals to participate in the program, the Administrator shall provide for a wide geographic representation and a mix of individuals, including minorities, working at primary, secondary, postsecondary levels, and with appropriate other agencies and departments.

(4)

Individuals selected for participation in the program may be provided with a stipend to cover travel and accommodations from grant funds awarded pursuant to this section in such amounts as the Administrator determines to be appropriate.

Source credit: (Pub. L. 101–619, § 5, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3328.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1990Enacted · Pub. L. 101-619 · 104 Stat. 3328

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 101-619 on 1990-11-16.

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