Action Alert: No Child Left Inside Legislation

As you know, we have been lobbying our local representatives on this issue, and met successfully with Rep. Pryce’s staff. Now we need your help. If all our members send letters to Rep. Pryce and Rep. Tiberi, we can show them we mean business.

UPDATE
House of Representatives
to Vote On NCLI Act NEXT WEEK

Please ask Your Representative to
Support Environmental Education

We received word today that the House of Representatives will vote on the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 next week ‘“ either Tuesday, September 9 or Wednesday, September 10.

As we prepare for this critically important vote, now is the time for members of the Coalition to contact Congress. Please take a few minutes between now and next Tuesday and contact your representative to urge them to vote for the legislation (H.R. 3036) on the floor.

Below, we have included a Sample Letter to help you craft letters or emails to Congress. Customize your letter by including information about your organization’s interest in environmental education.

You can also email your representative through our website, www.NCLICoalition.org, by clicking on Contact Your Congressperson and filling out the short form. If you want to place a phone call to your representative’s office, click here for their phone number.

The No Child Left Inside Coalition is growing every day and now has 700 member organizations, representing more than 40 million people who understand the value of environmental education. Now is the time for their voices to be heard in Washington.

For more information about the NCLI Act and our Coalition, visit www.NLCLICoalition.org. And thanks for your support!

Abby Ybarra, Grassroots Coordinator
No Child Left Inside Coalition

Sample Letter to Urge Support

E-mail Subject Line: Support the No Child Left Inside Act (HR 3036)

Dear Representative xx:

I am writing to urge you to support the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 (H.R. 3036) when it comes before the House of Representatives in the coming days. This legislation addresses critical environmental challenges by strengthening and expanding environmental education in America’s classrooms.

Environmental education is critical now because of the complex environmental challenges confronting the nation and world, which require an informed citizenry and engaged, knowledgeable individuals.

Environmental education also provides strong benefits in the classroom. It has been shown to excite students by engaging them in their world and getting them outside to learn and explore. Environmental education also promotes higher-order thinking skills and is correlated with higher test scores in math and reading.

Today, environmental education is hampered by a lack of adequate funding, both at the state and federal levels. The No Child Left Inside Act will create vital new funding to train teachers, expand programs, and help states create environmental literacy plans to ensure that students are environmentally literate. It is strongly backed by the No Child Left Inside Coalition, which has more than 500 member organizations from across the country, all of whom believe it is critical to improve environmental education.

Please support environmental education for all students by voting for H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act.

Signed,