Nova Southeastern University's National Graduate Teacher
Education (NGTE) program offers an online MS in
Education with specialization in Environmental education. This webpage is a supplementary site to provide more
information and links about environmental education, and as a networking base for students who are presently enrolled in
or have graduated from the program.
What is Environmental Education?
The roots of environmental education lie in the adoption of the Belgrade Charter by the United Nations in 1976. This widely
accepted declaration holds that “the goal of environmental education is to develop a world population that is aware of, and
concerned about, the environment and its associated problems, and which has the knowledge, skills, motivations and commitment
to work individually and collectively towards solution of current problems and prevention of new ones.”
In 1978, the Tbilisi Declaration was adopted after the world’s first intergovernmental conference on environmental
education. Broadly speaking, the objectives of environmental education are:
- To foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political and ecological interdependence in
urban and rural areas.
- To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills
needed to protect and improve the environment.
- To create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups and society as a whole towards the environment.
The North American Association for Environmental Education has spearheaded
a National Project for Excellence in Environmental
Education. As the NAAEE points out, "environmental education is, at its heart, an integrative undertaking. Instructors teach
across disciplines, linking the methods and content of natural and social sciences, mathematics and humanities to help learners
fully understand and address complex environmental issues. Environmental educators need the ability and the commitment to keep
the whole picture in mind as they guide students towards environmental literacy".
The online MS in Education with specialization in Environmental Education (OCEE)
The NGTE MS in Education with specialization in Environmental Education (OCEE) was introduced in 2003, as a component of the
National Graduate Teacher Education online program. NGTE is a fast-paced online masters program designed to be completed
within one year. A new cluster (group) begins each winter, summer and fall. Students within an assigned cluster take the same
courses in sequence. There are 2 sessions each term and 3 terms each year, to give 12 courses and 36 credits. Students remain
with their “cluster” throughout the program, and so build a strong sense of being part of a virtual learning community.
The degree is conferred by Nova Southeastern University’s
Fischler School of Education and Human Services, but the
specialization is a collaborative offering between Fischler and the Oceanographic Center. Each term, one course is taught
with an emphasis on the "education" field; the other with an emphasis on "environmental" components of education. All of
Nova’s programs are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Studying environmental education online may seem to be an anomaly, but online coursework integrates “hands-on” activities
that take students outside and away from the computer screen. Environmental education is also about bridging social borders.
Each learning cluster may include students based in different locations throughout the United States and internationally,
allowing for cross-cultural sharing of perspectives on “local” and “global” environmental issues.
For more information, please visit the NGTE website and choose the OCEE specialization, or contact
"Jane Dougan"
<douganj barney nova fred edu>.
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