The Canadian Environmental Literacy Project (CELP) is a new entity, funded by a private foundation for three years, with a mandate to develop educational materials to support the teaching of environmental studies in Canada. CELP is founded on the belief that it is critical that students have a well-informed understanding of natural and socioeconomic systems, and of how their actions and those of others affect the broader environment, including humans and their economy, as well as ecosystems and other species. Achieving a broad-based environmental literacy will be integral to effectively dealing with issues at the regional, national, and global levels.
Ultimately, the aim of CELP is to promote environmental literacy by making it easier to teach relevant subjects. To achieve this objective we are developing a series of well-researched, Canadian-focused materials, available free of charge to instructors, to assist in teaching environmental studies to introductory classes at the university, college, and senior high-school levels. Any of these modules can be used “as is,” or they can be modified to suit the needs of individual instructors. The modular content varies from:
• presentation materials, such as power-point lectures on specific topics
• to experiential activities, including calculations and field-trip exercises
• to readings in support of the discussion of controversial and strategic topics
CELP is being administered by a small core of people housed at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, who are initially working with a Planning Committee with representatives from various educational sectors in the province. However, the project intends to collaborate with interested individuals from across Canada, and will eventually establish a National Advisory Board. The Board will consist of members from all of Canada’s regions, and will focus on people who are skilled in environmental education and research.
Environmental educators can now examine and download the first of the completed modules at www.celp.ca. It is expected that, as the network of collaborators expands, the portfolio of modules will become much larger. To this end, the CELP programme is seeking experienced educators from across Canada to act as advisors, and to develop modules for shared use. Interested individuals can get involved in one or more of the following ways:
• by developing and/or reviewing modules
• by critiquing the programme, including suggestions for format and for module topics of potential use in your region or elsewhere
• by networking with colleagues to make them aware of the CELP programme
We hope that you may be interested in CELP, and in working with us to support environmental education in Canada.
Please visit the CELP website at www.celp.ca and feel free to email comments and queries to celp@dal.ca.
Susan Bone
