Executive Information > Annual Program Goals and Objectives

EEPSA PROGRAM 2008/2009:

MISSION STATEMENT:

EEPSA is a dynamic volunteer organization promoting networking, curriculum support, and leadership in environmental education supported by the BCTF.

GOALS:

To promote, through public education, greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of the environment and to encourage community and global citizenship through informed decision making and purposeful action.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES:

  1. MEMBERSHIP

    1. To increase provincial membership and retain present members
      • Offer a major conference (Oct. 08) and several pro-d workshops this year to continue to attract new members
      • Maintain our 'Leadership Initiative' with outdoor schools, universities and other educational associations to promote and expand membership
      • Maintain a fully developed membership database to contact, through mail, phone and email, renewing and long term members to better meet their needs

  2. OUTREACH

    1. To continue the redesign and updating of our web site to develop its capacity to inform and communicate with members
      • Create an Environmental Learning and Experience Pro-D Templates web page
      • Develop the database/directory of organizations, programs and learning resources
      • Establish greater links with partner organizations in Cascadia, Alberta, Yukon and across Canada
    2. To maintain contact with members through Ecolacy and other publications, our listserv, and conferences
      • Distribute Ecolacy through the web and expand its content and usefulness to members
      • Offer incentives to members who contribute their services to Ecolacy
      • Distribute 2 EE magazines, Clearing and Green Teacher, to our membership and contribute regularly to these periodicals
      • Maintain our listservs for members and executive
      • Offer one major conference per year
      • Conduct conference workshops that demonstrate how a variety of disciplines and environments can be integrated [at New Teachers Conf., Catalyst, EECOM (Cdn Network of EE and Communication)]
    3. To develop community outreach initiatives in defense of public and environmental education
      • Continue to advocate at the district and community level around EE
      • Build the defense of public education in general into our outreach and advocacy efforts
    4. To promote excellence in the development and delivery of Environmental Education programs
      • Expand the capacity-building scholarships/grants initiative for developing EE projects and curricula

  3. OPERATIONS

    1. To coordinate and manage the Environmental Education Provincial Specialists Association
      • Hold 6 or more executive and one general meeting each year
      • Maintain accurate records of meetings and provide minutes to members
      • Participate in the PSA Council
    2. To develop a strategy to recruit new executive members
      • Have executive members actively recruit new executive on an ongoing basis
      • Invite prospective executive members to an executive meeting to initiate them
    3. To continue supporting the creation of Local Specialist Association (LSA) nodes in selected areas around the province
      • Provide ongoing support to EELSA, our Kelowna Local Specialist Association
      • Explore the creation of other EEPSA LSAs

  4. COLLABORATION

    1. To foster partnerships among environmental education stakeholders, representing diverse perspectives and expertise
      • Have executive members participate in the executives of other associations
      • Have EEPSA support environmental stakeholders
      • Continue to facilitate the development of the BC Working Group on Sustainability Education
      • Continue to develop our strategic partnership with Simon Fraser University and the Cdn Network of Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM)
      • Expand our regional partnerships outside the Lower Mainland (e.g., with the Wilderness Education Program, Wild BC, and the Environmental Educators of BC (EEBC) society
    2. To have 1 executive representative linked to other PSAs for collaboration
      • Approach other PSAs to determine those interested in having an EEPSA member participate in their executive meetings
    3. To form partnerships through our conference (with universities, community groups and other PSAs)
      • Dialogue with other PSAs (e.g. SS and Science Teachers PSA) to bring about joint ventures

  5. CURRICULUM and RESOURCES

    1. To advocate increased and on-going development and implementation of environmental education curricula and learning resources
      • Continue to develop stronger connections with curriculum stakeholders, viz. BCTF, Ministry of Education, post-secondary institiutions and community organizations
      • Lobby for increased inclusion of EE into provincially mandated IRP’s during the curriculum review process
      • Advocate for increased funding of outdoor, experiential and environmental education programs
      • Develop EEPSA sponsored publications, curriculum materials and resources
      • Facilitate the publication of environmentally oriented curricula that relates directly to BC government curricula in partnership with other community groups
    2. To continue the implementation of "Environmental Learning and Experience" in partnership with other stakeholders and community groups, notably SFU, Royal Roads University, and the Ministry of Education
      • Continue our involvement in the curriculum mapping project
      • Continue implementation phase with partners delegated to clear roles and responsibilities

SUMMARY:

EEPSA will strive to be proactive in the pursuit of our goals in 2008-9 and will use the following methods (M) and criteria (C) to measure our success in achieving our objectives:

MEMBERSHIP – M: conferences, membership retention strategies and our Leadership Initiative
C: increase to over 300 (at least 150 BCTF) members by April 15, 2009

OUTREACH – M: conferences, workshops, publications, website development, web-based communications, awards and grants
C: successful conferences, workshop delivery, fully developed website including database; increased use of listserv and email, deliver the Rog H grants; continued contributions to journals; production of Ecolacy newsletter (online version) and distribution of Clearing and Green Teacher magazines

OPERATIONS – M: executive meetings and communications; an AGM; participation in PSAC; active recruitment of executive members
C: hold 6+ meetings and an AGM, post minutes on website, recruit 2-3 new executive members incl. potential officers by April 2009

COLLABORATION – M: networking and ongoing collaboration with BCTF, other PSAs, EEBC, SFU, RRU, EECOM, BCWGSE and other appropriate organizations; joint conferences, meetings and communications
C: Continued partnerships with SFU, RRU, BCWGSE and EEBC, collaborative workshops and curriculum development with SFU and EEBC

CURRICULUM – M: networking, communications and advocacy with all stakeholders; continuation of ELE implementation process; development of publications, curriculum and resources
C: Increased inclusion, funding and availability of EE curricula, programs, and resources; continuation of ELE implementation process; continued development of EE curricula initiatives and learning resources around school grounds, climate change, social and environmental justice, community and sustainability