About the Program:
Professional Environmental Educator Certification is a voluntary, statewide certification program for professional environmental educators. It was developed by MAEOE with accreditation from NAAEE, to accomplish the goal of improving environmental education training and materials and increasing their use in the formal and informal education arenas.
Why a voluntary certification program for environmental educators in Maryland?
• Most professions have a certification program.
• There is no environmental education degree program in Maryland.
• Environmental education is interdisciplinary. Educators need solid training in science, social studies, economics, education, etc.
• Environmental educators come from a variety of backgrounds. Few have training in both the content areas (science, social studies) and process areas (education, communication).
• The environmental education profession is often criticized for being unprofessional (i.e. not being scientifically accurate, not being educationally sound).
• High quality environmental education supports education reform goals and can positively impact school performance as seen by State Environment and Education Roundtable's (SEER) "Environment as an Integrating Context" research and other studies.
MAEOE has developed a competency-based certification program, one where the applicant will demonstrate what they know and can do. The competencies selected as critical to a professional environmental educator are modified from the North American Association for Environmental Education's Guidelines for the Initial Preparation of Environmental Educators.
The Guidelines and, therefore, the Professional Environmental Educator Certification program for Maryland, are organized around six themes.
Theme 1: Environmental Literacy
Theme 2: Foundations of Environmental Education
Theme 3: Professional Responsibilities
Theme 4: Planning and Implementing Environmental Education
Theme 5: Fostering Learning
Theme 6: Assessment and Evaluation
Applicants would demonstrate these competencies by submitting artifacts, such as lesson plans, video tapes of teaching techniques, etc. Applicants should have at least 2 years of field experience before applying. There are scholarships available for those with demonstrated need. Veterans should inquire if this certification would qualify under the Veterans Education Assistance Act.
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