Education and Awareness Careers Outlook

Jobs in Education and Awareness, also termed environmental education, aim to inform the public about natural processes and environmental issues. Although the education is primarily for grade school children and higher education, some environmental educators work with members of the public. They work with schools, nature reserves, nonprofits, and other groups to raise awareness of environmental issues, and teach ways to live more sustainability.¹

So, how and where do environmental educators actually educate? They typically speak at schools, provide field trips and volunteer opportunities for the public during which an educator will teach. Some work at nature reserves; they lead outdoor walks and answer questions. In addition, environmental educators plan events, programs, curricula, activities, schedule field trips, and other logistics. They may also need to participate in fundraising activities (grant writing, galas, etc.) and budgeting. In order to receive funding, most environmental educators must collect and analyze data about their program to prove its effectiveness. ²

EcoLeaders may find environmental education the field for them if they are interested and passionate about the following:

• Explain how an environmental event or trend may impact the earth, and human or animal populations
• Communicate lessons to stakeholders on environmental situations or environmental trends
• Engage members of the public and schoolchildren
• Develop environmental awareness, curriculum-based resources, and feedback plans and programs

For more resources, check out The North American Association for Environmental Education, The Environmental Literary Council, The National Environmental Education Foundation, and Project Learning Tree, which recently launched an online professional development opportunity to help educators incorporate Green Jobs learning in their classrooms!

Sizing Education and Awareness Jobs

While tens of thousands of educators are classified as “environmental” educators, ³ many more of the 5+ million K-12 and postsecondary educators incorporate environmental education into their curricula - whether they are teaching in the fields of STEM, arts, business, engineering, etc. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation, by 2022, 300 million Americans will actively use environmental knowledge to ensure the wellbeing of earth and its people.⁴ Because of the increase in need for environmental education and a large interest in this field with limited opportunities, full-time paid positions are competitive.⁵

While there are a wide range of positions in this field, consider starting your search with these jobs titles:

Salaries for Education and Awareness Jobs:

Wages in Education and Awareness vary because most are (unpaid) volunteer positions or internships. However, those educators employed full-time have a salary range from $34,000 to $92,000 a year depending on level, experience, and seniority.⁶ Salaries for environmental non-profits (most are involved with environmental education) are $42,600 (Program Coordinator), $47,700 (Program Manager), and $65,700 (Executive Director).⁷

Required Education and Certifications:

EcoLeaders seeking a career in Education and Awareness can begin acquiring experience with any level of education through volunteering (and networking!). In addition, most employers require a bachelor’s degree in Education, Environmental Education, Environmental Science, Ecology, Biology, or a closely related field. To excel into a director position, a master’s degree may be necessary to set yourself apart from the competition.

Examples of Certification Programs in Education and Awareness:

• North American Association for Environmental Education | EE Certificate
• Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education | Certification for Environmental Educators
• University of Georgia | Environmental Education
• University of Southern Maine | Environmental Education
• Hamline University | Environmental Education

Examples of Academic Programs in Education and Awareness:

• Unity College |Adventure-Based Environmental Education (B.S.)
• University of Minnesota | Environmental and Outdoor Education (B.S.)
• Western Washington University | Environmental Education (M.Ed.)
• New York University | Environmental Conservation Education (M.A.)
• California State University | Environmental Education (M.A.)
• Florida Institute of Technology | Environmental Education (M.S.)
• Prescott College | Education with concentration on Sustainability Education (Ph.D.)

 

Sustainable Education and Awareness Project Examples from the NWF Sustainability Database:

Education and Awareness EcoTopic Page - Start here to find lots of resources for you to start and share your own Campus or Community Education EcoProject in the EcoLeaders community! Or find inspiration from the following projects that other EcoLeaders have done:

• Eco-Schools Leadership Initiative Eco-Schools Leadership Initiative (ESLI) is a youth-driven program in which high school and college students use games and activities to teach elementary school students about an environmental topic. ESLI's mission is to create a network of young people who are passionate about environmental education.
• Ithaca College - New York Ithaca College aimed to expand the faculty summer grants program for the development of sustainability curriculum and increase the amount of annually awarded grants to 6-8. From 2013 to 2015, 18 faculty members received curriculum development grants and 10 EcoVillage of Ithaca projects were funded.
• Ball State University - Indiana In an effort to promote Environmental Literacy, Ball State University hosted the sixth in a series of international conferences on Greening of the Campus. The conference had over 300 attendees from 106+ universities, 20 private firms, and 15 organizations from across North America.
• Middlebury College - Vermont Middlebury College worked with Chilean Universities to incorporate practices and ideas of sustainability into their curricula and operations through collaboration. The Middlebury College Sustainable Study Abroad Grant allowed students to travel to Chile to interact with students as well as the Chilean Ministry of the Environment.

 

RESOURCES:

1. “What is an Environmental Educator?” Environmental Science. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
2. Ibid.
3. “Affiliate Network.” North American Association for Environmental Education. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
4. “About NEEF.” National Environmental Education Foundation. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
5. “What is an Environmental Educator?” Environmental Science. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
6. Ibid.
7. “Average Salary for Industry: Environment, Conservation or Wildlife Organization.” PayScale. Retrieved September 6, 2017.

By: Christina Lopez, NWF EcoLeaders Fellow 2017