Tscion Research Environmental Education, Enrichments, and Stewardship (TREEES)

Abstract

Tscion Research, Environmental Education, Enrichments, and Stewardship (TREEES) is a framework designed to improve environmental education (EE) and EE literacy for student learning and teacher curricular development. TREEES curriculum is determined by the Literacy of Environmental Education Assessment Framework (LEEAF, 2020). LEEAF (Connell, 2019) is an EE assessment that reviews school and classroom EE alignment with North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE, 2010) standards. TREEES - Research requires EE alignment determined by pre and post-LEEAF assessments. LEEAF assessments are defined by EE alignment. TREEES - Environmental Education allows participants to improve EE Literacy by providing lessons that detail Environmental Social Awareness, learning the process of scientific innovation, and introducing participants to EE-based career interests. TREEES - Enrichment participation include science-themed labs and field trips. TREEES - Stewardship participation involves community organizations and a supporting research institution that provides agricultural training, sustainability presentations, and nature study. Introduction Tscion Research, Environmental Education, Enrichments, and Stewardship (TREEES) is a framework designed to improve environmental education (EE) and EE literacy for student learning and teacher curricular development. TREEES curriculum is determined by the Literacy of Environmental Education Assessment Framework (LEEAF, 2020). LEEAF (Connell, 2019) is an EE assessment that reviews school and classroom EE alignment with North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE, 2010) standards.  Methods TREEES - Research requires EE alignment determined by pre-and post-LEEAF assessments (Figure 1). LEEAF assessments are defined by EE alignment. Fully-Aligned, allowing an expansion of the current EE Curriculum; Partially-Aligned, reviewing a solid science curriculum that can support an implemented EE Curriculum; Not-Aligned, improving the current science Curriculum to prepare for an EE implementation. EE classifications are then applied to determine the proper percentage of learning activities based on science curricular deficiencies and strengths. TREEES' overall project success is evaluated with survey results collected from teachers and selects activity providers for 11 months. Successful research data assesses the TREEES feasibility of EE-themed lessons and an understanding of what culturally relevant curricular adjustments are required to improve EE alignment.  TREEES - Environmental Education allows participants to improve EE Literacy (Figure 2) by providing lessons that detail Environmental Social Awareness, learning the process of scientific innovation, and introducing participants to EE-based career interests. Improvement in EE Literacy increases EE Social Awareness. Participating in EE-based lessons allows students and teachers to provide the feedback necessary for culturally relevant learning.  TREEES - Enrichment participation include science-themed labs and field trips. Enrichment provides a better explanation for green industries. Labs provide hands-on training (Figure 3) for participants with EE-themed activities focusing on Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Applied Science, and EE Solutions. Successful labs should develop critical thinking for participant lessons. Enrichment-Labs should consist of at least seven labs per school year. The 7th or 8th lab educates students on participating in research and development, designing concept presentations based on EE literacy learned from prior Enrichments and Labs, learning team-building, and content management in science. The concept lab aims to introduce skills needed to compete in EE-related industries and encourage innovation through creative thinking. Enrichment field trips provide participants with additional information on how Environmental science is applied within real-world scenarios and the skills required to contribute to each field. Enrichments should encourage career interest in the participant.  TREEES - Stewardship participation (Figure 4) involves community organizations and a supporting research institution that provides agricultural training, sustainability presentations, and nature study. At least two stewardships are provided per year. Student and teacher participation involves instruction on environmental awareness that allows participants to research scientific data that assist in social action for community improvements and increase environmental literacy. Collected data from this stewardship enable students to learn the science attestation necessary to develop environmental justice evidence that can encourage state or local policy changes.