I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2883
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide
for the establishment of a National Environmental Education Center.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 5, 1993
Mr. ENGEL (for himself and Mr. SERRANO) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 to provide for the establishment of a National
Environmental Education Center.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Environmental Edu-
cation Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION CENTER.
Part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2981 et seq.) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subpart:
‘‘Subpart 3—National Environmental Education
Center
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education
shall, through a national competition, make grants to es-
tablish and support a center to be known as the ‘National
Environmental Education Center’ (in this Act referred to
as the ‘Center’). Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, assistance provided under a grant made under this
subsection may be used for purposes of constructing, ren-
ovating, or furnishing a building to be used for the Center.
‘‘(b) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall
award the grants authorized under subsection (a) to an
applicant that demonstrates the ability to establish a Cen-
ter that would—
‘‘(1) synthesize the available knowledge in envi-
ronmental education to develop and disseminate new
instructional models consistent with current environ-
mental and pedagogic thinking;
‘‘(2) employ state-of-the-art technology so that
teachers have access to the best environmental edu-
cation curricula for immediate use in their class-
rooms;
‘‘(3) furnish teachers, curriculum designers,
university staff, and wildlife biologists with a readily
accessible forum for sharing environmental edu-
cation ideas;
‘‘(4) use an unparalleled wildlife collection and
award-winning natural habitat exhibits to teach
basic biology and conservation ecology;
‘‘(5) inspire and perpetuate extensive networks
of environmental science educators, nationally and
internationally;
‘‘(6) foster productive partnerships between
educators in schools and environmental institutions
such as zoos, aquariums, and nature preserves;
‘‘(7) offer workshops, courses, and seminars to
help strengthen and revive the national science cur-
ricula and inspire a new commitment to conserva-
tion;
‘‘(8) generate instructional products in a variety
of media to promote environmental literacy;
‘‘(9) develop and test model lesson plans, cur-
riculum packages, books, computer software, video-
tapes, audiotapes, slide sets, and laser discs; and
‘‘(10) be located in a building that would con-
tain—
‘‘(A) a teacher training resource and media
center;
‘‘(B) laboratories for teaching habitat ecol-
ogy, animal care, and animal behavior;
‘‘(C) classrooms for early childhood, ele-
mentary, secondary, and adult education;
‘‘(D) natural environment teaching labora-
tories;
‘‘(E) a wildlife tour and environmental in-
formation headquarters;
‘‘(F) a study center and library; and
‘‘(G) offices for teachers and administra-
tors.
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated for purposes of carrying
out this subpart $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
1994, 1995, and 1996.’’.
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