Why Environmental Sciences

Environmental science is the study of the interaction of the living and non-living components of the environment with special emphasis on the impact of humans on these components. Environmental science is a very dynamic area of research and involves many different fields of study.

Environmental education increases student engagement in science. In our schools, research has shown enormous benefits from environmental education.  When integrated into a science curriculum, environmental education demonstrably improves student achievement in science.  Such an increase is likely due to the fact that environmental education connects classroom learning to the real world.  Students, when given a choice, will gravitate towards environmental science.

Environmental education improves student achievement in core subject areas. When integrated into the core curricula or used as an integrating theme across the curriculum, environmental education has a measurably positive impact not only on student achievement in science, but also in reading (sometimes spectacularly), math, and social studies.  The same study found that schools that taught the core subjects using the environment as an integrating context also demonstrated:

Reduced discipline and classroom management problems, increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning, greater student pride and ownership in accomplishments.
Even more importantly for many, environmental education employs and enhances critical thinking and basic life skills.