Environmental education often advocates for individual pro-environmental behavior--which, while beneficial to a degree, fails to match the large scale of today's capitalism-fueled socio-ecological challenges. Rather, collective action holds promise as a means for the large-scale changes required in the Capitalocene. These actions can take the…

Environmental unpredictability has become a crisis for the 21st century. In response, organizations ranging from a local to international level are addressing the issues by creating, supporting, and promoting initiatives. An example of a multi-scaled initiative is the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) which recognizes…

Today's adolescents have grown up with technology as a main element in their lives and are particularly susceptible to experiencing mental health challenges, so-called nature-deficit disorder, and eco-anxiety around the climate crisis. This unique developmental context may necessitate a reconceptualising of adolescents' relationships with the…

Our study explored current environmental sustainability practices of U.S. camps as well as the motivations and barriers influencing integration of sustainable operational approaches. Using a web survey of camp organizations in Spring 2021, we identified participation in sustainable actions across five broad categories: waste management,…

Agricultural and environmental literacy are essential public goods, but associated education efforts struggle to reach broad audiences. Understanding learner backgrounds and lived experiences can help address this challenge. We assessed the relative importance of demographics, parent views of agriculture, interactions with farmers and parents, and…

Climate change is a nuanced global issue with a scope that is often difficult to fully appreciate. This study examined an undergraduate course focused on the impacts and responses to climate change on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA. The course utilized a socioscientific issues (SSI) approach to examine global climate change in a local…

In an era of accountability, it is vital that schools can define their success in ways that transcend a single high-stakes testing day at the end of the school year. While student growth and proficiency are important educational measures, also focusing on health and wellness, stewardship of resources, and sustainability education, offers a unique…

Most introductory courses in environmental science are large, lecture-style general education classes. North Carolina State University's ES 100 is no exception, enrolling between 200 and 300 students and holding class meetings in the campus cinema. A key underlying learning objective, however, is to teach students that science is the pathway to…

I use value-belief-norm theory to frame how environmental education program participants interpret important messages and set behavioral intentions in response to environmental education program content. I compare participants at three animal-themed environmental organizations with different missions, postulating that institutional mission frames…

Hope is an important component that helps engage people in solving problems. Environmental educational resources addressing climate change effectively should ideally nurture hope as well as increase understanding about the issue. However, hopefulness about resolving climate change challenges is a relatively new construct in the literature and…

Environmental education (EE) practitioners struggle to consistently and rigorously evaluate their programs, particularly when little time is available for evaluation. Since environmental literacy (EL) is the goal of environmental education, a very short EL instrument -- amenable to use when longer tests are not practical for practitioners -- would…

This comparative case study explored the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at two of North Carolina's Global Ready elementary schools. The following research questions guided the study: 1) How do educators and affiliates of Global Ready elementary schools perceive global education, specifically Education for Sustainable…

Climate communication research suggests strategic message framing may help build public consensus on climate change causes, risks and solutions. However, few have investigated how framing applies to adolescents. Similarly, little research has focused on agricultural audiences, who are among the most vulnerable to and least accepting of climate…

Although gender gaps associated with K-12 science achievement have narrowed significantly, gaps in science engagement and efficacy in childhood likely explain why women remain underrepresented in science careers. Early intervention programs may address root causes of gender gaps in science careers. Outdoor science education (OSE) is one…

Resource degradation is a chief concern related to increased recreational of U.S. public lands. The Seven Leave No Trace (LNT) Principles are used to educate visitors how to reduce recreational impacts. This study sought to understand Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) hikers' behavioral intent toward LNT practices. A quantitative…