Environmental Learning in Maine: Key Insights From Teach ME Outside’s 2022 Census

In 2019, Teach ME Outside — a collaboration between the Nature-Based Education Consortium (NBEC), the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA), and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) — set out on a statewide research endeavor to learn more about nature-based educational offerings in Maine. The initiative resulted in a comprehensive census that underscored key insights about the state of environmental learning.

And just three years later, the collaborative expanded its efforts even further.

Reaching twice the number of schools and out-of-school organizations than the first study, the 2022 Community-Based Outdoor and Environmental Learning (CBEL) census represents landmark research that — while only published in February 2024 — is already having a significant impact across the state.

Data from the census has influenced our priorities at the Onion Foundation and has spurred several statewide initiatives designed to increase access to and equity around environmental learning. With this data, Maine organizations can make informed decisions about their programming to ensure more of the state’s youth — especially our highest-need students — can engage with the natural world around them.

All About the CBEL Census

Teach ME Outside works collaboratively with organizations and communities to expand young people’s access to engaging, interactive environmental learning opportunities. Recognizing the powerful impact outdoor access can have on our collective health and well-being, it helps educators develop environmental learning skills and find local community partners to support them.

But to accomplish this work, Teach ME Outside first needs to understand how such outdoor education programs actually function in communities — which is where the census comes into play.

The 2022 census used town hall sessions, advisory groups, comprehensive surveys, and an equity audit to gain insights from 917 individuals across 622 schools and out-of-school organizations who collectively serve more than 163,000 youth in Maine. Through these methods, the collaborative hoped to:

• Understand how CBEL has changed or grown since the 2019 report

• Provide data that helps foster collaboration among organizations

• Identify and address disparities to help create more equitable access to CBEL programs

By tapping into Maine’s community of environmental educators, Teach ME Outside was able to access invaluable data about how programs currently run and make clear recommendations for improvements.

Key Insights From the Census

One of the main findings from the census pertains to the prominence of community-based environmental learning programs, especially compared to the 2019 data:

• 51% of schools currently prioritize CBEL in their programming

• 75% of environmental learning groups partner with other organizations to facilitate CBEL programming

• 71% of environmental learning organizations work regularly with schools to provide programming

Many schools across the state are creating CBEL programs specific to different grade levels, equipping students with age-appropriate outdoor gear and expanding access to gardens, greenhouses, trails, and other outdoor spaces.

It’s clear from this data that leaders, administrators, and educators are increasingly recognizing the value of environmental learning on the growth and well-being of our state’s youth.

Challenges and Barriers

Despite the expansion of CBEL programs throughout the state, there’s still work to be done and obstacles to overcome.

Inequitable Access

The census identified that, while classroom educators have many opportunities for professional development to learn how to create equitable experiences for students, they lack the time and funding needed to take advantage of those opportunities. Out-of-school educators, on the other hand, aren’t afforded the same professional development opportunities as classroom educators and are eager for more.

All educators — in-school and out-of-school — could also use more specific training on culturally responsive CBEL and help with logistical challenges like a lack of outdoor equipment and transportation.

Lack of Standards Alignment

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers guidelines for creating high-quality, up-to-date K-12 science lessons. Inspiring adaptations such as Maine’s Science and Engineering Standards, the NGSS is a widely recognized framework that prioritizes the experiential practice of science to ensure the efficacy of science-based learning. Yet, the census found that only 50% of in-school and 35% of out-of-school educators noted that their CBEL programs aligned with NGSS, exposing a significant gap to be filled.

Limited Climate Education

Most schools and environmental organizations in Maine acknowledge the urgent need to combat climate change, but the census found that many lack the resources needed to embed climate information into their programs. In fact, only 9% of respondents are leading climate education, and far more say they struggle to develop effective strategies for implementing such lessons.

Opportunities for Growth

The census revealed significant opportunities for addressing these challenges and advancing equitable environmental learning in Maine.

Expanding Wabanaki Education

Among all professional development areas, learning about the history of Wabanaki communities in Maine was rated the top need for educators. To provide equitable, enriching programming, the census argues, organizations need time and funding to embed Indigenous histories and culture into their CBEL programming.

The census identified several ways organizations can better integrate Wabanaki lessons into their work, including investing in long-term professional development, using existing educational resources from Indigenous groups that the Maine Department of Education vets and circulates. The census also recommends thoughtfully designing lesson plans in partnership with Wabanaki individuals.

Creating More Equitable Learning

According to the census, CBEL educators are most experienced working with students from low-income households. Less than 50% of educators, however, noted that they feel comfortable working with English language learners, migrant students, or refugee populations. Opportunities also exist for better engaging LGBTQ+ populations, students with disabilities, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

By building connections with community partners, providing culturally responsive curriculum, and engaging educators in population-based training, the census notes, educators and organizations can learn to support marginalized students better.

Increasing Access

In terms of barriers to environmental education, access to transportation dropped from the third-highest challenge in 2019 to the fifth-highest position in 2022. The reason? Program administrators and educators are increasingly finding opportunities to engage in outdoor learning directly on their campuses.

In fact, 68% of teachers have on-campus access to nature trails, 67% to natural habitats, 55% to gardens, and 53% to outdoor classrooms. With more schools and organizations investing in on-campus natural spaces, transportation is becoming less of an issue for students. The census calls for further action: While programs have made significant strides in using these resources, educators should continue to build, invest in, and actively maintain on-campus access points.

The Real-World Impact of the CBEL Census

The 2019 and 2022 census reports call organizations throughout Maine to action, providing them with the critical data they need to create more equitable and effective environmental learning programs. And many organizations are already heeding that call.

MEEA, for example, has integrated Wabanaki studies into its 2024 teacher training program. The organization offers high-quality, low- or no-cost support to environmental educators to help develop and strengthen nature-learning programs across the state. In direct response to the census data, MEEA team members are now collaborating with Wabanaki individuals to embed Indigenous-focused training into their offerings.

The high demand and growing waitlist for these training sessions support the census’s finding that Wabanaki-focused training is the top need for educators. As the need continues to grow, MEEA plans to expand the sessions it offers to ensure more CBEL groups have access to this history and culture.

Acting on the 2019 census’s data that underscored the need for more climate education in Maine, NBEC created a full-scale advocacy campaign in support of a climate education policy that informed statewide legislation. An intergenerational working group of NBEC-affiliated students and advocates came together to lead a strategic activist initiative geared toward implementing climate-focused legislation.

Partially due to these advocacy efforts, the legislature enacted the Climate Education Bill in 2022, providing $2 million and a new climate-focused position at the Maine Department of Education to help advance climate education goals outlined in the census. While this initiative is being implemented as a pilot program, the Onion Foundation and other funders across the state are working together to support an MMSA-led evaluation of the program to assess its impact and build a case for permanent funding.

Implementing Data-Based Strategies at the Onion Foundation

At the Onion Foundation, the core tenets of our Environment Program center on expanding access to the outdoors and high-quality nature-learning opportunities.

Like MEEA and NBEC, we’ve been inspired by Teach ME Outside’s census data to hone our program strategies to better serve people and communities who currently lack access to environmental learning. Drawing on census findings, we now:

• Articulate a preference for nature-learning programs in underserved counties. The census identified several counties in Maine in which classroom teachers have fewer environmental organizations to partner with, including Aroostook, Oxford, Somerset, Piscataquis, and Washington. To direct resources to these areas, we’ve set a preference for supporting the development and expansion of nature-learning organizations in these counties as well as Androscoggin, Franklin, and Penobscot.

• Actively encourage grantees to align their programs to state education standards. Aligning with state standards allows nonprofit partners to produce high-quality programs that also help school educators achieve their learning objectives, leading to stronger partnerships with schools. With less than half of schools and only about a third of out-of-school organizations aligning to NGSS standards, we’re helping close the gap by assisting partners in understanding how to meet NGSS guidelines.

• Invest in statewide climate education efforts. Through grantmaking and technical assistance, we’re supporting numerous climate education initiatives, such as NBEC’s advocacy work, MEEA’s involvement in the Department of Education’s climate education plan task force, and the new Climate Education Hub’s clearinghouse of locally focused climate change lessons.

The changes we and other organizations have made to our environmental programming shows that research like Teach ME Outside’s CBEL census doesn’t just give us more insight on the current state of things. It offers keen recommendations for building a better, more equitable future.

As more data is uncovered in subsequent reports, we know that our Environment Program team and other organizations across Maine will look to those insights to improve education for those at the heart of these programs: our state’s youth. The census gives stakeholders in all roles — teachers, administrators, nonprofit leaders, funders, state officials, and more — both a roadmap and a north star to guide our collective efforts. Through a widespread, coordinated effort, we can work to ensure all children in Maine have access to enriching nature-learning opportunities.