But how can communities determine if their education programs are successful? What should be measured?

A SWANA e-book co-authored by 20 environmental educators in 2014, Measuring Environmental Education Outcomes, suggested looking at the following to measure an environmental education program’s success within the community.
Can you see:
- Increasing knowledge about the environment and environmental issues
- Growing awareness and sensitivity to the environment that leads to a change in behaviors
- Changing attitudes that lead to empathy and belief in personal responsibility for the environment
- Improving skills which allow for identification, and even prevention of, environmental issues and actions to address them
- Developing behaviors that benefit the environment and decrease impact
- Rising participation in community programs that benefit the environment
How does your community measure up? Eco Partners is here to help your community’s efforts reach the top of the yardstick. Contact us so we can work together to meet the needs of your community.
Image credit: Pla2na | iStock | Getty Images Plus