Virginia Office of Environmental Education

The Virginia Office of Environmental Education, housed at DEQ, is Virginia ’s clearinghouse for environmental education and information. Our mission is to work with public and private organizations to deliver quality environmental education programs that meet state academic standards and engage citizens in conservation activities.

The major programs include:

• Virginia Naturally, the Commonwealth's official environmental education initiative, is a "virtual" association of public and private agencies, schools, and individuals working together to deliver environmental education programs to Virginians of all ages. Virginia Naturally is a gateway to a myriad of resources and information about Virginia’s environment.
  
• The Virginia Office of Environmental Education provides staff support for the Virginia Resource-Use Education Council, whose members represent Virginia 's statewide environmental education programs. The council serves as the fiscal agent and advisory board for Virginia Naturally and works to leverage resources to meet the Commonwealth's goals for environmental education.
• Virginia ’s master plan for environmental education sets forth measurable goals and objectives for the Commonwealth. The office coordinates activities to meet these objectives.
• Project WET, water education for teachers and communities, is a statewide program that includes professional development for teachers, sixth grade science institutes and training for community educators.
• Virginia Classroom Grants provides mini-grants of $500 to $1,000 for meaningful environmental and watershed education.
• Love-A-Tree provides teachers and educators with additional resources based on the Standards of Learning.
• Sixth grade science resources provides sixth grade teachers with the most relevant resources to meet the new Standards of Learning
• The Sixth Grade Science Standards Institutes are multi-day explorations of the new 6th Grade Science Standards and supporting curricula and resources. Standard Participation is Tuition Free
• Citizens and stakeholders are encouraged to work collaboratively to address environmental issues through DEQ’s Community Involvement initiative.
  
• Environmental Educators Leadership Program
  The Environmental Educators Leadership Program (EELP) develops and enhances the professional skills and abilities of Virginia educators for the protection of the environment. This program can serve as a roadmap for developing skills needed to teach about the environment. 

The office was established in 2001 affirming Virginia 's tradition of successful partnerships and creative funding efforts. We hope you will join us in our effort to build capacity for environmental education in Virginia .

We are looking forward to working with you!

This office is supported in part by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.