In 2008, after a symposium of organizations from across the state, EEAI learned that there was a strong desire for Indiana to have an Environment Literacy Plan as a majority of other states have. The first step toward the Environmental Literacy Plan was to establish Indiana's Environmental Literacy Guidelines.  With guidance from the North American Association of Environmental Educators, Department of Education, business leaders and nonprofit organizations, the following Guidelines were developed.  

The ELG also aligns with Indiana Standards. You can access info about that alignment here: ELG Indiana Standard Alignment.xlsx 

What IS environmental literacy?

Environmental literacy is an individual’s understanding of how their actions and decisions affect the environment so they can act on that understanding in a responsible and effective manner.

Environmental literacy is the primary and overarching goal of environmental education. It is an experiential life-long learning process that increases awareness about the environment and results in a citizenry empowered to meet their future responsibilities regarding the environment.

An environmentally literate citizen has the knowledge, tools, and sensitivity to weigh various sides of environmental issues to make responsible decisions as individuals and as members of their community.