Canada

National Legislation

Approaches to curriculum policy and environmental education vary greatly across the provinces/territories. Most, if not all, provincial/territorial curricula include either goals or language relating to environmental education - to a greater or lesser degree. In many provinces, there is not an environmental education curriculum per se. Instead the approach to environmental education is disbursed - it appears as a topic within other subject curricula (e.g. math, science, etc.) Among the provinces, Manitoba is one that has taken a more active role in environmental education. For example, the Manitoba Department of Education, Citizenship and Youth has established a Sustainable Development Initiative (Unit), has developed a provincial Education for Sustainability Action Plan and has created an Education for Sustainable Development working group.

EE in K-12 Education

At the municipal level, individual school boards are responsible for implementing the provincial curriculum, and each board makes budget allocation decisions and chooses and/or develops their own curriculum materials. As such, they are a key player in how and to what degree environmental education is implemented in the schools. For example, school boards normally screen environmental education programs offered to students by outside agencies, and may distribute material within their district. A few school boards have created environmental educational resource positions. Some have prepared environmental reports. For example, the Toronto Region District School Board has produced an Environment Report and the Commission Scolaire de Montréal has developed a Sustainable Development Action Plan. School principals and teachers also play a key role in implementing the curriculum, and how environmental education is reflected in the classroom varies by school and class.

Professional Development

Most provinces have some kind of volunteer associations or networks of teachers that support environmental education. These groups usually focus on teacher professional development and networking, and in some cases include affiliates - those environmental educators not employed by the formal system. A few are specialist councils of the provincial teachers' union, composed of teachers with specific interest in environmental education. The union that represents teachers in Quebec, la Centrale des Syndicates du Québec (CSQ), plays a major role through its green schools program, Établissements verts Brundtland (EVB), which offers educational programs, teacher training and support, and certification/recognition of green schools. CSQ also acts as the Quebec Secretariat for Green Street. The Green Street program outside Quebec is hosted by the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF), which is increasing its involvement in environmental education on various levels. A number of post-secondary institutions in Canada are involved in environmental education. For example, the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) holds the only Canadian Research Chair in Environmental Education and offers both Masters and Doctoral Degrees, and Royal Roads University offers a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education.