Ed Sec on Mission to Make Your Kids 'Green Citizens

On Tuesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan unveiled a new goal for the department: ensuring that future generations are "green citizens."

"Until now, [the Dept. of Ed. has] been mostly absent from the movement to educate our children to be stewards of our environment and prepare them to participate in a sustainable economy," Duncan said at the Sustainability Education Summit: Citizenship and Pathways for a Green Economy. But that's about to change:

This week's sustainability summit represents the first time that the Department is taking a taking a leadership role in the work of educating the next generation of green citizens and preparing them to contribute to the workforce through green jobs.

Educators "have a central roll" in that plan, Duncan said. And "well-educated" citizens, such as teachers, know that we must "teach students about how the climate is changing." In addition, such citizens "explain the science behind climate change and how we can change our daily practices to help save the planet."

He also revealed that "for the first time, we are proposing that environmental education be part of [a] well-rounded education." That new curriculum will be part of the administration's "Blue Print for Reform" -- the administration's "proposal to fix the No Child Left Behind Act." According to Duncan, the president has proposed funding of $265 million for the project in the 2011 budget.

"Right now, in the second decade of the 21st century, preparing our students to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do," Duncan said.

"We must advance the sustainability movement through education."

H/T: CNSNews.com