Number: 1983-09
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation is dedicated to the promotion of natural science education and the scientific management of our natural resources; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and
WHEREAS, the American Association for the Advancement of Science in its annual report, entitled “Education in the Sciences: A Developing Crisis,” reports a growing evidence of a decline in support and commitment to pre-college science education in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation believes that science education is necessary to informed citizen participation in a democratic society; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation believes that the full value of the technological and scientific disciplines can best be realized if students are taught to apply what they learn to real-life problems, especially those problems pertaining to making informal decisions concerning the wise use of our natural resources and the protection of environmental quality;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 17-20, 1983, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hereby urges that all public and private schools in the United States provide, within a balanced curriculum, a strong and uninterrupted program of science education and career counseling, including the science of ecology, for all pupils from kindergarten through grade 12 — such programs to be taught by well-trained teachers, using adequate instructional materials;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation strongly supports integrating conservation education into schools from kindergarten through grade 12 as one of the best means of demonstrating to students the relationship between science education and the real world, and helping students to develop a sense of stewardship toward the natural world on which we all depend.