The Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA) is a network of professionals and organizations committed to promoting high-quality environmental education that increases the environmental literacy of all children and adults in Rhode Island. Our membership includes teachers, naturalists, environmental organizations, and educators from universities, recreation centers, and state, federal, and non-profit agencies, among many others. We foster collaborations, sponsor professional development opportunities, gather and disseminate information on environmental education, and promote public understanding of the value of an environmentally literate citizenry.

The RIEEA Board and membership are comprised of a wide range of education professionals who work with students and schools across the state in a variety of contexts. Collectively, we have existing relationships with most Rhode Island schools in both formal and informal settings and are committed to integrated and multidisciplinary student achievement. RIEEA as an organization enjoys collaborations with local educational organizations and agencies on initiatives that help schools maximize environmental education opportunities. The organization strategically connects the formal and informal education communities through regularly scheduled public meetings, professional development, networking opportunities, and online resources and communications.

RIEEA’s current strategic plan launched in 2017 is spearheading a statewide K-12 Assessment of Environmental Literacy (RI-AEL), a statewide K-12 assessment designed to help us understand the environmental literacy of our students. It is one of the first of its kind in the country and designed to be a model for other states to utilize for an even broader and more impactful analysis. We see this initiative as a critical next step in maximizing student success. The results of this assessment have the potential to provide the evidence needed for teachers, administrators, and policymakers to prioritize environmental education as an effective and critical learning tool for both student achievement and environmental leadership development. Thus far, we have conducted and disseminated the tool and results from the Environmental Education: Inventory of Current Practices survey; hosted community forums to support the development of the RI-AEL as well as gain a better understanding of the interests, priorities, needs, and challenges of six priority sectors in our state; and engaged the support of  Mass Audubon and EF Games, LLC to research and identify an assessment tool to be piloted with K-12 students in Rhode Island.