Congressman John Sarbanes  introduced the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 to the House Committee on Education and Labor (H.R. 3036) and Senator Reed introduced this bill into the senate (S.1981). This bill urges Congress to include critical environmental education measures in the No Child Left Behind  (NCLB) law. Please encourage your Representative to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation!    Learn more about EE and NCLB at www.nclicoalition.org.

Legislation is developed in committees of legislators with their staff.  The committees responsible for the No Child Left Behind reauthorization are

• House of Representatives – Committee on Education and Labor
• Senate - Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Join the No Child Left Inside Coalition

The No Child Left Inside Coalition was created in 2006 to find new ways to encourage kids to experience nature and learn about the environment.  To meet the goals, The Coalition supports the No Child Left Inside Act. Today the Coalition has grown to more than 400 member organizations, representing more than 40 million people, including environmental, education, public health and business groups, all of whom appreciate the value of getting kids outside. Join the Coalition today on behalf of your organization at www.nclicoalition.org.

Contact your congresspersons about the No Child Left Inside Act

• Do you believe that children should be better prepared to address increasingly complex environmental issues?
• Do you believe that children should be spending more time outside, learning and playing?
• Do you believe that the nation’s public schools have a critical role ensuring that both of these goals are met?

The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 will make that happen, improving children’s health and contributing to a healthier, more sustainable society. You can support this bi-partisan effort by contacting your federal legislators immediately and asking them to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act (H.R.3036 sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes and S.1981 sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed). Doing so will send a signal to Congress to include the Act’s language in the No Child Left Behind law, which is currently being rewritten.

Representative Ed Perlmutter (CO-7), Representative Diana DeGette (CO-1), and Senator Salazar have already agreed to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act. Our other congresspersons have not yet agreed to co-sponsor.
Senator Wayne Allard
Phone: (202) 224-5941 Fax: (202) 224-6471
Representative Mark Udall (2nd)
Phone: (202) 225-2161 Fax: (202) 226-7840
Representative John T. Salazar (3rd)
Phone: (202) 225-4761 Fax: (202) 226-9669
Representative Marilyn N. Musgrave (4th)
Phone: (202) 225-4676 Fax: (202) 225-5870
Representative Doug Lamborn (5th)
Phone: (202) 225-4422 Fax: (202) 226-2638
Representative Thomas G. Tancredo (6th)
Phone: (202) 225-7882 Fax: (202) 226-4623

Please contact your representative and senators to ask that they co-sponsor this important legislation. 

Help us guarantee that no student is left inside when it comes to learning about his or her environment.
1. Fax or e-mail a letter urging your federal legislators to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 (H.R.3036; S.1981). Go to www.nclicoalition.org to email a letter.
2. After sending your e-mail or fax, call your legislators’ offices and ask to speak to the education staff person. Tell him or her how important it is that your representative or senator co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act and support its inclusion in the No Child Left Behind bill.
3. Send this action alert to your friends, family, and colleagues and ask them to contact their representative and senators.

Key Points
The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 amends the No Child Left Behind law in the following ways:
- Provides federal funding to states to train teachers in environmental education and to operate model environmental education programs, which include outdoor learning.
- Provides funding to states that create environmental literacy plans to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate.
- Provides funding through an environmental education grant program to build state and national capacity.

For more information about the No Child Left Inside Act and the No Child Left Inside Coalition, go to www.nclicoalition.org.

Note: “No Child Left Inside” is used with permission from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.