On Friday, the President signed the FY 2018 budget omnibus bill, which provides $1.3 trillion to fund the government through September 30. Despite the Administration’s proposal to deeply cut or eliminate many programs important to our work, the measure includes a great deal of good news for environmental education! 

• EPA’s Office of Environmental Education is funded at $8.7 million, maintaining 2017 levels for the National Environmental Education Act.
• NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education and Training and Environmental Literacy Program grants received a combined $12.5 million.
• Title IVA of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, are funded at $1.1 billion, a $700 million increase over 2017! These formula grants will give school districts nation-wide flexibility to support a wide range of programs, including environmental education, and field-based, hands-on, and service learning opportunity to support STEM skills.
• Title IVB of ESSA, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, received level funding of $1.2 billion to support afterschool and out of school time programming, including environmental literacy.
  

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Many thanks to all of you who contacted your representatives in the House and Senate in support of these critical programs! This budget agreement is confirmation that your voice matters! 

As you know, even with the passage of the 2018 budget agreement, we are well into our FY2019 outreach efforts.  NAAEE continues to work with partners in the EE and STEM education communities to advocate for robust funding. Our support in the House is at an all-time high, with record numbers of representatives signing on to urge continued funding for EPA and NOAA programs. Stay tuned for information and timelines for contacting your Senators next week.