The document "Tools for Integrating Culture into Environmental Education" was created in partnership with Earth Ethics, Inc. and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Education and Sustainable Initiatives. This resource guide was created to provide Environmental Educators as a source for materials to be used when beginning the process of working with traditionally underserved/underrepresented groups.

It is the intent for this guide to also serve as recommendations on the best management practices for the design, delivery and evaluation of environmental education programs for underserved/underrepresented groups. Based on the collected documents, a survey was crafted for submittal to Southeast Environmental Educators in an effort to determine their familiarity with the practices/tools and the extent to which they might put them in place or would likely put them in place.

Upon the collection and analysis of the survey, a webinar was created for those who participated in the survey and other interested parties to review and discuss the information obtained from the survey. Specifically, participants were able to review the results of the survey, comment on the analysis of the survey and provide input into the format of this guide on the best management practices that would be most useful to formal and non-formal educators. This resource guide is a working document. Changes and modifications can be expected that will improve the materials, uses, and recommendations that best serve Environmental Educators.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Environmental Education. With that funding FDEP selected six (6) mini-grants recipients to rebuild key environmental education structures and programs lost over the last decade. Five (5) of the mini-grants are designed to build existing strengths and addresses challenges currently affecting the effectiveness of environmental education in Florida. This product is a result of one of those five (5) whose purpose was to focus on diversification and reaching groups underserved and underrepresented in environmental education.