Today, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates issued formal resolutions to mark the 50th anniversary of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) environmental education program.
Since 1973, CBF’s award-winning education programs have been providing hands-on outdoor experiences to more than 1.5 million participants in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The classes are designed to get students and educators outside to explore the Bay as well as its rivers, streams, and watershed. In Maryland, CBF’s education program serves about 10,000 students and teachers per year through outdoor experiences, teacher trainings, and class materials.
Currently, CBF runs six education programs in Maryland including two overnight residential programs on Smith Island and at the Karen Noonan Center in Dorchester County. The first CBF education program was launched on Meredith Creek in Annapolis.
CBF’s education program has been instrumental in helping students meet Maryland's environmental literacy high school graduation requirement. Studies have shown that environmental education improves academic performance, increases civic engagement, and instills a belief that individuals can make a difference.
CBF’s Vice President for Education Tom Ackerman issued the following statement:
“Environmental education helps us to understand how the city streets, suburban lawns, and rural fields where we live affect the rivers and streams that flow into the Chesapeake Bay. When students and teachers paddle a canoe, pull up a fishing line on a traditional Bay work boat, or evaluate the health of a local stream, they can connect their lives with the waterways that surround all of us. Through these experiences, we hope students and educators gain the knowledge and inspiration to protect our valuable natural resources.
“We’re honored to receive the recognition today from the General Assembly and look forward to many more decades of outdoor experiences with Maryland students and educators.”
