News & Notes September 2001

PACD/Pennsylvania Department of Education Complete Cooperative Agreement

Representatives of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 17, 2001, solidifying a cooperative relationship between the two entities.

PACD past President Frank Long, President Ron Rohall, and Education and Youth Committee Chairman Malcolm Crooks participated in the official signing on behalf of the PACD. The Pennsylvania Department of Education was represented by, Patti Vathis, Advisor for the Office of Environment and Ecology.

PACD and PDE share the belief that all Pennsylvania citizens, students and teachers benefit from continued conservation education and promotion. As noted in the MOU, the Association and the Department of Education agree to: 1) Cooperate in developing educational materials for use in the Pennsylvania public school system; 2) Cooperate in conducting educational programs on conservation; 3) Share resources wherever possible in fulfillment of this agreement; and 4) Cooperate in an effort to share an/or resources whenever possible for soil, water and other natural resource conservation awareness and education.

Under the terms of the MOU, The PACD will:

• Facilitate the statewide sharing of soil water and natural resource related educational materials;
• Help promote conservation education learning opportunities for people of all ages;
• Support the continuation of the Search for Excellence in Environmental Education program, cosponsored by the PACD and PDE;
• Support the general goals that address conservation education as stated in 22– PA Dot Code, Chapter 4 Curriculum Regulations addressing academic standards;
• Provide training opportunities for conservation district staff in cooperation with the PDE;
• Support efforts to secure education coordinator positions in every conservation district;
• and Encourage districts to conduct environment and ecology programs for students and teachers, addressing the Department of Education’s standards.
  
  The PDE will:
• Recognize the leadership and support PACD provides for conservation districts;
• Recognize the knowledge and expertise conservation districts offer to students in teachers in fields related to natural resource conservation, through locally led programs;
• Recognize that locally led conservation education programs provide an authentic application to the state’s environment and ecology standards.

Patti Vathis and Kathleen Banksi, PACD Education Director, worked with members of the PACD Education and Youth Committee to develop the MOU. The MOU will remain in effect until July 17, 2006.

Page 4>