Washington, D.C. – Project Learning Tree® (PLT) has received the North American Association for Environmental Education’s (NAAEE) Award for Outstanding Service by an Organization at the Global Level.

According to Brian Day, NAAEE’s Executive Director, “NAAEE’s award pays tribute to PLT’s 30 years of dedicated service and outstanding leadership in the field of environmental education, both in the United States and beyond.” Day presented the award to PLT Director Kathy McGlauflin on October 13 at a special luncheon during NAAEE’s 35th annual conference in St. Paul, MN.

“This award points not only to the quality of PLT materials but also to a vast, dedicated network of educators, volunteers, and other partners who use PLT all over the world to teach environmental education,” said McGlauflin.

PLT began in the early 1970’s and is sponsored in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, several U.S. Territories, and eleven other countries (Canada, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Chile, China, Brazil, Mexico, Jordan, Philippines, and Slovakia). PLT curriculum has been translated into seven languages. For ten years now, Peace Corps volunteers worldwide have received training in PLT. Today, PLT is nationally administered by the American Forest Foundation.

For 30 years, PLT has dedicated itself to the field of environmental education by:

• creating quality curriculum materials and a comprehensive system of implementation

• expanding the reach of environmental education to educators through innovative partnerships and a vast network

• developing community-based opportunities for service-learning projects involving educators and their students

• providing environmental educational leadership at the local, state, national, and international level.

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. PLT uses the forest as a “window on the world” to increase students’ understanding of our complex environment and to help students learn the skills they need to make sound choices about the environment. Developed in 1976, PLT has an international network of more than 500,000 trained educators using seven curricula covering the total environment. The American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization, works for healthy forests, quality environmental education, and informed decision-making about our communities and our world.

The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) (www.naaee.org) is a network of professionals, students, and volunteers working in the field of environmental education throughout North America and in over 55 countries around the world. Since 1971, NAAEE has promoted environmental education and supported the work of environmental educators.