Georgetown, TX is a picturesque city situated on the banks of the San Gabriel River and along the edge of the gentle, rolling mountain region of Central Texas. In response to urgent environmental issues, the city has taken action to increase the effect of its initiatives and to train more than 70 full-time academics who study the environment in all disciplines. To speed up action, research and education on the most pressing environmental and sustainability matters, Georgetown has established a new institute called Earth Commons. The National Foundation for Environmental Education (NEEF) is a 501 (c) (nonprofit) organization created by Congress in 1990 to supplement the work of the U.
S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NEEF is a nonpartisan, non-activist organization that works to make the environment more accessible, identifiable, relevant, and connected to people's daily lives. Earth Commons will focus on important environmental issues such as environmental justice, climate change and energy transitions, environmental health, food and water security, and the conservation of biodiversity.
The Extension educational model will help people collaborate in a local process to identify problems and needs and to involve them in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs to address those problems and needs. Extension educates Texans in the areas of agriculture, environmental stewardship, youth and adult life skills, human capital, and leadership and community economic development. NEEF is also providing an opportunity for students to get involved in environmental issues through its program that prepares them to be leaders in sustainable business and environmental practices. NEEF is the leading national organization for lifelong environmental learning, creating opportunities for people of all ages to experience and learn about the environment in ways that improve their lives and the health of the planet.
