A Comprehensive Overview of Environmental Education: Best Practices for Promoting Belonging, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (BEID) in Environmental Education

Environmental education is the process of growing understanding, skills, and attitudes toward the environment in order to engage individuals in environmental problem-solving. Environmental education efforts were established in the early 1970s as environmental concerns were recognized. Historically, environmental education has not been equitable, inclusive, and diverse, especially in youth programs. Insufficient diversity in environmental education organizations and programs creates a diminished sense of belonging for underrepresented groups in environmental fields. To understand this history and consolidate current research, we conducted a comprehensive literature review on environmental education efforts to highlight common practices in environmental education to determine approaches that would best contribute to a heightened sense of belonging for all participants in environmental education programs. We examined the basics of environmental education–the historical perspectives, curricular aspects, and associated definitions–before moving on to look at the best practices–or instructional standards which contribute to positive results–for environmental education overall. After an in-depth analysis of these two aspects of environmental education, we identified five best practices for increasing belonging, inclusion, equity, and diversity (BEID) in environmental education. Based on the literature, environmental education programs can boost BEID by maintaining flexibility in lesson materials and facilitation, promoting valued instruction through relevant content, acknowledging barriers, performing varied evaluations, and facilitating mentorship opportunities. The practices consist of various instructional, cooperative, and social strategies to enhance already established instructional methods in environmental education so that BEID aspects are emphasized and established. Each of the five practices for BEID are rooted in the best practices for environmental education identified in the second step of our review. All in all, both of these best practice categories have the same core; the only difference is whether or not they are viewed through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These best practices for BEID tailor programs toward the target audience, making the material more applicable and engaging. A collective solution is required to mitigate modern environmental issues, and this can not occur if only one segment of the population is represented, thus, creating belonging in environmental education is crucial.