At Earth Force our mission is to engage young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future. We do that because citizen engagement is essential to good environmental solutions. But the effort has to start in middle school. We’re on a mission: infuse civic experiences into environmental education to create environmental citizens. Our model, the Community Action and Problem Solving Process, is key to doing just that. In Earth Force classrooms, students lead their learning, address real problems, and develop civic efficacy. And educators are right there beside them, honing their own skills in project management and inquiry-based learning. We know this approach is a departure from traditional classrooms. Our expertise is in easing that transition and helping educators create learning laboratories. Research shows that when 10-14 year olds participate in local problem-solving, they bring fresh perspectives to the problems and build a civic toolset to solve problems into adulthood. “We want every young person to experience using the science from their classroom to create civic change in their community. We are working with partners across the country to incorporate civics into environmental education programs reaching thousands of young people.“
— Vince Meldrum, President, CEO