The Environmental Education Council for the Californias (EECC) is a binational network of environmental research, policy, outreach, advocacy, and grassroots organizations dedicated to advancing a culture of sustainability through environmental education in the California/Baja California border region. The EECC holds quarterly meetings open to all council members and the general public, with the purpose of sharing information and empowering EE organizations and projects throughout the region. If you would like to take part in upcoming meetings, or subscribe to the EECC‚s listserv, please send a brief message to Kama Dean, binational coordinator, at kama@propeninsula.org

Brief History

The Environmental Education Council for the Californias was created in 1998 from the Environmental Education Blueprint of the Californias. The Blueprint was born out of the intense desire and frustration of the people of the Tijuana/San Diego border region to resolve serious issues of habitat loss, environmental degradation, and the deteriorating quality of life in the region. The Blueprint proposed three major tasks, one of which was to establish a specialized organization in the region that would direct its efforts toward educating different audiences about these issues.

Through the opportunity provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‚s Border Liaison Office, and the continued support and dedication of the a number of border institutions, a collection of community-based organizations, individuals, industry, government, and nongovernmental organizations met in 1998 to develop the Council. In 1999, the first EECC steering committee was elected, and binational meetings took place in each country. In 2000, the Council received a $15,000 grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and awarded mini-grants to regional projects. In 2001, the Council received additional support from the EPA‚s TEEM effort, which promotes environmental education capacity building along the border. In 2003 the Council took on the role of Environmental Education Task Force for EPA‚s Border 2012 program, and was subsequently awarded a grant to continue the mini-grant program throughout the region. To read about these and other projects, please follow the links to the left.