Who's teaching South Florida children about the environment?

In many classrooms, the lessons come from the same companies whose products are often accused of harming it -- developers, fast-food restaurants, oil corporations, garbage haulers. Recognizing students' passion for green, major firms have rushed into the environmental education business in recent years, telling their side of the story and satisfying a huge demand for more classroom activities involving this wildly popular subject. Their influence has stretched beyond events like the celebration of Earth Day this Friday and into everyday lectures, games and contests in our schools.

Want to teach students how to save the rain forest? Contact McDonald's. Endangered species? Call Florida Power & Light. Energy? Write to Exxon.

Companies say their input provides a more balanced approach to lessons long dominated by "doomsday" activists. But environmentalists worry that public-relation propaganda is seeping into good science. "It legitimizes the activity, that's the danger," said Bonnie Barnes-Kelley, head of conservation for Florida's Sierra Club. "It puts their opinion across from a position of authority."

Special-interest groups are rarely granted access to students in the way educators have opened the door for environmental education. There are few restrictions on the way it's taught, because it's not a traditional subject -- no textbook committees scrutinizing materials, no special certification demands on teachers.

Although Dade and Broward counties both offer state- approved curricula, many of the extra materials used by teachers are mailed directly to them. For instance:

* Exxon's Energy Cube, a boxed set of activities and lesson plans. The company also sponsors a video called Scientists and the Alaskan Oil Spill, which environmentalists blast as a "public relations mop-up."

* Procter & Gamble's Decision: Earth, a program that tackles waste incineration, forest clear-cutting and mining. Critics say it touts clear-cutting as environmentally desirable.

* Project Learning Tree, woodland lessons created by the American Forest Institute, a representative of paper manufacturers. Teachers have called it an "honest attempt at being unbiased," but some note that it promotes "the idea that a forest's primary purpose is to be a resource for human use, not a community for plants and animals."

To be sure, environmental activists also use schools to push their agendas.

The Vegetarian Resource Group, a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore, Md., publishes a coloring book for kids called I Love Animals and Broccoli. Its teaching guide and other literature preach that meat consumption destroys the environment.

Enviro-Cops, a private program with clubs in Dade and Broward schools, teaches a song to children called We're Killing the Ozone.

At Silver Ridge Elementary in Davie, a fifth-grader insists, "I'll move," when a teacher tries to explain that his home now sits on what used to be the Everglades.

But for every program promoted by environmental groups, there are many more coming from corporations. The companies often have more cash -- and marketing experience -- than nonprofit activist groups. Some companies simply stamp their names on coloring books and posters. Others, however, create more complicated programs, presenting issues that inevitably tie into their industry.

A game in the Exxon Energy Cube, for instance, plays like a type of fuel-driven Monopoly, with islands as property. Students compete to find the most economical and energy- efficient way to run their islands.

But many teachers and students spotted a flaw right away. "The only way you can win is to choose oil," said Miami Palmetto High School science teacher Bill McCreary.

Exxon officials have responded to complaints about the game by trying to make it more friendly to wind, solar energy and other natural resources, said spokesman Ed Burwell. The company went to great pains to avoid any bias and hired professional educators to create the game, he said. Despite scoffs from teachers like McCreary -- who calls the Energy Cube "the biggest piece of propaganda garbage I've seen in years" -- Exxon has won two awards from Florida for its program. The Legislature passed a resolution recognizing the company's environmental efforts after Exxon distributed 671 of the Cubes to Florida teachers two years ago. Last month, the state bestowed Exxon with an Outstanding Business Partnership in Education award.

The accolades illustrate a growing emphasis on involving businesses in education. The push not only fills a demand for more community involvement in schools, but also allows educators to seek private money for expensive programs.

Such partnerships were rare in the 1980s, when Exxon's Alaskan oil spill and worries about a perceived garbage glut made big business a target for activists. That's when people like David Batt, a spokesman for Florida's phosphate-mining industry, went to work lobbying legislators to make a place for industry in Florida classrooms.

"I could see we were heading for big trouble if business kept getting bashed by the environmentalist community," Batt said. "We had to find a way to get our story out to the public. Environmental education was the most effective way."

In 1989, the Legislature created the Environmental Education Foundation of Florida to solicit cash from companies for teaching grants. Batt is the foundation chairman. On its board, representatives of sugar growers, trash companies and phosphate miners sit side by side with officials from National Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy.

Partnerships between businesses and schools are now in vogue, particularly for teaching about the environment.

One of the most extensive in South Florida is The Green Team, a group of Broward landscapers and nursery owners who voluntarily build vegetable gardens, butterfly gardens and mini- hardwood hammocks for two dozen schools.

The head of the team? Arvida, a developer that has clashed frequently with environmentalists and regulators over building houses in wetlands.

It's important that businesses get involved with schools, said Arvida vice president Roy Rogers, "to give students the holistic view. Otherwise, they could get the wrong idea." But businesses are often choosy about which schools they support.

Parkview Elementary in Opa-locka has been overwhelmed with donations for its vegetable garden and bird sanctuary. But at Coral Springs High School, an environmental club that campaigned against developers is having trouble raising money. The club, Save What's Left, refuses to accept gifts from companies that destroy wetlands or pollute.

"I don't want what I call 'blood money,' " said Charles DeVeney, the teacher who founded the club.”I have to live with myself."

There are numerous reasons for business to get involved in the classroom. But there is one big factor that can't be ignored -- kids have a huge influence over their parents as consumers.

More than half of 500 parents interviewed in a 1992 national study said they changed their shopping habits because of their children's fervor for the environment. Many had turned to products in recyclable or reusable containers and reduced use of aerosol cans and Styrofoam, researchers for Environmental Research Associates in Princeton, N.J., discovered.

Critics argue that companies now see an opportunity for encouraging consumption while teaching about the environment.

"Yes, their resources are free, but what sort of statement are we making about our investment in the next generation and public education?" said Robin Templeton of Unplug, a youth organization in Oakland, Calif., that fights "commercialization of the classroom."

Ecology has been taught in schools for decades, but the recent surge in environmentalism has created an overwhelming demand for more on the subject. The capability for hands-on experiences also makes it popular among teachers.

But part of what makes the subject exciting -- its current- events focus -- also makes it difficult to teach. Scientists are still debating whether Earth really is growing warmer as a result of human activity and to what extent the planet is threatened by the thinning of its protective ozone layer. Attempts to simplify the debates often lead to inaccuracies.

"There's a lot of junk that works itself into the curriculum," said John Padalino, head of the National Science Teachers Association's task force on environmental education. But some companies earn credit for good programs. FPL, for one, has been praised by teachers for its lessons on Florida's endangered species. And some teachers argue that students gain a more realistic view when businesses present their side, too.

"You have to let them know there's a give and take," said George Hunkele, a seventh-grade science teacher at Miami's Brownsville Middle.

Teachers say it's their job to deliver a balanced view.

"It's not like we're out here letting anyone poison our students' minds," said Richard Patz, a chemistry teacher at Ely High in Pompano Beach who won a $5,000 grant from Texaco for research.

"There are a lot of very realistic problem-solving kind of people in teaching," Patz said. "These are not easy decisions, when you save a spotted owl and have to put 500 loggers out of a job."

To avoid suspicion, some companies hire private curriculum writers. Educational Development Specialists of Lakewood, Calif., has written environmental materials for utilities, chemical companies and waste management organizations. The firm's business has grown tenfold in the past 15 years, spokeswoman Ann Crafton said.

"People are wise to them," Crafton said. "Teachers don't want to be spoon-fed propaganda. . . . We admit that oil companies pollute, but we also show that they are doing things to make life better." No matter who produces the information, kids ultimately decide what to believe.

"Your parents are busy worrying about their mortgage, and Congress has a very busy agenda," Florida International University professor Jack Parker told high school students at an environmental seminar at FIU last fall.

"You kids can take a long-term view," he said. "We're relying on you." Teachers Alliance for Environmental Education: A coalition of almost 300 businesses, government agencies, labor groups and conservation organizations that share a commitment to environmental education worldwide. (703) 253-5812.

Citizens for a Better South Florida: The nonprofit group promotes environmental awareness through English lessons for people who speak other languages. (305) 444-9555.

Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN): A clearinghouse and network for individuals, school groups and community organizations interested in water quality issues. (313) 761-8142.

National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training: Federally funded program at the University of Michigan helps schools start and improve environmental education programs. Provides an environmental education guide for teachers called Getting Started. (313) 998-6726. North American Association for Environmental Education: The world's largest organization of professional environmental educators. Offers conferences, a newsletter and other publications. (513) 676-2514.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Education: Provides grants of $20,000 or less for schools and nonprofit organizations. Contact is Rich Nawyn, regional program coordinator, in Atlanta. (404) 347-3004.

Clinton Hill's Kids for Saving Earth: A nonprofit organization dedicated to organizing children of all ages for environmental projects. Involved in recycling, adopting endangered animals, linking kids in a network. (800) 44-EARTH.

Kids for a Clean Environment: A nonprofit organization for children and teachers. Provides membership guide and a subscription to a bimonthly newsletter. Emphasizes projects that can be performed at home or school. (800) 952-3223.

Student Environmental Action Coalition: This organization of more than 2,000 high school and college students runs a clearinghouse with information about environmental and social justice issues and publishes a monthly magazine. (800) 700-SEAC.

WHAT'S A GOOD PROGRAM?
What makes effective environmental education? The experts suggest that a good program should:

* Provide opportunities for hands-on education. Kids should get out and learn from nature, whether it's a pristine Everglades marsh or drainage ditch that runs along their subdivision. "It should not only be hands-on, but minds-on and feet-in," said Charlie Morrison, a science teacher at Dade's Center for Environmental Education at Key Biscayne.

* Require students to learn all sides of controversial issues.

"There is no benefit to have students who draw a line in the sand and say, 'This is right, this is wrong. Nobody can cross this line,' “said Richard Patz, a chemistry teacher at Ely High School in Pompano Beach.

* Stay current on changes and advances in environmental science.

"Environmental issues provide teachers with real-world opportunities to apply what their students are learning in the classroom," said Martha Monroe of the University of Michigan's National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training.

* Provide a focus on and appreciation for Florida natural resources.

"One of the biggest obstacles we face here is that we have so few natives as teachers," said Jim Carswell, supervisor of environmental education in Broward public schools. * Help students become effective advocates for environmental causes; teach them how to speak publicly, write persuasively, understand the views of others and lead groups.

"In the truest sense, we would not be educating students if we did not seek to take them to the highest level -- getting involved," Carswell said.

WHAT COMPANIES ARE DOING? This graphic or story was produced on the Macintosh graphics system and could not be included in this text library database. Please refer to microfilm for this date.

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