Given the large amounts of time devoted to environmental issues by local government and the media, and rising public concern about environmental quality, its important that students learn how to think critically about environmental issues and evaluate environmental information.

A well-grounded foundation in environmental education is an essential skill for today's youth. We therefore feel that it is important that students and teachers strive to obtain a basic level of environmental literacy, which we define as:

Possessing sufficient knowledge about the environment so that students are capable of, and inclined to, further environmental learning and action.

This study is a project of the Institute for Sustainable Development at Long Island University (www.liu.edu/isd). This grant is supported by Southampton Graduate Campus of Long Island University and Keep Islip Clean, a local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Keep Islip Clean's education programs are supported by government grants and a private sector coalition that includes Coca-Cola NY, Pepsi, The Clare Rose Company, The American Plastics Council, and ITW Hi-Cone.