June 14, 2002

Dear Environmental Organization Contact,

The enclosed two-page survey is for environmental organizations whose offerings are available to Suffolk County schools. We hope to learn about: 1) the programs and materials you currently offer; 2) your target audiences; 3) links between your environmental programs and New York State education standards.

Your participation in this project will directly benefit your organization: we will include the information you provide, with your permission, in an online database of curricula, programs, resources and contacts. Survey respondents will receive summaries of the project's results and invitations to events promoting environmental education.

You may complete the attached paper survey, or respond online at: www.631enviroed.org. Internet responses are easier to process and are strongly encouraged. (If the web site is not available, try: http://www.southampton.liu.edu/news/eesurvey.) In the fall, the web site will feature the results of this survey and of another survey targeting environmental teachers in the middle and high schools.

Reaching environmental education teachers is something that we could use your assistance with. If you know of teachers in Suffolk County middle or high schools you consider to be environmental education leaders, please consider passing on their contact information in the spaces provided on the survey. (This information will only be published with the contacts' permission.)

This study is a project of Southampton Graduate Campus and the Institute for Sustainable Development at Long Island University. The broader goal of this project is to promote environmental literacy in Suffolk County. We define environmental literacy as:
Possessing sufficient knowledge about the environment so that students are capable of, and inclined to, further environmental learning and action.

Thank you very much for your assistance and participation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Carlin

Co-Director, Institute for Sustainable Development at Long Island University