Embassy Press Release

ANPM LAUNCHES NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE ‘PROJECT ECOWEB’

Designed in partnership with U.S. Peace Corps to create a national resource for environmental education materials

BUCURESTI – The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) today announced the formal launch of Project EcoWeb. Project EcoWeb is a program designed to promote environmental education activities across Romania and stimulate greater collaboration between public authorities and local schools and non-governmental organizations confronting environmental issues.

The objective of Project EcoWeb is to strengthen the relationship between public authorities and civil society through the creation of a national database of environmental education lesson plans and materials. The project provides structure, publicity and cohesiveness to new and existing environmental education resources being used throughout Romania, and enables local schools and non-governmental organizations to receive national recognition for their work.

“A clean and healthy environment relies upon individual human beings who are aware of the significant impact each one of us can have on the environment. Project EcoWeb will share crucial environmental life lessons with our children and youth, and help us raise a new generation of environmentally-responsible citizens,” said Mihail Faca, President of the NEPA.

“Project EcoWeb will harness environmental education resources already in use by teachers and environmental professionals throughout Romania, and make them accessible to all Romanians,” said Manuela Udroiu, spokesperson for the NEPA. “Equally as important, the project will honor the valuable work being done by schools, non-governmental organizations and individuals in the field of environmental education.”

Project EcoWeb has three primary objectives: to create a publicly-accessible national website for environmental education materials; to highlight the work and contributions of different individuals and organizations in the field of environmental education in Romania; and to help create a network of communication and collaboration between non-governmental organizations, schools and public authorities. Organizations that submit lesson plans will be recognized for their contributions on the site and those that submit five or more lessons will be featured as “Project Partners.” More information on how contributors will be recognized is available on the attached flyer and at http://www.anpm.ro/ .

The deadline for submitting lessons for the first phase of Project EcoWeb is April 17, 2009 and the website is set to go live in May 2009.

Project EcoWeb is financed by the National Environmental Protection Agency in partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps and U.S. Agency for International Development. Peace Corps is an agency of the United States government created by President John F. Kennedy to promote world peace, community development and cross-cultural friendship. Today Peace Corps Romania has 146 American Volunteers working with schools, governmental offices and non-governmental organizations in 39 counties across Romania.

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