An Environmental Collaborative

The Ocean State Environmental Education Collaborative (OSEEC) is a strategic effort by Rhode Island's leading environmental organizations to improve science proficiency and environmental literacy among students in the state's urban core cities. AmeriCorps members with science and education degrees will teach environmental-based science in school, after school and in the field. Members introduce children to the natural environment and help cultivate environmentally- literate, active citizens.

Through this unique partnership, OSEEC’s AmeriCorps members teach thousands of underprivileged and underperforming students with no- and low-cost environmental education programs in schools and community afterschool programs. Since 2004, members have delivered 1,789 hands-on, field-based science programs, reaching 112,627 students in Rhode Island’s urban communities.

Reduced state and federal funding have left the state’s urban schools with extremely limited resources. Field-based science programs have been eliminated in many core city schools, leaving urban students with little or no inquiry-based science instruction. Research conducted by the State Education and Environment Roundtable indicates that the benefits of hands-on education programs include better performance on standardized tests, increased self esteem, reduced discipline problems, increased enthusiasm for learning and greater pride and ownership in accomplishments. Given the huge gap in Rhode Island’s science test scores between urban and non-urban students, quality environmental education programs such as those provided by OSEEC are especially critical.  

The OSEEC AmeriCorps Program is a long-term commitment to community-centered education as a vehicle to promote science, connect children to their natural environment, and cultivate environmentally-literate, active citizens. 

OSEEC’s 16 AmeriCorps members serve one year equal to 1700 hours. Members train as environmental educators and provide environmental education programs to schools and community organizations in the core cities of Providence, Newport, Central Falls, West Warwick, Pawtucket and Woonsocket.