Our Story
The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 established the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, operating as the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), as an independent non-profit organization complementary to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), extending its ability to foster environmental education for all ages and in all segments of the American public.

The NEEF Board of Directors is appointed by the EPA Administrator. NEEF`s charter also allows for ex-officio board representation from other federal agencies with an interest in and/or experience in environmental education and training. The Act allows for NEEF to receive private funds to match public funds for environmental education efforts at the EPA.

Our Focus
NEEF work focuses on the areas where the environment intersects people's daily lives:

K-12 Education: NEEF’s Greening STEM model engages students at high-need schools in hands-on environmental investigations in their communities—making STEM relevant and connected to students’ daily lives.
Health: NEEF equips health professionals with tools and information to address environmental impacts on health, with a focus on improving health outcomes for children and disproportionately impacted communities.
Conservation: NEEF’s National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, mobilizing thousands of volunteers to restore and improve public lands from the federal to local level.
Grants: NEEF mobilizes public and private funding to support community-based projects and respond to critical and emerging needs in K-12 education, conservation, and health.
Employee Engagement: NEEF develops strategies to increase awareness and support for corporate social responsibility priorities and encourage corporate employees to take action on sustainability at work, at home, and
in the community.
Public Engagement Campaigns: NEEF develops creative campaigns that raise awareness, inform, and motivate people to act on a range of environmental issues, including energy, plastics, water conservation, and climate change.

Our Purpose
To cultivate an environmentally conscious and responsible public

Our Vision
That people’s everyday actions are guided by an understanding and concern for the well-being of people and the planet

Our Mission
To make the environment more accessible, relatable, relevant, and connected to the daily lives of all Americans

Our Strategy
NEEF works with people and organizations others trust and respect. Our partners represent large constituencies and come from government agencies, nonprofits, associations, and corporations.