Caretakers of the Environment/International supports the formation of national branches to reach more schools worldwide. Networking at the national and regional level is equally important as networking at the international level. Several countries have established national CEI branches to form national and regional networks of schools. The national branches organize workshops on EE-topics such as action-taking, environmental monitoring techniques and computer networking. They also play an important role in selecting the schools to represent the country at the annual CEI-conferences. CEI strives to be a "bottom-up" organization in which the direction and structure of the organization is, as much as technically possible, determined by the teachers and students who participate in the network. Currently (June 1997) national CEI-branches are in place in Canada, India, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Sweden, and the United States.

Guidelines

1. If a National network wants to use the name Caretakers of the Environment International it can do so when:

1.1. the initiators formally endorse the constitution of CEI ( contact the secretariat!).
1.2. the initiators set up a national board of officers to oversee the educational activities, finances and the progress of the network.
1.3. the initiators expand the international constitution with goals and objectives to meet their own country specific needs.
1.4. the intention of the national branch should be to include new schools whenever possible.

A formal procedure for establishing national networks is necessary in order to avoid that just anybody can use the name Caretakers of the Environment and to assure quality and commitment. Therefore, evidence of compliance with 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 needs to be submitted to the international board of Caretakers of the Environment.

2. Procedures:

2.1. After approval by the international board a national branch would officially exist under the name: Caretakers of the Environment International/. For example: Caretakers of the Environment International/Spain.
2.2. A national branch may use its own stationary and logo as long as the address of the secretariat of Caretakers of the Environment International appears somewhere on the stationary.

3. Some tasks to be fulfilled by national branches:

3.1. National branches should play a key role in selecting delegates for the international conferences. For instance, by having a national workshop/conference prior to the international conference where schools present and discuss their projects. A group of people could then select the schools that are to represent the country on the international level.
3.2. National branches should also stimulate joint projects (e.g. water monitoring projects along an (inter)national river between schools).
3.3. National branches might be able to raise funds for financing the travel costs to the international conference for those within the country who cannot afford to go and, depending on the country, for those from other countries who cannot afford to go. The latter could be realized by donating a percentage of the monies raised to Caretakers International.
3.4. Explore the possibility of hosting one of the annual international conferences.

4. Some tasks to be fulfilled by Caretakers of the Environment International:

4.1. CEI will provide national branches with official letters of support which may help them in securing funding for the national network.
4.2. CEI will publish outstanding school projects that come out of the national branch in the Global Forum for Environmental Education.
4.3. CEI will assist national branches as much as possible in organizingthe international conference in case the national branch has been awarded the organization of that event.

More Information?

People who wish to find out more about setting up a national branch of Caretakers of the Environment International should contact:

CEI Headquarters
,t Horntje 10, 1862 BB Bergen NH
The Netherlands
tel.++ 72-5814857
fax.++72-5814858
e-mail: wals36@zonnet.nl