Environmental Education Program Directors

Employers

Numerous organizations hire environmental education program directors to run their educational programs. Directors work for schools, community centers, conservation groups, management consulting agencies, museums, and nonprofit organizations. They may also work as independent consultants, running their own businesses and providing educational services to various clients. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) does not cite statistics specific to environmental education program directors, but it does show that approximately 225,200 instructional coordinators working in the United States. Most coordinators work in public or private educational institutions. The remainder work for state and local government; individual and family services; child day-care services; scientific research and development services; and management, scientific, and technical consulting services.

Starting Out

Environmental education program directors usually start their careers as educators, and prior to that, they start as students. Learning is a career-long pursuit in this field, so if you are curious and always on the hunt to learn more, this is a profession you will enjoy and succeed in. Many educators also get their start in this career through volunteering at an environmental program at a museum or school. Find one near you and speak with environmental program directors there to learn what they do in their jobs. Ask them how they got started in their careers and what recommendations they may have for ways to explore the field.