When the time came to build the school, Price Hill’s population had changed and the school was no longer necessary. The Public School System was forced to sell the property.  In an effort to preserve urban greenspace, Imago bought the 8 acres with the intent of starting an environmental education center. And thus, the Earth Center was born.
 
 

Mission of the Imago Earth Center

The mission of the Earth Center involves three major components:

Education - To educate audiences on the beauty and importance of the natural world.
Greenspace- To preserve greenspace and to manage that greenspace as a preserve for its inhabitants.
Community- To provide a physical and mental setting where the community can gather and grow.
 
 

A Formal Definition of Environmental Education

A formal definition of environmental education can be found by looking at the Tbilisi Doctrine. The Tbilisi Doctrine sets objectives for the practice of environmental education. The doctrine was established at the United Nations’ Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education in 1977. The objectives are:

Awareness: to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness of and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems (and/or issue).

Sensitivity: to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experiences in, and acquire a basic understanding of the environment and its associated problems (and/or issues).

Attitudes: to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.

Skills: to help social groups and individuals acquire skills for identifying and solving environmental problems (and/or issues).

Participation: to provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in working toward resolution of environmental problems (and/or issues).
 
 

Environmental Education at the Imago Earth Center

The Earth Center provides a variety of education programs. All programs meet some of the objectives of the Tbilisi Doctrine. The programs are designed to be hands-on, explorative, and informational. Participants gain knowledge through a variety of learning experiences.  Some activities are passive, such as listening, but most are active, such as searching and exploring. All of the programs stress an understanding, respect, and care for the natural world.