news-record.com

 In an effort to build support for proposed No Child Left Inside legislation, students at Greensboro Montessori School have invited U.S. Rep. Howard Coble to learn about the school's environmental education initiatives. Learn more about the legislation here. 

Coble, a Greensboro Republican, will visit the school on Aug. 31 and take a tour of the school, which has organic gardens and owns a separate 42-acre natural learning lab in Oak Ridge, said Karen Howland, the school's marketing director. The No Child Left Inside Act would essentially provide funding for school systems to offer environmental education, which is considered by some people vital to child development. The bill passed the House in a previous Congress and was resubmitted for consideration this year. 

"We just think that it's terrific legislation" Howland said. "It's something that our faculty is supporting in terms of talking with our older students. We think our school is a terrific example of environmental education."

The school invited writer Richard Louv to speak at the school last year and also hired a director of sustainability. Coble's visit comes about a month before the national Take a Child Outside Week. 

I asked Coble yesterday about his position on the bill, but he said he has yet to read it.