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Theresa Lehman, director of sustainable services at Miron Construction Co., Inc., declared her thoughts on environmental education to the State Department of Public Instruction (DPI) during its Standards Council Meeting about the importance of environmental education (EE) when it comes to Wisconsin’s business needs.

EE is a learning process that engages individuals, raises awareness about environmental issues, and teaches problem-solving skills that enable people to make well-informed decisions and take responsible actions. EE does not advocate a particular viewpoint or course of action, but rather teaches individuals to weigh various sides of environmental issues.

“Miron is consistently hiring individuals who are critical thinkers, can resolve problems and can make well-informed, balanced decisions based on their skillset to analyze multiple viewpoints,” Lehman said. “Construction industry professionals must have an understanding of how the built environment impacts the natural environment, as well as how the built indoor environment impacts the health and wellbeing of people. Wisconsin has a rich history of advocating for the environment. It is critical to the future of businesses in Wisconsin that the State Department of Education continues to place an emphasis on EE as more careers require critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”

The DPI’s Standards Council consists of parents, educators, principals, administrators and legislators from around the state. Lehman also addressed how having an understanding of the environment is critical to the state’s economic base, and how understanding the triple-bottom line—enhancing the health and wellbeing of people, minimizing environmental impacts and being fiscally responsible—is part of a sound business strategy.

“Look at the top in-demand career fields; they are in science, healthcare, software engineering and cyber security. They all require critical thinking and problem-solving. The EE learning process will develop future leaders across Wisconsin’s prominent industries,” Lehman said.