Building confidence and competence through the Environmental Identity Development model

Abstract

The integration of place-based environmental education into an existing educational program has the ability to drastically increase the environmental competencies of the participating members. A unique group of students, who are also potential candidates for leadership roles in the United States Military, are members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. These students are required to obtain a massive amount of knowledge and ability in a relatively limited time, while still being required to succeed in the degree program of their choice. By introducing them to the Environmental Identity Development model (Green, 2018), there is a better opportunity for them to identify their own competencies and confidence as they act as leaders in a natural environmental setting, and work towards bettering their own ability to perform, and succeed when operating in a field environment. Successful progression through this model will enable them to acquire new skills and appreciations for the natural world, a world in which they will be expected to be active and engaging leaders in our country’s military forces.