ИСТИНА

An International implementation scheme for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014) proposed the fostering of environmental education as an important tool in the integrating people knowledge and learning strategies, strengthening links between learning and research of environment. This issue becomes important for Russia when the increase of oil and other mineral resources mining lead to worsening of the environmental situation, that ’s why it is vital to raise environmental aware and responsibility of the young generations. The different types of continuous environmental education in Russia are considered. Environmental education starts in the kindergarten where children are getting basic knowledge on the environment. This initial stage of environmental education characterized by the high level of clearness and should be extremely easy to understand by small children. School education divided into class and extra-curricular exercises. One of the important direction of extra-curricular study is deep knowledge of youth homeland nature, traditions, history (this curriculum is calling in Russia ‘kraevedenie’), that favors the development of love to their “small homeland” and willing to improve its environmental and economic conditions. The very important form of extra-curricular environmental education is "field ecology" - the forms and methods of which help children and youth to investigate nature through concrete objects - animals, plants, ecosystems in- situ ( their natural habitats). This approach based on outdoor lessons - excursions, "field" practices, and expeditions. The very important role in development of extra-curricular youth education is an important mission of public and non-governmental organizations. The different forms of extra-curricular environmental education were: environmental games - the game activity of the participants stimulating a high level of motivation, interest and emotional participation; children's environmental movement - mass form of environmental education, organizing and coordinating eco-volunteers. NGO “Fund for Sustainable Development” within the joint UNESCO Moscow Office/Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia programme the Living Volga, participated in development the structure and concept of the game Brain Ring for children aged from 12 and youth devoted to environmental issues of the Volga Basin flora and fauna. In addition, the project “Green Schools” was implemented in Moscow under support of ExxonMobil company: the schoolchildren was studied the new practices for energy-water-wastes management, improving environment inside schools and in the backyards. The multilevel environment education assumes the bi-vector matrix of basic and applied environmental education with participation of academic institutes and non-governmental organizations and allows building viable and environmentally sound education system.