The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) provides leadership and services to twenty-four school systems and serves over 865,000 students. Environmental education is a mandated K-12 program in the State of Maryland. Maryland has developed Environmental Education standards, objectives, and indicators that are tied to the science, health, and social studies standards. MSDE currently works with many State agencies and nonformal education agencies to provide experiences for students. MSDE also has set standards, objectives, and indicators for instruction, and works with social studies, English, mathematics, the fine and performing arts, and sciences to effectively integrate EE into the PreK-12 curriculum.

Currently, Environmental Science electives and/or Advanced Placement Environmental Science are offered in twenty-two of twenty-four school systems. While each local Board of Education develops its own curriculum, all are aligned with the State standards.

The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE) is a statewide professional association of educators, higher education, and resource professionals. MAEOE sponsors the annual state conference and promotes the Green Schools Program, which awards a Green Schools flag to model schools.

Funding for classrooms and schools is provided through grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Department of Natural Resources, EPA, and NOAA.