In 1998 CDF established Environmental Education Centers (EECs) on each of the populated islands in Galapagos: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, and Isabela.
Each center contains a specialized library, field material, infrastructure, and CDF staff who work with any member of the community who wishes to visit, whether students, the general public, or organizations.
In these centers a wide program of educational activities for the community, courses and training workshops for teachers, and programmed activities for schools are developed. Three educational campaigns have been carried out on topics immersed in the life of the Galapagueños, such as the Marine Reserve, the dangers of introduced species, and Galapagos society and conservation. All CDF's non-formal educational activities have been channeled through the EECs, with development of specialized educational tools for each island, working in coordination with systems of joint planning, follow-up, and evaluation of activities. In addition, the EECs offer economic help for conservation projects, design specific programs according to the needs of particular groups, and offer vacation programs for the children of the Islands.
The EECs have eight didactic field guides for teachers, as didactic support material specific to Galapagos. These guides were created by CDF staff, with support from the British Council, and, using a methodology based on a careful observation of the environment, are intended to increase the student’s understanding and analytical capacity of important environmental topics in Galapagos. The guides propose activities that students can carry out in the EEC, in the field, or in their classes, with the help of CDF personnel, who train the teachers in using the guides.
The British Embassy, the British Council, the Frankfurt Zoological Society, and Lindblad Expeditions helped found the Environmental Education Centers in Galapagos.