Action Teams
Action teams are designed to help us in implementing various facets of our work from the events we host to the strategies and tasks we have identified in our strategic plan. These are a great opportunity to get more involved in KAEE and to network with other environmental educators around the state. This is a great time to get involved! Several new action teams have been established as part of the 2023 strategic plan. We could not do the work we do without the many volunteers who dedicate their time to advancing this network and the field of environmental education. We appreciate your interest and willingness to volunteer your time!
Event Planning Teams
Conference: Interested in helping make this event a success? The KAEE Conference is our signature event and has been around for over 45 years. The conference action team helps to determine the location of the event; plan and schedule pre-conference tours and workshops; organize and help host social and networking activities; and more. Our next annual conference is scheduled for September 2023 in Cave City, KY.
Outdoor Learning Symposium: KAEE's annual Outdoor Learning Symposium is a one-day event designed to inspire and activate K-12 educators and administrators to integrate outdoor learning and environmental education into their existing curriculum and school day routines. The OLS aims to increase administrator support and buy-in for outdoor and environmental education. The event includes sessions tailored to meet the needs of both administrators and teachers and is tentatively scheduled for June 2023 in far western Kentucky.
Strategy Teams
JEDI: KAEE’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Action Team is recruiting new members! The team meets monthly to work towards broadening and bettering the EE community. Their current projects include an organizational assessment, writing an organizational statement, and leading a Community of Practice.
Early Childhood: This is a new team that will work to support early childhood schools and centers in implementing additional outdoor time and EE experiences. Tasks associated with this team include completing an early childhood green leader eeCredential, developing partnerships with early childhood Regional Training Centers, creating a nature preschool movement to increase the prevalence of and equitable access to outdoor or nature-based preschools in Kentucky, and increasing recognition for preK schools providing EE.
Higher Education: This team is working to establish and support a network of higher education professionals doing environmental education across disciplines (early childhood, recreation, biology, wildlife, forestry, education, etc). This will include planning a higher education summit, developing a comprehensive list of environmentally related degrees at Kentucky colleges, and building partnerships with extension and faculty members across institutions.
Green Jobs: This is a new team that is working to support educators in expanding awareness of the field of EE and other green jobs and career pathways (forestry, conservation, water, etc.) for Kentucky middle, high school, and college students.
K-12: This is a new team that is working to advance schoolwide implementation of environmental education in K-12 schools across Kentucky through a district PD program, building a network of lead EE teachers in each school district, and building a model program for EE implementation.
Nonformal Networks: This is a new team committed to strengthening the network of EE providers and educators who work to build environmentally literate and sustainable communities. This group will work toward co-creating professional development opportunities for nonformal educators, and increasing connections and collaborations between and among formal and nonformal educators.
Regional Networks: This is a new team that will be working to advance the organizational capacity of EE providers by facilitating and supporting the establishment and success of regional networks.
Policy: This is a new team that is working to spearhead advocacy efforts around environmental education to raise awareness, increase funding, and showcase relevancy. Tasks include hosting an EE day at the Capitol, developing a policy playbook, and building relationships with legislators.
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For more information or to join an action team, email katherine@kaee.org.