 Jane Eller served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council from 1994 to 2010 and is responsible for steering the organization’s early efforts to strengthen environmental education in the Commonwealth. She initiated many important programs that continue to exist and thrive today. During Eller’s watch, the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) put into place many new initiatives including the development of the state’s Environmental Education Master Plan and Environmental Literacy Survey, the Green and Healthy Schools initiative, Kentucky’s Environmental Literacy Plan, and the Professional Environmental Educator Certification (PEEC) course. The PEEC program is accredited by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and serves as a model for all state and provincial affiliate organizations of NAAEE in North America. Eller was also influential in the development of the Kentucky University Partnership for Environmental Education (KUPEE) which was written into the state’s Environmental Education Master Plan. Following grant funding secured by Joe Baust in the early 2000’s, Eller also facilitated a series of retreats and meetings to establish the mission and purpose of the Centers for Environmental Education at each of the state universities. Once the centers were established, KEEC continued to provide funding and support for their initiatives. One of Eller’s great strengths as the Director of the KEEC was her ability to collaborate with a wide variety of interest groups and individuals to meet the recommendations of Kentucky’s Environmental Education Master Plan, both formally and informally. She even hosted informal environmental education retreat weekends at her personal cabin in North Carolina for fellow educators to relax, reflect and renew. Eller was able to accomplish the goals of KEEC with a limited budget and limited personnel. Her early background was focused on social science which propelled her interest toward policies that foster not only environmental stewardship but environmental justice, equity and inclusion. In Eller’s retirement she has fostered these goals through her political involvement. Throughout her career and retirement, she has been and continues to be a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. Eller, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd, during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out the video feature below!  Natasha Parsons has single handedly brought environmental education to Garrard Middle School (GMS). “Ms. Parsons has a way of making environmental education fun for every student whether they have grown up on a farm or if they’ve never lived in a home with a yard. Her students speak so highly of her and will even come in voluntarily to work in the school's greenhouse. She is the hidden gem of Garrard Middle School,” said Jessica Atallah. Over a difficult year of pandemic policy and reduced in-person interaction and vital experiential education opportunities, Natasha Parsons, Garrard Middle School 8th Grade Science Teacher, provided unique, collaborative efforts for her students. During the school year, she created and delivered authentic lessons and operated a working greenhouse. Parsons also facilitated discussions and hands-on lessons related to invasive species, sought out resources to provide a program for the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, and worked with the local 4-H Youth Development Agent to provide hands-on, aquatic-based programming on stream health and aquatic macroinvertebrate collection. Parsons continues to shine in the classroom and looks forward to providing future programming and lessons for her students to see the value of multi-style learning. Parsons, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, will be recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out the video feature below!  Erin Kinnetz has been the Education Specialist at The Parklands of Floyds Fork for four years. In that time span Erin has greatly elevated the scientific content presented during school field trips, outreach programs, and adult education programs. She is in charge of a weekly program called Wednesday Wonders that is geared towards PreK students and their families. Pre-pandemic Erin hosted this program twice each Wednesday of the year engaging over 500 students and families. When the pandemic shut down our in-person programming, Erin pivoted to a virtual program. She never missed a single Wednesday and has even grown her following of students. In total since the pandemic began she has garnered tens of thousands of views on Youtube. In addition to her hard work creating and presenting virtual EE content during the pandemic, Erin was also instrumental in the development of the Forest Learning Lab at The Parklands. At Forest Learning Lab students came to The Parklands each day, and with the help of our educators, were able to complete their NTI curriculum while also getting time to hike, creek walk, and explore nature. The Forest Learning Lab hosted over 400 students with 100 of those students hosted for free on a scholarship basis. Because of Erin's hard work and dedication to the field of EE, The Parklands has actually been able to grow their programming - even during a pandemic. Erin has an undergraduate degree in scientific illustration and a masters in biology. Her knowledge, patience, enthusiasm, and passion make her very deserving of this award. Below is an example of Wednesday Wonders which Erin leads every Wednesday of the year and didn't miss a single Wednesday in 2020- even with the pandemic raging. Parsons, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, will be recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out the video feature below!  Nature Reliance School (NRS) provides environmental and outdoor education opportunities to youth and adults through hands-on learning opportunities, lectures, on-line directed classes, blogs and literature. NRS continues to influence environmental education by encouraging safe engagement with the outdoors and natural resource education and management strategies. “The uniqueness of our approach and the skills developed by our students provide an individualistic development of appreciation, understanding, and self-awareness of the importance of our environment,” said NRS Director and Chief Instructor, Craig Caudill. NRS, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during the virtual conference opening and at outdoor, regional, pre-conference meet-ups. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out their video feature below!
Each year the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) publicly recognizes environmental educators, members, organizations, and partners for their valuable contributions to EENC, the North Carolina community, and to the field of environmental education.
For this year’s Outstanding Partner Award, the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA) was selected for its role in supporting EENC through capacity building, leading to growth for EENC that would not have happened otherwise. Since 202, SEEA has been an affiliate of NAAEE and represents a partnership between eight southeastern states. SEEA supports a part time executive director, a steady stream of grant funding, and many successful regional projects. EENC has participated in all of SEEA's grant opportunities, resulting in over $18,000 in financial support in the past two years alone. These funding opportunities have helped provide regional mini-grant opportunities, provided leadership training got the EENC Board of Directors, JEDI training for EENC members supported statewide projects including a landscape analysis, and have helped support EENC's Executive Director position transitioning to full time. Beyond grant funding, SEEA has been critical for capacity building in the EE community across the southeast, bringing a myriad of crowd-sourced and supported training to all the statewide EE associations in the region. This includes crowdfunding assistance, webinars, expert training in membership structure, technology platform sharing and training, monthly leadership team meetings and newsletter, as well as a yearly regional conference and research symposium. Although virtual like last year, KAEE's 45th annual conference was full of networking, learning, new friendships, and outdoor meet-ups across the state! 2021 conference attendees enjoyed dynamic presenters, sessions, roundtable discussions, and virtual social events in addition to the in person outdoor regional meet-ups. Check out the highlights video below for a few glimpses of the goodness that was #KAEE2021. Floracliff Nature Sanctuary is a 346-acre nonprofit nature preserve located in the Kentucky River Palisades region. The sanctuary has demonstrated outstanding long-term service and leadership in environmental education and land stewardship through regularly scheduled education programs, partnerships and dedication to documenting the biodiversity of the preserve. “Even when faced with the adversity of a global pandemic, Beverly and Josie of Floracliff were able to connect with the community through several virtual environmental programs including educational webinars and through a city wide community science nature challenge,” said Kentucky Nature Preserves’ Heritage Lands Outreach Specialist, Madeline Heredia. Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out their video feature below! Red Oaks Forest School has been bringing environmental education to Kentucky since 2014 with a variety of programs that serve both children and adults. In the past year, they have continued to pursue their goal of fostering a deep and lasting connection with the natural world through exploration and education for our participants. “Red Oaks is a place where connections to nature are formed and deepened, where learning happens in a play-based model, and where ecological lessons are offered at an age-appropriate level,” said Red Oaks Co-Director, Tina Brouwer. Red Oaks Forest School, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out the video feature below!  We are delighted to announce the winners of KAEE's 2020 Excellence in EE Awards! Check back throughout September for stories about each of the awardees. Jane Eller, Lifetime Achievment Award Jane Eller has a rich history of excellence and leadership in the field of environmental education. She served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) from 1994 to 2010 and is responsible for steering the organization’s early efforts to strengthen environmental education in the commonwealth. She initiated many important programs that continue to exist and thrive today. During Eller’s watch, KEEC put into place many new initiatives including the development of the state’s Environmental Education Master Plan and Environmental Literacy Survey, the Green and Healthy Schools initiative, Kentucky’s Environmental Literacy Plan, and the Professional Environmental Educator Certification (PEEC) course. Read more by clicking here. Natasha Parsons, M.K. Dickerson Outstanding Educator Award Natasha Parsons is known in her community to have single-handedly brought environmental education to Garrard Middle School where she uses agriculture and livestock to teach her 8th grade science classes. Thanks to her efforts, the school is creating an environmental science class to meet the demand from students for this type of class. Natasha has a way of making environmental education fun for every student whether they have grown up on a farm or if they’ve never lived in a home with a yard. Her students speak so highly of her and will even come in voluntarily to work in the school's greenhouse. She is the hidden gem of Garrard Middle School! Read more by clicking here. Erin Kinntez, Rising Star in EE Award Erin Kinnetz has been the Education Specialist at The Parklands of Floyds Fork in Louisville for the past four years. In that time Erin has greatly elevated the scientific content presented during school field trips, outreach programs, and adult education programs there. From pivoting in-person programming to virtual programs to developing vital programs like Forest Learning Lab, Erin has succeeded at adapting to the needs of her students and the current climate of environmental education. The Forest Learning Lab program she developed invited students to come to The Parklands each day, and with the help of staff educators, were able to complete their NTI curriculum while also getting time to hike, creek walk, and explore nature. Because of Erin's hard work and dedication to the field of EE, The Parklands has actually been able to grow their programming - even during a pandemic. Read more by clicking here. Red Oaks Forest School, Outstanding PreK-12 School Award Red Oaks Forest School has been bringing environmental education to Kentucky since 2014 with a variety of programs that serve both children and adults. In the past year, we have continued to pursue our goal of fostering a deep and lasting connection with the natural world through exploration and education for our participants. Red Oaks is a place where connections to nature are formed and deepened, where learning happens in a play-based model, and where ecological lessons are offered at an age-appropriate level. Read more by clicking here. Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, Outstanding Community Partner Award Floracliff Nature Sanctuary is a 346-acre nonprofit nature preserve located in the Kentucky River Palisades region. The sanctuary has demonstrated outstanding long-term service and leadership in environmental education and land stewardship through regularly scheduled education programs, partnerships and dedication to documenting the biodiversity of the preserve. Even when faced with the adversity of a global pandemic, Beverly and Josie of Floracliff were able to connect with the community through several virtual environmental programs including, educational webinars and through a city wide community science nature challenge. Read more by clicking here. Nature Reliance School, Outstanding Business Partner Award Nature Reliance School (NRS) provides environmental and outdoor education opportunities to youth and adults through hands-on learning opportunities, lectures, on-line directed classes, blogs and literature. NRS continues to influence environmental education by encouraging safe engagement with the outdoors and natural resource education and management strategies. The uniqueness of their approach and the skills developed by their students provide an individualistic development of appreciation, understanding, and self-awareness of the importance of our environment. Read more by clicking here. Congratulations to our 2021 Excellence in EE Award winners! kaee.org/awards2021
 [Washington, D.C – August 25, 2021] The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is pleased to announce its new class of fellows, thirty educators and community leaders who are working to address today’s complex environmental and social concerns at local, regional, and national levels. Environmental education is rooted in lifelong learning. These individuals selected for the Civics and Environmental Education (CEE) Change Fellowship embody that core belief. They are laser-focused on bringing tangible environmental improvements to their communities, and are committed to activating the power of an engaged citizenry for generations to come. Each Fellow is focused on the environmental and social issues that are most relevant to their work. This diverse and intergenerational group represents schools, museums, nature centers, conservation groups, and other community institutions throughout the world--and all are using education to build knowledge and skills to create more resilient communities. The Fellows represent seven countries including the United States and its territories, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and Uganda. For the duration of the fellowship, which runs from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022, each Fellow has agreed to create and execute a community action project that seeks to advance a more equitable and sustainable future. Projects vary greatly depending on community needs, from training health workers on environmental conservation in an indigenous mountain community in Uganda to involving middle school students in reducing food waste in a community in Wisconsin. The Fellows are just getting started. Get to know them here. “The Fellows are a talented and passionate group of educators who are excited to tackle tough issues, share resources and ideas, and build a community that will continue long after the Fellowship ends. They give us hope that by working together, we can build a better future for all,” says NAAEE’s Executive Director Judy Braus. As part of the 18-month fellowship, the Fellows benefit from:
Thanks to the support of the US EPA and a generous grant from the Cedar Tree Foundation, the CEE-Change Fellowship is uniquely positioned to shine a light on the intersection of civic education and environmental education. Additionally, each project will address the US EPA’s core mission to provide Americans with clean air, land, and water. To learn more about the Fellows and their planned community action projects, visit www.naaee.org/ceechangefellows. ### About the CEE-Change Fellowship The Civics and Environmental Education (CEE) Change Fellowship Program is NAAEE’s newest initiative to support leadership and innovation in civics and environmental education across the country. NAAEE recognizes the value in bringing together environmental and civic engagement educators to learn from each other and collaborate to scale up our impact as we work to create a more equitable and sustainable future. The CEE-Change Fellowship is a part of the National Environmental Education Training Program established by the US EPA’s Office of Environmental Education, a national professional development program that has been building the professional capacity of educators since 1992. The program also focuses on building leadership skills and providing high-quality resources for the field. About NAAEE For five decades, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has served as the professional association, champion, and backbone organization for the field of environmental education (EE), working with EE professionals across United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as globally, to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement to create a more equitable and sustainable future. For more information on NAAEE, visit https://naaee.org. About ee360 An ambitious multi-year initiative, ee360 connects and promotes innovative leaders dedicated to advancing environmental literacy for everyone, everywhere. Led by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), ee360 is made possible through funding and support from US EPA and seven partner organizations representing universities and nonprofits across the country, and five federal agencies. Through this partnership, ee360 brings together more than four decades of expertise to grow, strengthen, and diversify the environmental education field. Visit www.ee360.org(link is external) to learn more. About Cedar Tree Foundation The Cedar Tree Foundation is a family foundation created in the mid 1990’s by the late pediatrician and entrepreneur, Dr. David H. Smith. Dr. Smith believed in the power of individuals and organizations to make significant changes in the world and Cedar Tree’s grantmaking continues to reflect that belief. To learn more, go to www.cedartreefound.org(link is external). This press release was developed under Assistant Agreement No. NT-83695801 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed are solely those of NAAEE and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned. To learn more and follow our Fellows’ CEE-Change journey, please visit our webpage www.naaee.org/ceechangefellows and follow NAAEE on Facebook and Twitter @TheNAAEE. |
