A Look Back at the 2024 KAEE Conference

The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) hosted its 48th Annual Conference from November 13–15, 2024, in Morehead, Kentucky. This year’s conference brought together environmental educators, advocates, and enthusiasts from across the state for three days of learning, collaboration, and celebration. With over 30 workshops and tours covering a diverse variety of topics, attendees had the opportunity to tailor their experience and explore the sessions that best fit their interests and professional goals.

Here’s a look back at the most memorable moments from this incredible event:

Day 1: Pre-Conference Adventures

The conference kicked off with immersive pre-conference experiences that got attendees out into nature and hands-on with creativity. Participants explored everything from birding and fossil collecting to basket-making and environmental workshops. The guided hike through Daniel Boone National Forest and the “Don’t Waste It!” educator workshop stood out as crowd favorites, offering fresh perspectives on sustainability and outdoor education.

The day ended with a warm and lively gathering at the Rowan County Arts Center, where attendees mingled over dinner, shared ideas, and set the tone for the exciting days ahead.

Day 2: Learning, Inspiration, and Laughter

Thursday began with a packed schedule of workshops and breakout sessions addressing critical topics such as equity in environmental education, interdisciplinary teaching, and community-based climate resilience.

Along with the numerous workshops attendees could participate in, there were also Affinity Group meetings throughout the conference. These groups linked participants with a common purpose, identity, or interest, facilitating meaningful networking and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone felt valued and included. From BIPOC professionals to LGBTQ+ attendees, young professionals, and classroom educators, these sessions created space for connection and collaboration within smaller, focused communities.

Keynote speaker, Crystal Wilkinson, an award-winning Kentucky author and poet, left everyone feeling inspired. Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is renowned for her works, including Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir; Perfect Black, a collection of poems; and three acclaimed works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence, Water Street, and Blackberries, Blackberries. Wilkinson’s keynote beautifully intertwined the themes of storytelling, creativity, and environmental advocacy.

The day’s events also included interactive lightning rounds and the much-anticipated evening festivities. A live auction and the Dash for Cash fundraiser kept spirits high, with plenty of laughter and friendly competition—all for a great cause. Jeri Howell and Nat Colten’s Folk/Americana music brought the perfect touch of Kentucky tradition to the night.

Day 3: Celebrating Excellence

Friday wrapped up the conference with more engaging sessions, regional networking opportunities, and the Excellence in Environmental Education Awards Luncheon. It was inspiring to see individuals and organizations recognized for their outstanding contributions to environmental education, including:

• Lifetime Achievement: David Wicks

•  M.K. Dickerson Outstanding Educator: Roberta Burnes

• Rising Star: Rachel Young

• Outstanding Community Partner: Legacy Greenscapes

• Outstanding Business: Forest Pals, LLC

• Kentucky Green School of the Year: Community Montessori

The day ended with heartfelt closing remarks and reflections on the connections formed, ideas shared, and creative approaches sparked throughout the conference.

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The 2024 KAEE Conference was more than an event—it was a celebration of a shared mission to inspire and engage environmental educators across Kentucky. From thought-provoking discussions to moments of pure joy, the conference left everyone feeling recharged and ready to continue the work of fostering sustainability and environmental education.

We’re already looking forward to the 2025 conference (at a location TBD but likely Kentucky Dam Village or West KY) where we’ll continue this journey together. Save the date: November 12–14, 2025. Until then, let’s keep building a brighter, greener future! Learn more and stay up to date on all things conference at kaee.org/conference.

Educators from Across Kentucky immersed themselves in EE curriculum for two days during EE Bootcamp

KAEE and EKU welcomed twenty-three educators to Maywoods Environmental and Educational Laboratory to EE Bootcamp—an immersive, two-day, environmental education workshop. This year’s participants included 9 EKU students from its Teaching In the Outdoors course (REC 590/790) and 14 formal and nonformal educators from across the state. 

Participants in EE Bootcamp learned how outdoor learning and environmental education can support classroom learning and academic standards by participating in curriculum activities from the perspective of a student and as an educator. As students, they learned how to build a raft for an egg, make a meal over a campfire, construct their own nature journal, and more. 

As educators, participants explored how these activities and EE can be incorporated into all subjects, including science, social studies, reading and writing, math, and more; and how these lessons support student learning and the Kentucky Academic Standards.

On day two, the educators were able to put their knowledge to use to plan and lead an experience using activities from nationally-acclaimed curricula Project WET, Project WILD, and Project Learning Tree. The participants walk away from EE Bootcamp trained in each of these aforementioned programs, as well as the K-12 Environmental Education: NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence.

EE Boot Camp is an annual workshop hosted by the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education in partnership with EKU Division of Natural Areas.

This event was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act and in partnership with the Kentucky Division of Water as the state host for the Project WET program. Funding for this project was also provided in part by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with KAEE. Additional support was provided by the Kentucky Sustainable Forestry Initiative State Implementation Committee for the Project Learning Tree program.

Stay tuned for details on the 2025 EE Bootcamp and keep an eye out for more professional learning opportunities by signing up for our newsletter.

KAEE Hosted the 7th Annual Outdoor Learning Symposium at Northside Elementary School in Midway

The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) hosted the 7th annual Outdoor Learning Symposium on May 30th at Northside Elementary School in Midway, Kentucky. Sixty-three educators and administrators from across the state participated in interactive sessions focusing on outdoor learning and environmental education.

Outdoor Learning Sessions

The day started with the Keynote address “Education for Homecoming,” given by Dr. Leah Baynes, director of The Farm and Forest Institute, one of four branches of The Berry Center that grew naturally from the work of Kentucky writer, farmer, and teacher Wendell Berry. Dr. Bayens invited everyone to reflect on how outdoor education plays a critical (and creaturely) role in an imperative lesson: how to make ourselves at home–that is, how to live well with and from a place.

The topics covered during the symposium included teaching and managing students outdoors, engaging students in the Kentucky Green Schools program, connecting curriculum and standards to place, and how connection with nature can build resilience in students. Sessions also included real-life examples from participants of the Kentucky Green Schools program and teachers from Northside Elementary and how they incorporated environmental education into their curriculum at nearby Walter Bradley Park through a partnership with Bluegrass Greensource. 

The KY Department of Agriculture set up its Mobile Science Activity Center for demonstrations. A session hosted by KAEE discussed data collected from schools across the Southeast region of the United States and sought the input of teachers and administrations in the session regarding how KAEE can support schools in building more outdoor spaces and environmental education into their curriculum.

Before the event came to a close, Woodford County Judge Executive James Kay said a few words to encourage the educators of Woodford County and Kentucky and to remind them how important environmental education is for our students and our world.

“It was refreshing to see that you can implement quality education outdoors without an expensive outdoor classroom and a boatload of materials. You can accomplish this with little to no materials as long as you know what you are doing and why you are going outdoors.” -OLS Educator

Kentucky Green Schools Recognition

KAEE announced the winner of the Kentucky Green Schools School of the Year award, Community Montessori School, in Lexington, KY. Lead teacher, Erin Rush, and her Green Team students were invited to attend and receive their award.

Tichenor Middle School teacher Steven McNabb and his Green Team were also honored at the Outdoor Learning Symposium for reaching the Silver Level of recognition during the last school year. 

Community Partner Networking

Educators ended the day with a Community Partner Networking Session where they connected with local partners who support outdoor learning for students. The community partners represented included:

Bluegrass Greensource	The Creative School	Free Forest School	Friends of Walter Bradley Park
Huntertown Community Interpretive Park	KY Association of Conservation Districts	KY Environmental Education Council	KY Division of Forestry
KY Division of Water	KY Farm to School Network	KY Water Research Institute	Life Adventure Center
Locust Trace Agriscience Center—The Kentucky Castle Partnership	Rail Explorers	Raven Run Nature Sanctuary	Redwood Cooperative School
Seedleaf	Woodford Co. Cooperative Extension 4-H	Woodford Co. Free Forest School	Woods & Waters Land Trust

“Getting kids outside in any capacity helps all of us in so many ways.” -OLS Educator

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KAEE would like to thank each of the speakers of the event: 

• Dr. Leah Baynes, The Berry Center Farm and Forest Institute

• Ashley Hoffman, KAEE

• Brittany Wray, KAEE

• Kalee Gregg, KY Department of Agriculture

• Kristen Taylor, Northside Elementary

• Kyle Yarrow, Life Adventure Center

• Perry Thomas, KAEE

• Rachel Patton, Bluegrass Greensource

• Vivian Bowles, Retired Teacher, Madison County Schools

They’d also like to extend a special thanks to Northside Elementary School and Principal Scott Hundley for hosting and to Woodford County Schools for including the symposium in their Best Practices Academy and opening up this professional development opportunity to all of their teachers.

This year’s symposium had numerous sponsors who helped make it happen, including Kentucky Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Implementation Committee, Woodford County Conservation District, Central Equipment Company Show Place Realty, Fouser Environmental Services, Midway Small Animal Clinic, and Wallace Station who donated the dessert for lunch.

KAEE’s Outdoor Learning Symposium Action Team is Responsible for planning the OLS each year. Thank you to this year’s action team members:

Perry Thomas Kentucky Association for Environmental Education co-chair	Vivian Ross Woodford County Conservation District co-chair
Ryan Asher Woodford County Board of Education	Jennifer Huefner Woodford County Conservation District
Scott Hundley Northside Elementary	Susan Tracy Woodford County Board of Education
Kyle Yarrow Life Adventure Center

The Outdoor Learning Symposium is an annual event held in a different location in Kentucky. This event is designed to meet the needs of PreK-12 administrators and teachers interested in exploring ways to engage students in environmental education (EE) experiences and cross-curricular outdoor learning. You can learn more about the Outdoor Learning Symposium on our website.