KAEE to hold inaugural Environmental Education Higher Education Network Summit

Elizabethtown, Ky., May 18, 2023 – The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) will hold the inaugural environmental education Higher Education Network (eeHEN) Summit event on Tuesday, May 23 at Eastern Kentucky University in partnership with the EKU Division of Natural Areas.

The summit comes from a KAEE initiative to create a network of higher education professionals from across the state and across environmental education disciplines. The goal is to provide members of the network with opportunities to convene, collaborate and partner together at the local level and across the state. KAEE anticipates having more eeHEN events throughout the year to follow.

“The partnership between KAEE and EKU’s Division of Natural Areas is invaluable, ” said Dr. Kelly Watson, Associate Director of EKU Division of Natural Areas. “We are united in our goals to provide opportunities and support for environmental education throughout Kentucky–this summit is a perfect example of that goal being accomplished.”

The schedule of events is divided into two segments throughout the day. First, the network-wide summit will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern Time, ending with a break for lunch provided by KAEE and the EKU Division of Natural Areas. The afternoon session offers an optional environmental education workshop: Using Environmental Context to Teach Preservice Teachers, which features learning experiences from Project WET and Project Learning Tree from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants will also receive a physical copy of the Climate, Water and Resilience guidebook and digital access to the Southeastern Forests and Climate Change Modules following the workshop.

“It’s our hope that this event inspires collegiate environmental educators and professionals to continue building and strengthening their community, ” said Dr. Watson. “By connecting with our peers, we can only strengthen the work that is already being done across our state and beyond.”

To register for the summit or to learn more about the eeHEN, visit: https://www.kaee.org/events-1/eehen-summit-1.