Preparing Leaders in Environmental Education: KAEE’s Professional Learning Leader Credential

The KAEE Professional Learning Leader eeCredential serves as a program to train leaders in environmental education.

The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) will offer the Professional Learning Leader (PLL) eeCredential this fall as part of its eeCredentials program. The structured professional development experience will run from August 4 to December 1, 2025, to develop educators' abilities for leading high-quality environmental education (EE) programs in their communities and beyond.

The PLL eeCredential provides participants with online coursework and in-person training to enhance their knowledge of environmental education and their skills in adult learning strategies and facilitation techniques. The program targets educators who want to lead professional learning experiences for their peers and colleagues and local network members.

What is the PLL eeCREDENTIAL?

The PLL eeCREDENTIAL enables educators to join the KAEE eeFacilitator Network which is a developing network of leaders who promote environmental literacy throughout Kentucky. The eeFacilitators receive training to teach KAEE's curriculum and resources while serving as essential figures for expanding environmental education professional learning opportunities.

The credential provides participants with hands-on facilitation skills while they learn effective instructional methods that follow the Professional Development of Environmental Educators Guidelines for Excellence from the North American Association for Environmental Education.

Course Components and Schedule

The Fall 2025 cohort participants will finish their four-course sequence between August and December. These include:

1. EE101: Core Curriculum Program Training | August 6

2. EE310: KAEE Facilitator Training | August 7 

3. EE210: Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education | August 18 – September 29 

4. Elective eeCourse (choose one) |  October 13 – December 1 

   1. ENV210: Appalachian Mountain Ecology

   2. ENV220: Water Quality in Kentucky

The program allows participants with existing experience or training to request exemptions from certain courses. The program team evaluates each request individually to create a customized learning experience that meets student requirements.

Registration Details

The registration system uses a sliding scale to accommodate different training requirements and experience levels. The registration fees depend on the number of courses participants need to complete:

KAEE Members:                                         

• $349 (4 requirements)

• $299 (3 requirements)

• $199 (2 requirements)

Non-Members:

• $399 (4 requirements)

• $349 (3 requirements)

• $249 (2 requirements)

All registration levels include access to course materials, instruction, and facilitation resources.

Why This Credential Matters

The Professional Learning Leader eeCREDENTIAL enables educators to advance their careers through formal K-12 classrooms and nonprofit settings and higher education, and environmental organizations. The program provides participants with enhanced abilities to lead workshops while teaching others and supporting Kentucky's environmental education initiatives.

Through their efforts, Professional Learning Leaders, in turn, support KAEE in achieving its goal of environmental literacy and sustainability throughout Kentucky.

For more details about the PLL eeCREDENTIAL and to learn how to register, visit kaee.org/eecredentials. For questions about the course schedule, registration, or exemptions, contact Brittany Wray at brittany@kaee.org.