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Sessions from NOAA staff and grantees at the Annual Conference for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).
Pre-conference workshops (all times Eastern)
Building Action for Climate Empowerment in the United States
Wednesday, October 6, 12:00pm - 3:30pm
Bart Merrick, NOAA; Jen Kretser, The Wild Center; (Moderator) Frank Niepold III, NOAA Climate Program Office
Be part of something big and help address the challenges of the climate crisis. Join members of the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) community to help develop an ACE National Strategy for the United States to accelerate a just transition to a resilient and low-carbon future.
Concurrent sessions (all times Eastern)
Lessons Learned from the Frontlines of K-12 Community Resilience Education
Wednesday, October 13, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Katya Schloesser, CIRES, CU Boulder; Sheryl Sotelo, Chugach School District; (Moderator) Sarah E Schoedinger, NOAA Office of Education; (Moderator) Carrie McDougall, NOAA Office of Education; (Moderator) Maggie Allen, NOAA Office of Education; Holly Thomas-Hilburn, Arizona Project WET, University of Arizona
During this panel discussion among NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program community resilience education grantees, we will explore the challenges and successes of working with urban and rural K-12 schools, teachers, and students as they consider the causes of, and potential solutions to, local climate change impacts addressed through action projects.
Litter Lessons: Project-based marine debris education through citizen science
Wednesday, October 13, 6:15pm - 7:15pm
Alexandria Brake, NOAA Marine Debris Program
Project-based learning (PBL) is a research-proven way to get students invested in environmental education. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program will demonstrate a variety of engaging lessons integrating PBL with citizen science data to inspire students to better understand and advocate for a sea free of debris.
Community Resilience Education: A Theory of Change Advances the Field
Thursday, October 14, 11:00am - 11:40am
Carrie McDougall, NOAA Office of Education; Sarah E Schoedinger, NOAA Office of Education; (Moderator) Maggie Allen, NOAA Office of Education; (Moderator) Maggie Beetstra, NOAA Office of Education
NOAA’s Community Resilience Education Theory of Change provides a framework for this growing field. We will present an overview and a recent grantee outcome mapping exercise. We will discuss how projects are moving toward long-term outcomes that advance equitable resilience. If you’re working in climate resilience, please share your thoughts.
Identifying Barriers to Youth Action and How to Overcome Them
Thursday, October 14, 11:00am - 11:40am
Grace Edinger, Earth Force; Elise Trelegan, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
To truly move people along the environmental literacy continuum, students must be practiced in taking action. Join NOAA and Earth Force in grappling with the real and perceived challenges of supporting student action. Participants will walk away with a new framing for better supporting this critical component of EE.
Taking Environmental Literacy to Scale
Thursday, October 14, 2:30pm - 3:10pm
Steve C. Kerlin, Stroud Water Research Center; Amity Sandage, Santa Cruz County Office of Education; Shannon Sprague, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office; Seaberry Nachbar, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; Amy Clark, NOAA Fisheries SERO; Nathan Corley, Louisiana Department of Education
States have made significant progress towards ensuring all students have meaningful environmental literacy programs built into their school day. This session will highlight strategic efforts from around the country that are supporting the establishment of sustainable, systemic environmental literacy programs at the state and school district level.
Cultivating Community Stewardship Through Aquaculture Literacy
Friday, October 15, 11:00am - 11:40am
Brianna Shaughnessy, NOAA Office of Education and Office of Aquaculture; Maggie Allen, NOAA Office of Education; Christos Michalopoulos, NOAA Office of Education
Join this discussion to learn how the eeBLUE partnership is supporting high-quality aquaculture literacy programs. Learn how cross-sectoral partnerships are improving public awareness of their local aquaculture industries and their connections to working waterfronts through NOAA’s Community of Practice for Aquaculture Literacy (CoPAL). Discover how you can get involved!
Breaking Barriers by Using Citizen Science for Environmental Education [NOAA partner presentation]
Friday, October 15, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Dixon Butler, Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists; Jennifer Bourgeault, Leitzel Center GLOBE Partnership at UNH; Roger Rose, Alpena School District; Samantha Battersby, Alice Ferguson Foundation
In this lively discussion, Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists (YLACES) grantees from schools and informal education centers serving marginalized students in both rural and urban settings will share how they incorporate environmental measurements and student research projects into climate education.
On-demand (prerecorded) sessions
Sessions available Monday, October 4 - Friday October 15 with 24 hour access.
Activating Youth to Engage Their Communities in City Climate Action Plans! [NOAA partner presentation]
Kristi Hibler-Luton, EcoRise; Sharon Huerta, EcoRise
Join EcoRise to hear about the inaugural year of the San Antonio Mayor’s Youth Engagement Council on Climate Initiatives. Through the lens of environmental justice, learn how students tapped into the history of their city and its policies to uncover actionable steps to engage their community in climate action.
Beat the Blues & Go Green: University Partnerships Preventing Marine Debris
Alexandria Brake, NOAA Marine Debris Program
It’s more than just campus clubs! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program will share success stories from impactful higher education partnerships across the country. The experiences of collegiate advocates working to keep the sea free of debris will inspire and uplift anyone engaged in post-secondary environmental education.
Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences in Galveston Bay [NOAA partner presentation]
Cindy Wilems, Galveston Bay Foundation; Karissa Laffey, Artist Boat
Nonprofit leaders in environmental education will explain how to integrate hands-on STEM in classrooms, build leadership and advocacy skills, and increase environmental literacy through unique community partnerships.
The Hurricane Resilience Curriculum: Connecting Communities and Environmental Science [NOAA partner presentation]
Lisa Gardiner, University Corporation For Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
An NGSS-aligned curriculum for hurricane-prone regions, Hurricane Resilience helps high school students explore how coastal risks are increasing as climate change strengthens hurricanes and tropical storms and produces more rainfall, how sea level rise increases the risk, and how our actions can help us be less vulnerable and more resilient.
Using Youth Climate Summits to inspire Climate Action Projects [NOAA partner presentation]
Jen Kretser, The Wild Center
Join The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program to learn how youth across the country and around the world are convening Youth Climate Summits and creating Climate Action Plans & Projects to implement in their schools and communities. Free resources including access to Summit Toolkit and join our growing community of practice!
Watershed Education When Students are on Your Screen [NOAA partner presentation]
Wendy Kedzierski, Creek Connections - Allegheny College
With funding to bring watershed-based STEM education to our local 21st Century Community Learning Center, we made a splash with virtual teaching and learning. Our summer program as well as spring after-school program introduced watersheds then used the Winter Salt Watch Program to conduct a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE).
Highlights from eeBLUE, NAAEE’s Partnership with NOAA
Bronwen Rice, NOAA Office of Education; T'Noya Thompson, NAAEE; Maggie Allen, NOAA Office of Education; Lauren Gibson, North Carolina State University; Lisa Kim, NOAA Office of Education; Brianna Shaughnessy, NOAA Office of Education and Office of Aquaculture
Together, NAAEE and NOAA are building capacity for environmental literacy by strengthening professional networks, disseminating best practices, and supporting high-quality STEM education. This session will highlight three eeBLUE projects: the Aquaculture Literacy Mini-Grants Program, Coastal Ecosystems Learning Centers (CELC) Youth Summit, and Watershed STEM Education Partnership Grants
Pathways to Green Careers: Increasing Representation in the Field of Sustainability [NOAA partner presentation]
Brittany Jayroe, EcoRise
Using the EcoRise Building a Green Texas Project as a guide, collaborate with fellow educators to explore how partnerships, school-year field experiences, and internships can expand the learning environment beyond school walls, generating feasible and replicable action steps for building pathways to green careers in your community for underrepresented youth.
Overcoming Barriers in Environmental Education through State Collaboration [NOAA partner presentation]
Grace Manubay, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education; Tamara E Peffer, PA Department of Education; Kirsten Jackson, Maryland State Department of Education; Anne Petersen, Virginia Department of Education; (Moderator) Steve C. Kerlin, Stroud Water Research Center
As state leaders, opportunities to collaborate are essential when overcoming barriers to environmental education. Join representatives from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, DC, in a discussion about integrating environmental literacy into state education priorities, and leveraging partnerships to advance environmental literacy goals in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Climate Resilience Education & Action for Dedicated Youth (Climate READY) [NOAA partner presentation]
Lauren Butcher, FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center; Anne Henderson, Pine Jog Environmental Education Center
Climate Ready is an innovative, 3-semester program that empowers high school students to become effective voices for climate resilience in their communities. The program prepares Climate Ready Ambassadors to educate younger students, teachers, and local residents about how their communities can build climate resiliency and work toward equitable climate solutions.