WyAEE News:
WAEE has a New (returning) President
From the WAEE President
North American Association for Environmental Education Annual Conference
North American Association for Environmental Education Announcements
Online Environmental Education Courses
Teton Science School
UW Science and Math Teaching Center
Wyoming Game and Fish Department Opportunities
Teacher Workshops Offered in Yellowstone National Park
WAEE has a New (returning) President
Beginning February of 2009 Sue McGuire became the new president of the Wyoming Association for Environmental Education. Sue replaces Duane Keown who held the position for two years and now returns to retirement from the University of Wyoming. Ex presidents continue to serve on the WAEE Board of Directors. This will be Sue’s second time at leading WAEE. She preceded Duane as president in serving from 2002-2007. She has led in Environmental Education many years, including holding positions with the NAAEE and in New Mexico where she was president of the New Mexico Association for Environmental Education. Following is a Message from the President.
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From the WAEE President
This is an exciting time as we see the potential for major changes in funding environmental education. There are currently two key pieces of legislation before Congress. One is the reauthorization of the National Environmental Education Act, which was first passed in 1990. It authorizes the EPA to award grants in environmental education. This year NEEA is up for reauthorization with an excellent chance of passing at a higher level of funding.
Additional legislation has been proposed that will support EE in schools. The No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) passed the House of Representatives last fall with large bipartisan support. It was not sent to the Senate for a vote, however, and died when Congress recessed. It will now be considered again in both houses of Congress this spring.
NCLI has two primary components. One component is to encourage states to develop Environmental Literacy Plans. These plans outline how students will achieve environmentally literacy by the time they graduate from high school. The plans will incorporate EE into state education standards and student assessments. The second component of NCLI will provide funding for the professional development of teachers, both in-service and pre-service, to help them incorporate EE into the classroom. For more detailed information, go to http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_sub_actioncenter_federal_NCLB
If both of these pieces of legislation pass, it will be the biggest step forward since 1990. They could have profound effects on both environmental educators and classroom teachers. WAEE is a member of the coalition advocating for these bills. I strongly encourage everyone to write Senators Enzi and Barrasso and Representative Lummis to ask them to support both bills. You can email our senators by going to http://www.senate.gov/ or contact their Wyoming offices.
Thanks for your support of this effort,
Sue McGuire
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North American Association for Environmental Education Annual Conference
October 7-10, 2009 NAAEE's 38th Annual Conference
The Power of Partnerships:
Creative Leadership in Environmental Education
Portland, Oregon
June 1 Conference Registration Opens
August 15 Deadline for Early Bird Registration
More information at <http://www.naaee.org/conference
Plenary Sessions
Wednesday, October 7 Welcome to Salmon Nation! Peter Donaldson more>>
Thursday, October 8 The Future of EE in North America Elizabeth Kilvert, Ruth McCully, Salvador Morelos Ochoa more>>
Thursday, October 8 A Sense of Wonder Kaiulani Lee more>>
Saturday, October 10 NAAEE Annual Awards Lunch Keynote Charles Jordan more>>
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North American Association for Environmental Education Announcements
NAAEE's News / Announcements
More information
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Online Environmental Education Courses
Education Online Courses offered through the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point:
Fundamentals of Environmental Education
Summer 2009 course dates: June 1st – August 21st
A 12-week online course about the fundamentals of environmental education is appropriate for both classroom teachers and for non-formal educators who work with students and/or teachers. Participants may obtain three undergraduate or graduate credits from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. All students, regardless of location, are eligible for the in-state tuition rate. The course is also offered at a reduced cost for those who are not interested in obtaining college credit. More>>
Making EE Relevant for Culturally Diverse Audiences
Summer 2009 course dates: June 1st – August 7th
This 10-week on-line course is designed to provide participants with the basic knowledge and skills needed to make EE relevant to culturally diverse audiences. Through this course participants will broaden their perspective of EE to encompass interests and issues of concern to culturally diverse audiences, assess barriers to participation among these audiences, and apply cultural competency skills in building relationships and partnerships with members of an audience they intend to work with in the future. Environmental educators must understand how to work with and involve diverse populations to ensure that their perspectives are heard and that they participate fully in environmental decisions being made at the local, regional, and national levels. More>>
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Professional Development Workshops at Teton Science Schools
Join the Teacher Learning Center of Teton Science Schools for an exciting lineup of summer professional development workshops. Register before April 1, 2009 and receive a 15% discount - or - Schools sending three participating teachers may send a fourth teacher to the same workshop at no cost.
Place-Based Education: Connecting to the Local in a Global Age (June 22-25, 2009) More>>
Wyoming Stream Team: Water Quality Monitoring Workshop (July 13-16, 2009) More>>
Teachers, Children and Nature: The Science and Math of Global Climate Change (July 26-30, 2009) More>>
Mountain West Leadership Seminar: Exploring Excellence and Innovation in Education (August 2-6, 2009) More>>
Learn more>>
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UW Science and Math Teaching Center Summer Programs
Teaching About Energy in Geoscience Courses – WORKSHOP
Community College Instructors and Curriculum Directors are encouraged to attend as well as High School Teachers and district curriculum directors. May 17-19, 2009 with an optional field trip on May 20th , 2009. The SER will cover lodging and meal expenses for fifteen Wyoming teachers / curriculum directors.
Application Deadline (March 9, 2009) has been extended for Wyoming High School Teachers and district curriculum directors.
Contact: James Myers 307-766-2203
Click here for more information and registration>>
2009 Energy Summer Institute
The School of Energy Resources in holding an “Energy Summer Institute” in Laramie June 7-20, 2009 for sixteen well-rounded 9th grade students and up to six teachers. Payment for room, board, instructional supplies, and travel to and from Laramie are paid by the School of Energy Resources. The SER will also pay for all group activities during the institute.
Applications are being accepted until April 10, 2009.
More information>>
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Wyoming Game and Fish Department Opportunities
National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) training (May 2nd, June 3-5, and June 15, 2009)
Project WILD workshop (June 15, 2009)
WILD about OREO Educator Camp in Dubois, WY (June 15-18, 2009)
Youth Conservation Camp (Aug. 2-7, 2009)
WY Hunting & Fishing Heritage Expo (Sept. 10-12, 2009)
More information>>
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Teacher Workshops Offered in Yellowstone National Park
The National Park Service (NPS) and its official educational partner, the Yellowstone Association Institute, are teaming up to offer a series of teacher workshops in the park this summer and fall thanks to generous funding from the Yellowstone Park Foundation. University credit and teacher in-service credit available. read more...
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