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Date: December 09th 2023

Location: greater New Haven area (TBD), CT

 

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Please complete the registration form to register to the event

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Registration includes access to the workshops and networking events throughout the conference. Boxed lunch, snacks, and refreshments will be provided.

As a registered participant, you will also have the opportunity to submit your best Outdoor & Environmental Education picture to our Annual Photo-Contest. Share your special 2023 moments with our community and take a chance to win prizes!

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​Tentative schedule:

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REGISTER FOLLOWING THIS LINK

2023 COEEA Annual Conference

Schedule
Registration
Workshops

WORKSHOPS

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9:00 - 10:30 am

Using Project Learning Tree to Promote Forest Literacy

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Beth Bernard - Connecticut Forest & Park Association

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Do you want to support the environment, health, and economy of your community by promoting forest literacy? Learn how to include forest literacy in your programs by using Project Learning Tree (PLT). PLT is an award-winning environmental education program aligned with NGSS learning standards and designed for classroom teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12. This interactive workshop will explore many of the new PLT resources on topics including forest literacy, climate change, urban forests, green jobs, and more. In 2017, PLT partnered with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc., an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the future of our forests and promoting sustainable forest management. We will review PLT's Forest Literacy Framework and discuss ways to integrate forest literacy into your educational efforts. This is a great update for those who have attended PLT workshops in the past, and is also appropriate for someone new to PLT.

Environmental Education Messaging

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Nicole Freidenfelds & Gustavo Requena Santos - COEEA

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How can we most effectively talk about the value of environmental education, in a way that resonates with members, potential members, supporters, and partners? Participants in this workshop will learn how to apply NAAEE's recently revised messaging platform to better reach their target audience. Are you interested in... Donor communication? Talking points for a new initiative? Social Media campaign? Annual report letter? Media interview? Grant application? Start thinking about what YOU would like to create. Each participant will begin building their own communication piece, using the new NAAEE messaging tool, during this active-participation workshop.

10:45 am - 12:15 pm

How to Use Indigenous History to Create a Brighter Future

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Darlene Kascak - Institute for American Indian Studies

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Darlene Kascak is the Education Director at The Institute for American Indian Studies, a Traditional Native American Storyteller for the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, and a member of the Schaghticoke Women’s Traditional Council. Darlene’s experience as an educator, tour guide, museum assistant and Traditional Native American Storyteller has taught her the importance of educating both young and old about the many misconceptions and stereotypes about her ancestors. Darlene joined the task force to advise the Connecticut State Department of Education in creating the new Native American studies model curriculum for Connecticut.

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In this workshop, participants will learn how the Quinnetukut's Indigenous people interacted with and shaped their environment, keeping things in balance for over 12,000 years. Indigenous people are raised to view the world differently. At an early age, they are taught through oral traditions to respect all living things as equals with the same rights as human beings. From one generation to the next, as they learn by doing and experiencing, relationships with the land and its resources are developed and nurtured to ensure that future generations can enjoy all the gifts the land offers. Sharing this traditional knowledge in the classroom empowers the next generation of students to view things in a different way, bringing about the much-needed change we need to heal this land and our relationships with other living beings.

Institute for American Indian Studies - LOGO.jpg

YOUTH-PANEL

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​A panel of youth representing 4-5 initiatives across Connecticut will be put together to share their stories of success and challenge in organizing in their community to advance environmental literacy & climate education, and fight environmental injustices. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about these amazing local initiatives and have an open discussion on how we, as an Environmental Education community, can leverage our expertise, experience, and resources to better support their work.

 

Stay tuned for upcoming updates on panelists and send questions you might be interested to learn from them to conference@coeea.org !

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Youth-Panel

AFFINITY GROUPS

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​To better connect like-minded attendees during our conference this year, we are dedicating some time for networking in affinity groups. Attendees that share a common interest or lived experience can tap on that commonality to discuss potential collaborations, assess the current state of affairs in the region, celebrate their successes, or even organize for the future. Our goal is to further foster an environment for authentic connections and learn from you how COEEA can best support our diverse community of Environmental Educators.

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If you are interested in organizing a particular affinity group meeting, reach out to us at conference@coeea.org and we will list here active groups so attendees can even plan ahead!

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Stay tuned for upcoming updates on Affinity Groups in this space!

Affinity Groups
Sponsorship

2023 COEEA CONFERENCE SPONSORS

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SPONSORS

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​COEEA has always been able to keep our programs free and our conferences affordable due to our funders and sponsors.

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If you are interested in supporting COEEA's work in promoting advancements in environmental literacy for all residents of Connecticut, please consider becoming a sponsor today and contact us at info@coeea.org!

 

Your sponsorship will help COEEA keep:

 

  • Supporting Green LEAF schools across the state to achieve every day environmental improvements in their school grounds and with their students

  • Offering network opportunities and free training and resources to students and environmental education professionals

  • Providing funds through Mini-Grants to locally relevant, meaningful, experiential learning projects that advance diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice in environmental education initiatives aligned with the goals of the Connecticut's Environmental Literacy Plan

  • Recognizing the hard work and dedication of deserving environmental educators and organizations with our Awards

  • Organizing our affordable Annual Conference, a great opportunity for anyone interested in environmental education  to attend workshops, learn from and be inspired by environmental education leaders, listen and share experiences and projects with like-minded, motivated professionals

You can still help!

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If you enjoy learning, listening, and sharing experiences with EE friends and colleagues in our Annual Conference and want to join us to make our annual event better, more engaging, and more inclusive, please contact us at conference@coeea.org. Your help would be greatly appreciated in:

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  • Planning & setting up the event

  • Seeking sponsors

  • Advertising & promoting the conference

  • Collaborating & having fun with like-minded professionals
You can help
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