Awards
Each year, COEEA recognizes the hard work and dedication of deserving environmental educators and organizations to advance environmental literacy for all residents in Connecticut.
Nominations for the 2022 Awards are now CLOSED!
Awards will be announced and presented at the 2022 COEEA Annual Conference on October 06 & 07.
Nomination inquiries and questions should be directed to the COEEA Awards Action Team at awards@coeea.org.
Congratulations to our 2021 COEEA Award Winners!
Award Categories:
Environmental Educator of the Year
Awarded to an Environmental Education professional or classroom teacher who creates inclusive and equitable spaces to advance environmental literacy and education; promotes individual and societal environmental responsibility; and inspires others to take action through individual or group projects at a school or within the local community.
Outstanding Organization of the Year
Awarded to an organization for exceptional support of the field of outdoor and environmental education while addressing the systemic racism and environmental injustices that plague black, indigenous and people of color communities. The recipient will have mastered the use of the outdoors and natural world as a catalyst to strengthen the connection between all residents of Connecticut and their environment.
Excellence in Environmental Stewardship
Awarded to an individual, group, or organization that has engaged and motivated the public to take action to protect the integrity of our land, water and air in recognition of our environment as the foundation for a healthy and resilient community. By participating in advocacy, research, education, political action, public outreach or similar work, the recipient will have made a strong impact in (i) creating inclusive and equitable spaces to advance environmental literacy and education, (ii) fighting for environmental justice, (iii) inspiring others to become stewards of the natural world, and (iv) providing leadership to the state of Connecticut and the COEEA community regarding environmental initiatives.
How to Apply
NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2022 AWARD CYCLE ARE NOW CLOSED!
Please complete our online Nomination form and submit it with the items requested below, on or before 11:59pm on September 04, 2022.
Please note that online nominations cannot be partially completed and then saved. It may be helpful to consult the questions in advance, use a text editor to answer each question and then copy and paste the text into this online form. Late nominations will not be considered.
The nomination form includes:
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A short narrative of no more than 300 words describing why the nominee should receive the award this year
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A detailed description of no more than 400 words of specific actions the nominee has contributed to in recent years that meet the award criteria, particularly:
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How the nominee's actions have contributed to advancing environmental literacy for all residents of Connecticut, as identified within the Connecticut Environmental Literacy Plan.
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How the nominee's classes, programs or initiatives have ensured an inclusive and equitable learning space for all and/or addressed systemic racism and environmental justice.
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Up to three (3) attachments, such as letters of support from school administrators, colleagues, parents and/or students, samples of handouts, newspaper articles, newsletters, or any other material that supports the nomination.
The Selection Process
The COEEA Awards Action Team will review and evaluate each nomination and notify award winners by the end of September. Awards will be based on the merit and specific actions that each nominee has contributed to in recent years that meet the award criteria.
Award winners will be publicly announced and recognized at the 2022 COEEA Annual Conference on October 06 & 07. Details to follow via the COEEA listserv, here at the COEEA website, and our social media.
To Nominate
All current COEEA members may nominate an individual or organization for recognition.
Although nominees do not need to be a current COEEA member, their environmental education work has to serve Connecticut residents and/or take place in the state.
Individuals or organizations that have received an award in the previous year are not eligible for nomination. Please check our list of previous COEEA Award winners.