2019 AAEE Conference Schedule

Conference Overview

The 2019 AAEE conference is an opportunity to bring together EE professionals to share impacts and best practices and participate in professional development, so that collectively we can increase environmental literacy in our communities. So much great work is happening in Arizona and we’re excited to provide this venue to connect and enrich what we do.

Environmental education (EE) programs in Arizona should be as representative of our communities and inclusive as possible. With that in mind, it’s our goal to bring together as many different voices as possible and we’re so glad you’ll be one of them.

Check out our full list of presentations and descriptions here!

Registration Options

We have several registration options so that you may choose what works best for your interests and schedule.

Full Conference – Includes your choice of two pre-conference workshops on Thursday, all sessions on Friday, Saturday morning sessions and one Saturday field trip. Meals are included from Thursday breakfast through lunch on Saturday.
Pre-Conference Workshops Only – Includes two pre-conference workshops and all meals on Thursday.
Two-Day Conference – Includes all sessions on Friday and Saturday, plus a field trip and meals from Thursday’s welcome dinner to lunch on Saturday.
Friday One-Day – Includes all sessions on Friday plus Thursday’s welcome dinner and all Friday meals.
Saturday One-Day – Includes Saturday morning sessions and one afternoon field trip plus Thursday’s welcome dinner and breakfast and lunch on Saturday.

Conference Schedule

Thursday, September 12^th, 2019

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM	Pre-conference Workshops/Concurrent Sessions
9:00 AM	Project WET How does the Arizona Water Cycle Rule My World?	Project WILD Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program that focuses on wildlife and habitat.	Project Learning Tree: Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education curriculum designed for teachers, parents, community leaders and non-formal educators.	Earth Education "Helping people live more harmoniously and joyously with the natural world.”
12:00 PM	Networking Lunch
1:00 PM	Project WET Digging in to Increased Heat and Extreme Weather Events to Build Community Resilience	Growing Up WILD Growing Up WILD takes the best of the Project WILD curriculum and adapts it to learners from age 5-10.	Project Learning Tree: Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education curriculum designed for teachers, parents, community leaders and non-formal educators.	NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence - Intro to the Series. Learn how to prepare to become a certified environmental education professional through AAEE
4:00 PM	Committee Meetings in Crossroads Commons
6:30 PM	Welcome Reception at Natural History Institute

Thursday Pre-Conference Workshop Descriptions

Arizona Project WET

9:00 am – noon: How does the Arizona Water Cycle Rule My World?

The Southwest’s regional hydrologic cycle makes our lives and our quest for a sustainable water supply vastly different from other parts of the world. Participants will develop and use models to understand our interconnected natural systems and to demonstrate how Arizona’s water management systems are driven by energy (gain or loss) and the force of gravity. With themselves at the center their own regional water cycle, participants will construct explanations and design solutions as water managers and stewards of water resources. They will walk away with internationally acclaimed lessons applied to our region.

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Digging in to Increased Heat and Extreme Weather Events to Build Community Resilience

Engaging community members in building resilience to extreme weather events starts with climate literacy that leads to actions. Participants in this workshop will explore hands-on lessons, data resources, instructional practices, actions to reduce carbon, and citizen science initiatives that can be used with a variety of audiences. Bring laptops with Excel or Google Sheets available.

Project WILD

9:00 am – noon: Project WILD

Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program that focuses on wildlife and habitat. The mission is to help students in formal, informal, and non-formal situations learn how to think, not what to think, about wildlife and the environment. All curriculum materials are backed by sound educational practices and theory. The Project WILD! Terrestrial book has over 400 activities that can easily be integrated into any environmental education program.

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Growing Up WILD

Growing Up WILD takes the best of the Project WILD curriculum and adapts it to learners from age 5-10. The book is structured with 27 complete STEM lessons including background for the teacher, and activities that can be sent home. This is a great resource for those trying to conceptualize what a STEM Unit can look like and how to implement it.

Project Learning Tree

9:00 am – noon: Project Learning Tree (PLT)

An award-winning environmental education curriculum designed for teachers, parents, community leaders and non-formal educators. The focus of the curriculum is to make learning about trees and forests fun and engaging while also teaching critical thinking skills. PLT’s main goal is to teach children how to think, not what to think. This half day workshop will focus on hands-on lessons that can be utilized both indoors and outdoors with a variety of audiences.

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Project Learning Tree (PLT)

Earth Education

Earth Education

9:00 am – noon: Earth Education

Earth education is “the process of helping people live more harmoniously and joyously with the natural world.” It accomplishes this goal by developing exciting programs for children and adults, composed of skillfully crafted, sequential, cumulative, interactive, and dynamic learning experiences which focus on specific outcomes. Join us as we explore this approach through hands-on conceptual encounters and immersive experiences!

NAAEE Guidelines

1:00 – 4:00 pm: Introduction to the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education

The NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence Series is a framework for delivering sound environmental education in formal, non-formal, and non-traditional settings. Focused on best practices, this hands-on three hour workshop will provide an overview to the tools available for creating stellar programs for your organization. It will offer opportunities for collaboration with participants in similar fields and programs to work together and apply the Guidelines in their work. It is also an introduction to our Arizona Association for Environmental Education Basic Certification Program.

Friday, September 13^th, 2019

8:00 AM	Welcome by AAEE President (LoriAnne Barnett) & Morning Keynote (Thomas L. Fleischner, PhD. Director, Natural History Institute) Natural History: The Heart and Soul of Environmental EducationNatural history, broadly defined as "a practice of intentional focused attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy,” fosters inquisitiveness and passion for the world, and serves as the foundation for all natural sciences. At all levels, natural history can play a key role in energizing environmental education. Thomas L. Fleischner is a naturalist, conservation biologist, and long-time environmental educator. He is the Executive Director of the Natural History Institute in Prescott, Arizona, Faculty Emeritus at Prescott College, where he taught interdisciplinary environmental studies for 29 years, and Chair of the Natural History Section of the Ecological Society of America. His extensive writings include editing two recent anthologies — The Way of Natural History and Nature, Love, Medicine: Essays On Wildness and Wellness.
9:30 AM	Break
9:45 AM	Concurrent Sessions
10:30 AM	Break
10:45 AM	Concurrent Sessions
12:45 PM	Lunch & Learn: Find your people! EE Certified, Master Naturalists, ECE, Formal Ed, Non Formal Ed, Outdoor Adventure, Underrepresented Audiences
2:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions
2:45 PM	Break
3:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions
3:45 PM	Break
4:00 PM	Open Space Activity
5:00 PM	Poster Sessions – Visit Exhibitors
6:00 PM	Evening Keynote and Awards Dinner (Calvin Centåe Richards, PhD. Prescott College Director, Education and Professional Preparation) Inclusivity in EE Dr. Centåe Richards specializes in the resolution of social issues of inclusion and diversity that often materialize in education spaces. He has previously worked with K-12 students, staff, teachers, principals, coordinators, operations managers, human resource specialists, district directors, school district office officials, and board members. Dr. Richards currently looks for ways that adolescents use their ethnic and cultural identities in educational settings to create spaces of agency and alternative forms of learning that can inform and guide more traditional forms of curriculum in the classroom.

Saturday, September 14^th, 2019

8:00 AM	Breakfast & Morning Panel Discussion How do you EE? A sharing and learning session designed to explore the many ways EE is applied in fields beyond K-20 formal education, featuring a discussion of the intersectionality of inclusivity in working with diverse communities in Arizona.
9:30 AM	Break
9:45 AM	Concurrent Sessions
10:30 AM	Break
10:45 AM	Concurrent Sessions
12:15 PM	Break
12:30 PM	Lunch Green Chamber Roundtable
1:30 PM	Closing Remarks Announce Raffle and Prize Winners!
2-5:00 PM	Optional Field Trip to Natural History Institute	Optional Field Trip to Watson Lake for Kayaking (25 spaces, $30 fee)	Optional Field Trip to Heritage Park Zoo	Optional Field Trip to Tour the Embry-Riddle STEM Education Center	Optional Field Trip to Highlands Center for Natural History	Optional Tour of local Community and School Gardens in Prescott

Saturday Field Trip Descriptions

We are excited to host engaging field trip options included as a fundamental part of the conference. These field trip opportunities will provide hands-on learning, networking, and an introduction to some of the best environmental education locations around the Prescott area. Field trips will last approximately 3 hours (2 pm – 5 pm), including transportation time. Options include STEM education, natural history, outdoor adventure, sustainability, school gardens, animal sanctuaries, hiking, nature walks, and more. AAEE will do its best to accommodate attendees’ first choice selections, but some of the field trips will have limited space available. For specific details about the Field Trips Scheduled, view this page for more information.