Thursday March 12th: Preconference all day workshops
Facilitator Training – Project Learning Tree
Facilitator Training – Project Wet
Full Conference: Breakfast Friday March 13th through - Grab-N-G0 breakfast Sunday March 15th
Lodging Information: Lodging for this conference is SEPARATE from PAEE Conference registration.
Call the conference center - 814-658-3500 to make your own reservation. The Lodge and a few cabins are available. Traditionally Raystown does not open lodging until April, but they do open for us early. Ask for the PAEE Conference discount. Be prepared with your credit card and expect the charge to be withdrawn at time of reservation.
*EE Certification: Three workshops will be offered during the conference toward PAEE EE Certification for Non-formal environmental educators. Please check the conference workshop list for titles and time. For more information on the certification, visit the EE Certification portion of this website. You may apply for the $200 Kathleen Paul memorial conference scholarship as you register, if you are pursuing the certification.
Speakers
Friday Night
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a remarkable history of conservation dating at least to the late 19th century when industrialization rapidly tool hold and when environmental resources were impacted and, in many cased, depleted by economic growth.
Conservation efforts are also apparent in the efforts of people who worked to conserve and protect environmental resources. Remarkably, however, this rich history has never been comprehensively documented,until now.
Join members of the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project to learn how academic research, interviews, technology and media are being used to create both a comprehensive archive, as well as useful tools to educate, about this important story. In addition to learning how you can be a part of the program, you will be invited to provide feedback on short vignette films of famous Pennsylvanians.
Act 48 hours Act 48 hours can be earned at the PAEE conference for every workshop, field study, and speaker attended. Signatures should be obtained from the presenter, room host, or a PAEE board member. An hour can be counted for visiting the exhibits by getting at least three exhibitors to sign that you visited their exhibit. The same is true for the Student Summit.
The Act 48 forms will be available at the registration table, and should be returned there before leaving.
Conference Committee
Heid Mullendore, Conference Chair
Beth Bollinger, Registration
Steve Wasiesky, Exhibits
Wil Taylor and Miranda Crotsley, Strand Development
Matt Marsden, Band Scheduling
Laura Micco, Friday Speaker Arrangements
Stacey Widenhofer, EE REsources Newsletter & Website
Douglas Orner, PAEE Website
Mike Weilbacher, Town Meeting
Kim Metzgar, Conference Brochure
Ruth Roperti, Advisor
Raystown Resort folks, Dan Genditki and Jenn Skipper
The PAEE Board support is provided through guidance oversight, advertising, the PAEE Annual Meeting, scholarships, financial planning, the award reception and presentations, ETC!
CONNECTIONS are what we all have in common in the field of environment and environmental education. We are all faced with the task and even personal imperative to build connections between the environment and those around us. And to do it well, how do we build lasting connections?
The 2015 PAEE conference provides workshops and experiences by people who strive to build connections every day. These workshops fit under four areas:
Teaching Methods - how do we use teaching methods to make the best connections?
Model programs - what programs exist to serve as effective models we can use in our own work setting?
Environment - what environmental issues exist and how to connect people to these issues and approaches to the issues?
End goals - how do we effectively achieve our end goals such as stewardship and sustainability as we educate?
Events
Friday Social and Networking Reception Don't miss this opportunity to meet other environmental educators from around the commonwealth and expand your network of colleagues.
Saturday Town Meeting
Environmental education is all about CONNECTIONS. How do we connect people to the environment and to their choices as stewards on this Earth? The Town Meeting provides a panel of educators who have been making those education and conservation connections throughout their careers: Donnan Stoicovy, award-winning principal of Park Forest Elementary in State College; Van Wagner, Earth and Environmental Science teacher at Lewisburg Area High School (keynote speaker) ; Jody Wallace, Environmental Educator Blair County Conservation District (2014 PAEE Environmental Educator of the Year) and Angela Belli, Professor of Education St Vincent College and secretary, PAEE Board of Directors. The town meeting is moderated by Mike Weilbacher, a former president of PAEE and director of the Schuylkill Center
Saturday PAEE Annual Award Reception PAEE honors those people and organizations that are outstanding in the field of environmental education. Join the Award Reception hosted by the PAEE Board of Directors, Saturday evening in the dining room, 5:15 pm – 6:30 pm. Greet the awardees and enjoy appetizers. Award presentations will begin at 5:30.
Entertainment Shavers Creek Raptor Show
Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center features an array of birds of prey in our Raptor Center. We care for more than 20 hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons, which are visible in their enclosures to all visitors, free of charge. All of our raptors are considered nonreleasable; most have suffered a permanent injury, which means their survival in the wild is not likely, due to loss of ability to fly, catch food, tear food apart, or perform similar survival functions. Our Raptor Center staff cares for these animals, providing food and clean shelter, and uses them as educational tools in our Traveling Naturalist Programs.
The public is invited to visit Shaver’s Creek on the weekends in April through November for Meet the Creek, a free public program where an interpreter answers questions and presents several birds to the public, giving you an up close look at the birds out of their enclosures.
Our current roster of resident raptors includes Bald Eagles, a Golden Eagle, Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Barn Owls, an American Kestrel, a Turkey Vulture, a Red-Tailed Hawk, and more.
Friday night band - The Ramblewood Bottle Washers The Ramblewood Bottle Washers are ambassadors of music native to the valleys that stretch through the Appalachians. Hailing from Lock Haven, Huntingdon, and State College, they have come to carry tunes of folk music that once may have been heard in barns, living rooms, and dance halls of a time ago. They find inspiration in creative and entertaining artists like Hank Williams, Doc Watson, and spotlights of Alan Lomax, among other telling folk songs and instrumentals. A diversity of genres and styles helps audiences to reflect on the past, and move their feet in the present. They enjoy playing at community events like fundraisers, festivals, and other social gatherings.
What To Bring Warm clothes for outdoor field studies, and some workshops, the patio campfire, nature meet-ups, or maybe a nice walk on the 400 acres at Raystown; Drink bottle and/or mug; toiletries; some spending money for the silent auction; notebook and pen or your computer ( the conference center is accessible ); musical instruments, songs, singing voices, poetry, and skits for campfire and impromptu gatherings; binoculars and life bird list; experiences to share; extra ee materials to give away; high expectations, and enthusiasm! Lodging has microwaves and small refrigerators, but no utensils, dishes, cups, pans, or dishes to microwave in.
Dress is casual. Some like to dress for the awards reception.
Ed Silcox General Scholarships
The general scholarship fund for PAEE was initiated by Ed Silcox. These scholarships are open to any conference participant.
For an application for these scholarships, click here
The Ed Silcox scholarship is so named, because the investment that supports it was donated and established by Ed Silcox.
Ed was a very active member of PAEE, often in a leadership role. Ed taught 7th grade at Radnor Middle School, near Philadelphia, where he created the Watershed Program. Two classes of 7th graders spend their 7th grade year fully immersed in everything environmental. All their subjects are taught within an environmental framework, with many projects, trips in the outdoors, and community activity included. Ed now resides in Alaska.
Kathleen Lydia Paul Scholarship
Funds collected through The Kathleen Paul Memorial Fund will go towards scholarships for the PAEE Conference, EE Certification, and for someone majoring in Environmental Education.
For more information on the the scholarship, or to make donations, click here.
Your generous donation will allow PAEE to continue to fulfill our mission with projects and programs that will provide the best possible environmental education programs to Pennsylvania’s citizens.
Pennsylvania Association Of Environmental Educators
PAEE's Mission
"The Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators unites, supports, and empowers a community of Environmental Educators throughout Pennsylvania."
PAEE is proud to serve as the Pennsylvania affiliate of the North America Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). The Affiliate Network promotes collaboration for maximum effectiveness and efficiency and a unified voice for Environmental Education across North America and beyond.
