Professional Development
In the ever-changing world and field of environmental education, we understand how valuable continuing education is to our members. This is why PAEE is excited and proud to announce our newly formed Professional Development Committee. This committee is devoted to bringing PAEE members meaningful, engaging and relevant monthly professional development sessions at no cost to PAEE members. Topics will vary by month and will be aligned to the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence for Professional Development of Environmental Educators.
The PAEE Professional Development Annual Themes are: Best Practices in Teaching, Assessment and Evaluation, Promoting Inclusivity, Research in an Evolving EE Field, and Best Business Practices. They are an adaptation of the NAAEE professional development framework themes for environmental educators and were chosen to collectively represent significant realms of environmental education.
We hope this Committee’s work helps you to expand your knowledge, make connections and reflect and assess your practices. Check this page for updates as information on speakers and registration becomes available.
Upcoming Opportunities
WILDlife and STEELS: the intersection of freedom and expectation
Monday, February 9, 12:00 PM
WILDlife is a 10-week drop-off program for homeschool families that bridges the wildness of outdoor education and the structure of a STEELS-based learning experience. Incorporating the new standards into a child-led outdoor educational framework takes an incredible amount of creativity and on-your-feet thinking. During this presentation we’ll discuss some of the ways our team has incorporated the new standards into a program that is continuously shifting, including some of our favorite highlights and a few we tossed in the trash.
Free for PAEE Members
$5 for nonmembers
Speaker: Anne Gageby, Director of Environmental Education, Strawberry Hill Foundation
Anne grew up right next to Strawberry Hill and has been a volunteer there most of her life. She grew up a feral mountain child who fell in love with the forest at an early age. Anne is a former school librarian who incorporated environmental education into her library curriculum every chance she had. She has a BA in Spanish, an MA in Arts of Teaching, an MS in School Library Media, is trained in the Growing Up Wild curriculum, and is a Master Watershed Steward through Penn State Extension. She serves on the Penn State Extension County Council and is a veteran of the US Army. Anne still considers herself a feral mountain child and probably always will.
PAEE/ELIT Virtual PD Session
Thursday, February 19, 3:00 PM
Are you up to code? Is your website user-friendly-for-all? Get the basics on the newest ADA compliance and guidelines for your online presence. Come with questions and concerns for discussion as we dive into the inner workings of the web.
Join the ELIT Hub and PAEE community virtually for this free session!
Northcentral In Person Event - Tiadaghton Resource Management Center
Friday, March 20, 10 AM - 2:00 PM
Connecting Climate Change and Agriculture: Increasing Knowledge of Local Foods and Regenerative Agriculture
Monday, March 23, 6:00 PM
Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Nurture Nature Center used a multidisciplinary approach to engage audiences in climate change education, including hands-on demonstrations of the impact of different soil and water management practices for agriculture. Program components focus on soil health and rainfall infiltration, the role they play in climate change and what actions can help mitigate impacts. This focus is built through science educational programming and a soil art workshop.
This presentation will provide an overview of the project and dive into details about the educational program and demonstrations being used including a 5-pan rainfall simulator that shows how rain runs through 5 different soil types which allows for comparison/education (5 soil types: conventional tillage, diverse cover crops/no tillage, overgrazed pasture, rotational grazed pasture, and a natural forest system, for example). Participants will come away with ideas and resources for integrating these concepts, approaches, and information into their educational settings.
Free for PAEE Members
$5 for nonmembers
Aquatic Academy: A Collaborative Approach to Water Stewardship
Thursday, June 18, 12:00 PM
In Pittsburgh, water reliably reaches our tap every day. It is so ubiquitous and fundamental to our lives that it is hard to imagine life without easy access to clean and safe water in our home. It is also hard to envision the multitude of environmental and human factors that affect water quality, the health of our waterways, and the diligence required to manage this vital resource in a changing world.
This session will explore how Allegheny Land Trust and Pittsburgh Water partnered on a DEP Environmental Education grant to launch the Aquatic Academy: Becoming Water Wise on our Waterways. In a series of four workshops, more than 65 educators had the opportunity to explore the Pittsburgh Water Treatment Plant, learn how land and water choices affect human health, tour a green infrastructure project in the City of Pittsburgh, and even conduct a “nurdle patrol” via kayak on Sycamore Island, monitoring for microplastics in our waterways.
We’ll discuss meeting STEELS standards, planning and preparation, and where we see the Aquatic Academy growing and strengthening in the future.
Free for PAEE Members
$5 for NonMembers
Cozy up with a warm drink and join The Outdoor Learning Store for these online courses & virtual presentations in January & February…
Do you have an idea or an opportunity for our Professional Development Series? Contact us!
