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

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

Dare 2B Tick Aware - Preventing Tick Bites & Tick-borne Diseases

Monday, July 27 at 6:00 PM

This program strives to improve the use of prevention strategies, reduce tick bites, and improve early diagnosis – using the most current research available. The program standardizes prevention messages across the state through seminars, printed materials, webinars and social media.
Seminar Covers:

PA Lyme Statistics
Tick Background & Diseases They Carry
Habitat and Behavior
Life Cycle & Transmission
Prevention: Personal, Yard, Pets
Acting if bitten by a tick
Recognizing early symptoms

**Reminder – While the Dare 2B Tick Aware presentation includes a few slides regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne infection symptoms, this is not a Lyme disease seminar and facilitators do not discuss diagnosis, testing or treatment.

Free for PAEE Members
$5 for NonMembers

Promoting Discussion: Discussion in Action (The Lawrence Hall of Science)

Thursday, November 5, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 PM EST

Not a member of their professional learning platform? Registration for this workshop is on them! Use the code DISCO at checkout to register for free!

Discussion is a tremendously powerful tool for students to engage in learning. From formulating one’s own ideas into words to listening to others’ ideas, discussion supports learners to grow and strengthen their conceptual knowledge, to connect back to their own and their peers’ lived experience, to share cultural knowledge and expertise, and ultimately, to make better sense of the world. It is often in discussion where student ideas and experiences can be centered, not just the teacher’s. Discussion also supports educators to better understand what learners are thinking and to make instructional decisions based on student experiences.

In this session, participants are invited to:

Reflect on past experiences leading or participating in discussion, and what made them feel successful or not successful.
Grow their understanding of the role discussion plays in the learning process, specifically in scientific meaning-making.
Experience a wide variety of discussion routines and strategies, and discuss their potential impact on student learning.

This session is adapted from the BEETLES session, Promoting Discussion. Participation in this session is encouraged (though not required) as a prerequisite for the future session, Promoting Discussion: Applying Strategies and Tools.