KAEE’s 48th Annual Conference | Forging Paths for Environmental Education: Community, Conversations, and Creativity
Title Sponsor: Morehead State University | Drs. Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education
Land Acknowledgement Morehead State University and the surrounding area are located on the traditional lands of the Yuchee, Shawnee, and Eastern Band of Cherokee. Indigenous peoples have lived on the land we now call Kentucky for over 12,000 years. We want to acknowledge the deep history of this land and the people who still live here today. To learn more about this land and the land you call home, visit native-land.ca.
In spring 2024, students from Rockcastle County High School’s Gifted and Talented program and Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) Center for Environmental Education partnered on the students-teaching-students program "Environmental Days at Maywoods." This initiative involved EKU college students working closely with Rockcastle County High School students to deliver environmental education programs to 1st-3rd grade students from Madison and Rockcastle County elementary schools. The program provided significant leadership opportunities for both college and high school students and increased the potential for inspiring future environmental educators by engaging participants as active learners. The initiative also allowed high school students to interact directly with college students, fostering peer mentorship and collaboration. The success of this initiative highlights the value of partnerships between higher education and K-12 schools in increasing opportunities for active environmental education experiences. Moving forward, we aim to expand such collaborations to provide more opportunities for students-teaching-students initiatives in Kentucky, including an environmental education leadership camp for college and high school students. This session will provide an overview and summary of our experiences but will primarily serve as an interactive forum. Participants will share experiences, engage in brainstorming activities, and discuss opportunities for similar collaborative initiatives in K-12 and higher education settings across the state.
