KAEE 2024 Conference

Let's talk climate change education, outreach, and communication in this interactive session presented by UK Extension and the Kentucky Climate Consortium. As environmental educators, we have both the great challenge and great opportunity to communicate with our audiences about climate change, and to join them in taking hope-filled action steps to help mitigate extreme effects and risks.

In 2023, the UK Soil & Water Extension team and the Kentucky Climate Consortium administered a state-wide survey of Extension personnel aimed at better understanding the gaps and goals identified by these professionals regarding climate change communication. Although the survey had an Extension specific audience, the findings and gap-filling resources being developed, can be applied to any audience. Session presenters will share survey results, overview ways they are working to fill identified gaps, and get YOUR valuable feedback to see how the university can better support all Kentuckians as we work toward building a more resilient future.

Walk away with new climate education resources and communication strategies aimed at increased climate awareness, engagement, and action.

Red Oaks Forest School has developed a model of nature-based programming that addresses important themes in EE such as STEM learning, community science, advocacy, diversity, climate, and more from early childhood through adolescents. A key component of this programming has been the collaboration with community partners to act as hosts and provide access to diverse landscapes across Central and Eastern Kentucky. In this session, Red Oaks will spotlight programs that feature various stages of childhood development, partners, and curriculum insights we have developed that can be adaptable to a variety of settings. Red Oaks will provide specific examples of program goals, tools, outcomes, and suggestions on how to adapt these programs to a traditional school model if desired. Nature-immersion is a core value of Red Oaks so while ideas and takeaways are adaptable to a variety of school settings, they do require access to the outdoors in some way. A sneak peek into the programs Red Oaks will discuss include STEM and community science for grades k-6, building resilience while learning about historical and current BIPOC leaders in Kentucky for grades 2-5, and environmental advocacy in adolescents.

Each person is unique, as are their interests. However, the landscape of EE is dominated by science-based learning—a subject that doesn’t appeal to everyone. In this workshop, we will discuss the value of interdisciplinary studies in EE programming and practice (through case studies and provided mock lessons) incorporating not just science, but history, math, literacy, the arts, and physical/mental health and wellbeing. While this session will be geared primarily towards youth programming, there can be important take-aways for programs of any demographic. Participants are welcome to bring their own program guides and lesson plans as well.

Johnson Elementary School's Eco Club, in collaboration with our school's administration, is excited to propose a session for the upcoming annual conference titled "Empowering Students to Lead Sustainable Practices." Our proposal aligns with the conference theme of Forging Paths for Environmental Education: Community, Connections, and Creativity and specifically addresses the strands of Education in Practice and Community Engagement.

At Johnson Elementary School, our Eco Club members have taken the lead in implementing various sustainability initiatives within our school and community. These initiatives include whole-school recycling, Terra cycling, composting, electrical energy conservation, water conservation efforts, and the development and maintenance of an outdoor classroom. Through these efforts, we have not only transformed our school into the first US Department of Education Green Ribbon School in Northern Kentucky but have also created a culture of environmental stewardship and synergy among our students and staff.

In our proposed session, we will share the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from our journey towards sustainability. We will discuss how student leadership has been instrumental in driving change within our school, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among our students. Additionally, we will highlight our plans to grow food for our cafeteria and enhance our nature trail with native pollinator-friendly plant species.

Our session will provide practical insights and strategies for educators and environmental advocates looking to empower students to lead sustainable practices in their schools and communities. We believe that our experience at Johnson Elementary School serves as a valuable case study for promoting environmental education, equity, and inclusion, as well as fostering community engagement and capacity building.

We are excited about the opportunity to share our story and hopefully inspire others to act towards a more sustainable future within their own buildings. We look forward to contributing to the conference program and engaging with fellow educators and environmental advocates. Thank you for considering our proposal.

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.

This presentation will outline the Nature Explorer Program: A supplemental environmental education program for homeschool families provided by extension staff at Kentucky State University’s Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC). During this 10 month program, home school groups from Franklin and surrounding counties are able to visit Kentucky State’s EERC on a biweekly basis to engage in collaborative and experiential opportunities in Kentucky’s natural areas. This informational session will allow participants to walk through the process of building their own long-term, nature-focused homeschool program from start to finish, including but not limited to: curriculum building, community engagement, and assessments.

Harnessing younger students’ innate curiosity about the natural world and desire to protect it can be done with hands-on classroom activities that build STEM skills, increase environmental literacy, foster environmental stewardship and encourage creative thinking about sustainable paths forward.

In this session, the presenter will facilitate a series of interdisciplinary lessons that involve collecting and analyzing data, creating 3D models and concept maps, and working collaboratively on solving authentic problems related to human ecology. Activities support Kentucky Academic Standards, especially Earth and Human Activity (Disciplinary Core Idea - ESS3C). Participants will receive lesson plans and background materials in an electronic format, along with links to digital tools that can be used in and out of the classroom and environmental education center.

After a brief introduction on the ecology concepts to be presented, the presenter will lead participants in several hands-on activities. These include:
• an interactive story about a local river, how different communities have affected that ecosystem over time and strategies for taking care of the area.
• small groups will create concept maps connecting cause-and-effects relationships between people’s activities and environmental trends.
• participants play a game on sustainable research management

The presenter will lead discussion on how the activities can best be incorporated into classroom and nonformal education programming.

Come learn how to bring America's best idea to your classroom or school! OutSCIder Classroom (https://www.youtube.com/@OutSCIderClassroom) is a web-based video series that teaches students science concepts and environmental stewardship through videos and paired instructional materials. Our goal is to Impact student science learning outcomes, increase student interest in STEM careers, inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists. Participants will partake in a OutSCIder inquiry-based lesson and learn how to access instructional materials for implementation in the classroom.

This session will focus on multiple approaches to creating meaningful, engaging, purposeful, and joyful programs or lessons. Building off of the basic "fundamentals" of a quality lesson, attendees will think about ways to bring their lessons to the next level of success. Utilizing song and dance, rhythm and rhyme, kinesthetics and earworms, we'll approach topics from a joy building view with the final goal of attaining a higher level of comprehension, retention, and action from lessons.

Whether you’re interested in getting your foot in the door and/or being invited back for more, this interactive session will have you thinking about ways to ensure that your EE presentations are standards-based and include research-based best teaching practices. With pressure to address state standards during every lesson and prepare students for high-stakes testing, teachers want to know that your lesson meets the strict criteria expectations of their administration and is worth giving up a day away from the prescribed curriculum. During this session you will participate in a popular EE curriculum activity and practice using a tool to examine it, as well your own lessons, to see if they tick all the boxes for success. This session is appropriate for “Newbies” to EE, folks interested in becoming KY Green Schools mentors, and “Old Pros” wanting to examine the effectiveness of their current EE programming.