KAEE 2024 Conference

Is your EE program stuck? Do you want to expand your programming and increase your participation but are having trouble attracting new audiences? In this session we will use The Parklands of Floyds Fork S.E.E.D. program as a case study for program growth and capacity building.

The Outdoor Classroom program at The Parklands of Floyds Fork began in 2014 serving students throughout the Louisville, KY area. However, The Parklands quickly realized they were only serving schools that were able to afford the field trip fee. Schools who could not afford this fee were generally not participating. Upon further investigation of this issue, The Parklands found that both the field trip fee and the cost of bus transportation were the primary factors preventing students in Title 1 schools from visiting The Parklands for a field trip.

To address these barriers, The Parklands started the S.E.E.D. (Stewardship, Education, Exploration, Discovery) program. Students in the S.E.E.D. program attend Title 1 schools in the Louisville area and receive at least four hands-on science programs throughout the school year at The Parklands and in their schools. The Parklands waives all program fees and pays for bus transportation to and from the park. The S.E.E.D. program started in 2016 serving 900 students and is on track to serve 11,500 students in 2024.

This program was born by directly addressing the barriers to program participation in the Louisville community. The growth of this program did not happen overnight and required effective grant writing, planning and the cultivating of deep partnerships between The Parklands and the public school system. During this session, we hope to share the story of S.E.E.D. growth with other EE programs that are looking to expand their audience, grow their program capacity, and incorporate new audiences.

Activities
1. Story of S.E.E.D.- presenting the successes, failures, and challenges during program growth
2. Small group discussion - participants work in small groups to identify barriers to program participation in their own programs and potential ideas to break down those barriers.
3. Group presentation and Q and A- small groups will present their ideas and receive feedback from the group.

Learning Objectives
1. Participants will identify barriers to program participation for their audience- including things like transportation, program cost, and access to healthy food.
2. Participants will brainstorm ideas on how to eliminate the identified barriers to program participation through dialogue and discussion between peers.
3. Through coaching, participants will form ideas on how to break down the identified barriers to take back to their organization.

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.

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.

Join us for an interactive presentation that showcases fun and inspiring ways to encourage children to step outside and engage with the natural world. This session will feature a variety of hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and foster a love for nature. Attendees will learn effective strategies to motivate kids to explore their surroundings, from fun nature scavenger hunts to exciting wildlife observation games. Additionally, the presentation will delve into the wonders of gardening, offering practical tips on how to involve children in growing their own plants and understanding the life cycle of a garden. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or community leader, this presentation will equip you with creative tools to help kids discover the joys of outdoor adventures and the satisfaction of nurturing a garden.

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.