National Provider: U.S. Forest Service (USFS) The U.S. Forest Service is the government agency tasked with managing protected forests all around the country. The mission of the agency is twofold. The forest service aims “to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations” (This Is Who We Are, 2019). The mission touches on the health of the environment and its citizens. The agency reaches future generations through many educational initiatives. The USFS website contains both direct resources provided by the forest service and connections to outside environmental education organizations. The USFS supports environmental education from a variety of angles. There are many programs intent on connecting children with nature and fostering environmental ethics. The agency is also a great resource for field experience and expertise. Employees of the USFS who do not work directly with education efforts are still great resources for knowledge. Environmental educators can find both professional development resources as well as classroom resources on the website.
One professional development tool that I thought sounded interesting was the Forest for Every Classroom (FFEC) program. This is a year-long program that dives into the value of place-based learning. It provides educators with the space to practice developing curriculum that focuses on stewardship, sense of place, and civics. This program also can provide educators with graduate credits (Conservation Education - Professional Development, n.d.). Another part of the website I can see myself using is their educational partnerships page. The page highlights partnerships between teachers, nonprofit organizations, and other agencies. It could be helpful to check up on different spotlights partnerships to learn about organizations I might be interested in contacting or learning more about. Conservation Education - Education Partners, n.d.).
Support Service: The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) The NAAEE is a great resource for environmental educators. Many of the other websites I visited had resources coming from the NAAEE. The organization aims to use “the power of education to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement to create a more equitable and sustainable future” (NAAEE, n.d.). On their website, the NAAEE further divides its mission into three sections. The first section of their mission is a drive for excellence. The organization strives to provide the highest quality resources and professional development experiences. Within this drive for excellence, there is an emphasis on innovation (Driving Excellence, 2018). The next portion of the organization’s mission is cultivating collective impact. The NAAEE attempts to foster a collaborative community with “an annual international conference to online forums, regional gatherings, and other opportunities for learning, sharing, and promoting best practices” (Cultivating Collective Impact, 2018). The final component of the organization’s mission is to use their community to amplify their voices to support environmental education efforts. This section is labeled mobilizing support (Mobilizing Support, 2018).
The first program I would want to use from the NAAEE website is their eePro initiative. The NAAEE provides this online forum where individuals can join targeted group discussions on specific environmental education topics. Some of the groups such as early childhood EE and k-12 EE would be helpful for my personal development as an environmental educator. These groups could connect me with other creative educators to get ideas for curriculum development or problem-solving. Other groups focus on scale within environmental education such as the Global EE group. Other groups that I would find interesting are the Advocacy, Policy, and Civic Engagement group, and the Data Literacy group. The initiative currently advertises 17 distinct groups that focus on specific topics in environmental education (Groups, 2016). Another NAEE program I plan on using is their EE certification process through affiliated state programs. I will discuss the specific Colorado certification below. The NAEE ensures all approved certification programs are recognized on a national level. This is extremely convenient if I plan on pursuing a career in environmental education outside the state of Colorado (EE Certification, 2021).
State Provider: The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) ACES is a nonprofit that has been supporting Colorado’s environmental education efforts since 1968. The organization focuses on providing environmental programs to people of all ages. Their “programs focus on ecological literacy, regenerative agriculture, forest and ecosystem health, land restoration, and environmental leadership” (Our Story, 2019). The organization engages in many educational programs such as instruction in schools, summer camps, adult programming, guided hikes, and field programs.
I found numerous initiatives from the organization that I thought could be useful for my own development as an environmental educator. The two most exciting were the adult programs and the Summer Naturalist Position. The ACES’ Naturalist Field School provides short college-level classes that I could use to advance my own knowledge and connection to environmental science. The ACES Burlap Dinner series is an adult program in which I would love to participate. These events are community meals that bring people together for food and conversations surrounding agricultural systems (ACES Adult Programs & Experiences, 2021). Finally, the summer naturalist position (and the summer educator position once I graduate) is a cool summer job opportunity at ACES. This position seems to be a summer job that incorporates a lot of professional development opportunities for emerging environmental educators (Work at ACES, 2021).
Support Service: The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) CAEE has a mission similar to the NAAEE, but limited to Colorado. The CAEE uses the same three sub-sections for their mission statement: driving excellence, fostering collaboration, and mobilizing support. The two organizations are intertwined and have very similar values. The CAEE specifically values equal opportunity and inclusivity surrounding environmental education in Colorado. They intend on using education to foster environmental literacy within the community (Who Is CAEE?, n.d.).
One way I am planning on interacting with this organization is through their environmental certification. I hope to apply for master level certification at the end of TREE (Certification | Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE), n.d.). Another program is the Careers in Natural Resources Initiative which has resources for youth exploring the idea of a career and your adults seeking jobs in natural resource industries. The CAEE and the Colorado Youth Corps Association co-lead this initiative. The program provides information about who hires for natural resource positions, higher education opportunities and certifications in Colorado, help with job searches and applications for government positions, and tips to be a good candidate. This initiative is something I could use for my own personal development or share with older youth (Job Seekers, 2019).
Works Cited
ACES Adult Programs & Experiences. (2021, May 25). ACES. https://www.aspennature.org/programs_experiences
Certification | Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE). (n.d.). CAEE. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://caee.org/programs/learn/certification
Conservation Education - Education Partners. (n.d.). USDA Forest Service. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/conservationeducation/education-partners
Conservation Education - Professional Development. (n.d.). USDA Forest Service. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/conservationeducation/educator-toolbox/professional-development
Cultivating Collective Impact. (2018, April 9). NAAEE. https://naaee.org/our-work/cultivating-collective-impact
Driving Excellence. (2018, April 9). NAAEE. https://naaee.org/our-work/driving-excellence
EE certification. (2021, June 9). NAAEE. https://naaee.org/our-work/programs/certification
Groups. (2016, January 12). NAAEE. https://naaee.org/eepro/groups
Job Seekers. (2019, November 12). Careers in Natural Resources Initiative. https://nrcareers.org/job-seekers/
Mobilizing Support. (2018, April 9). NAAEE. https://naaee.org/our-work/mobilizing-support
NAAEE. (n.d.). NAAEE. Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://naaee.org/
Our Story. (2019, September 11). ACES. https://www.aspennature.org/about/mission-history
This Is Who We Are. (2019, March). USDA Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/This-is-Who-We-Are.pdf
Who is CAEE? (n.d.). About CAEE | Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE). Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://caee.org/about-caee
Work at ACES. (2021, August 6). ACES. https://www.aspennature.org/careers