1. Sustainability

Building on last year’s theme, we continue to explore how sustainability education fosters learning for change essential to the transformation in our thinking, decision-making, and daily living. Among the principles of sustainability is the need to accept ecological, economic, and social limits to what we can accomplish. The future depends on our collective ability to learn the language and skills of sustainability and apply them successfully.

Sustainability Symposium

2. Conservation and Community Education

Environmental literacy is often built on a positive experience with natural spaces. Environmental quality results from a citizenry committed to community planning and public involvement. Innovative environmental education, communication, and social marketing engage both students and adults in working with businesses and governments to ensure a community reflects the conservation ethic of its residents.

Conservation and Community Education Symposium

3. EE Leadership Skills

EE professionals need leadership skills to bring people together, achieve success, and grow organizations. Whether you are managing a professional project, community nature center, state EE association, or an environmental program, you’ll need skills such as strategic planning, fund-raising, and communication.

Leadership Skills Symposium:
Strategies to become community leaders through environmental education

• Bill Hammond
• Ken Leinbach
  

4. Schools, Education, Achievement, and Literacy

Environmental education can play a role in updating and transforming what and how we teach so that students are better prepared to meet modern challenges. EE goals and approaches in early childhood, K-12, higher education, and teacher education continue to evolve in many exciting ways. Incorporating EE in our formal education systems presents an innovative strategy to increase student achievement.

Schools, Education, Achievement and Literacy Symposium

5. Joining Forces: Environmental Justice, Health, and Education

No group of people in our society should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from governmental and commercial operations or policies. Unfortunately, people of color and low-income individuals often are exposed to environmental conditions that endanger their health and quality of life. EE can help educate those impacted by and those who contribute to environmental justice and health problems by providing a forum for working toward solutions.

Environmental Justice Symposium:

• Hon. Keith Ellison, State Representative, House District 58B, Minneapolis, Chair of the Board of Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota
  
• Bunyan Bryant, Ph.D., School of Natural Resources and Environment, The University of Michigan
• Tom Goldtooth – Executive Director, Indigenous Environmental Network
• Eric Jolly, President of MN Science Museum
• Ernie Quintana, Regional Director of National Park Service, Midwest Region, Omaha NE
• Mildred McClain – Citizens for Environmental Justice, Savannah GA
• Charles Lee – EPA, Office of Environmental Justice (to be confirmed)