The NAAEE Awards Committee announces the Call for Nominations for the 2008 NAAEE Awards. NAAEE members can recognize individuals and organizations that excel in EE through our annual awards program. Nominations must be received by April 18, 2008. (Please note that you or your co-nominator must be a member of NAAEE in order to nominate an individual or organization for an award.)

The Awards will be presented on October 18, 2008, at the 2008 NAAEE annual conference in Wichita, Kansas.

Please see the Web site for directions and access to online nomination forms.

Pictured here: 2007 Jeske Award Winner Joe Baust (left) and his nominator, 2006 Jeske Winner Terry Wilson.

Deadline: March 21, 2008
NAAEE is excited to announce a gathering of the environmental & conservation education community from across the US-Mexico Border to take place on June 25-27, in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Supporting partners are EPA Region 6 and the Environmental Education Exchange. We invite proposals in any of the following areas:
· Conservation Education and Community Involvement
· Education for Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility
· Community Participation and Strategic Partnerships
· Research and Evaluation in Environmental Education

Conferencia Fronteriza de Educación Ambiental
La fecha límite para enviar tu propuesta para presentar es Marzo 21.

Para más información sobre el encuentro y para someter tu propuesta para presentar, visita la página de la Coalición Fronteriza de Educación Ambiental (www.redeafronteriza.net).

Hyatt Regency Wichita and Kansas Grown Farmers' Market plan menu for 2008 Conference

The Hyatt Regency Wichita and the Kansas Grown Farmers' Market met February 12 to discuss possible menus for the 2008 NAAEE Conference. The next step in this planning process is a "tasting" for the Hyatt's Chef on March 8. The taste will consist of approximately 20 Kansas farmers providing examples of their products. Are you getting hungry?

Attendees of the 2008 NAAEE Annual Conference have the opportunity to walk through Wichita’s past. Old Cowtown Museum is a living history museum that opens a window to Wichita’s early years as a stop for cattle drives from Texas. In addition, the path connecting the museum’s visitor center to the main exhibit area is lined with samples of the tallgrass prairie that at one time covered most of the Great Plains. Just a few blocks to the east of Cowtown, the Mid-America All-Indian Center, along with the “Keeper of the Plains” plaza, pays tribute to the Native Americans who populated the region prior to the arrival of settlers. For more information, go to:
www.oldcowtown.org and www.theindiancenter.org.

Recently, 24,070 people voted to determine the 8 Wonders of Kansas! Come early or stay late and see some of our best natural and man-made attractions.

Here are a few:

Nomination Deadline: March 31, 2008
American Stars of Teaching recognizes and honors superior teachers with a track record of improving student achievement, using innovative instructional strategies, and making a difference in the lives of their students. These teachers will be highlighted as representatives of the thousands of teachers who are making a difference in the classroom.

Deadline: May 1, 2008
The Turnaround Management Association (TMA) 2008 Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes teachers who have changed the lives of students and communities in which they live. The program, funded by the John Wm. Butler Foundation, provides $5,000 cash stipends to three to five public or private school teachers and travel and lodging expenses to TMA’s 2008 Annual Convention and 20th anniversary celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana, October 27-29.

Nomination Deadline: March 15, 2008
This National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) award will be given to a secondary school teacher who has successfully developed and demonstrated an innovative approach in the teaching of ecology/environmental science and has carried his/her commitment to the environment into the community. Sponsored by Vernier Software & Technology, the award includes $1,000 toward travel expenses to the NABT Professional Development Conference, $500 of Vernier equipment, and a one-year complimentary NABT membership.

Call for Authors (Grades 7-9) Deadline: April 1, 2008
Call for Illustrators (Grades K-6) Begins May 1, 2008
May is American Wetlands Month! Get your students involved and engaged with the 2008 Write On! Wetlands Challenge. Science, reading, and the arts collide in this annual competition that first asks middle schoolers to compose a children’s book about wetlands and then asks elementary students to illustrate the winning manuscript. The theme for 2008 is “Marshy Migrations: Journey’s of Lifetime.” Each year, animals of all kinds (not just birds!) depend on wetlands for food and protection as they prepare for and complete their seasonal migration routes. Students should select one of these animals and write a story about their journey.
Contact: Carrie Fredland at intern-educate@wetland.org

March 7 - April 6, 2008 ~ Venice, Italy
The focus of the "Don't Hold your Breath" photography exhibit and conference series is on increased ethical-environmental awareness, developed by the Italo-Canadian artist Joanne Vanin and curated by Cristina Gazzola.

Conferences on various environmental topics lead by private and public entities will be held in conjunction with the exhibit.
· March 14: Environmental Illness
· March 18: Environmental Protection
· March 27: Environmental Education

Click on the exhibit title, and scroll down for English version

April 4, 2008 ~ Hamden, Connecticut
The Connecticut Outdoor & Environmental Education Association (COEEA) annual conference theme is “Your Environmental Workout”, includes informative presentations and lively discussion groups as well as hands-on workshops related to a variety of EE topics. For the first time, the conference will offer interactive tables where participants will get a chance to see easy-to-use demonstrations, ready-made lessons, and other fun ideas to take back and use right away. This conference offers great opportunities to build curriculum resources, strengthen your EE programs, and network with other educators who have an interest in outdoor and environmental education.
Conference Brochure >>

June 18-22, 2008 ~ Snowbird, Utah
Application deadline: March 14, 2008
The Institute is a five-day, intensive program designed for campuses working on ways to increase student engagement, inclusion, and high achievement. Leadership teams come to advance a specific educational change project and develop a plan for departmental, divisional, or campus-wide action.

May 16, 2008
The third annual national Endangered Species Day focus is on protecting imperiled species like polar bears, penguins, coral, migratory birds, salmon, and frogs from global warming. Visit the Web site for activity ideas for in and out of the classroom, including discussions about threatened and endangered species, guest speakers, essay and art lessons, and field trips. Resource materials, including sample curricula, are also available.

April 4 - May 16, 2008
The National Center for Atmospheric Research online courses for middle and high school science teachers combine geoscience content, current research, hands-on activities, and group discussion. Two optional graduate-level continuing education credits are available through the Colorado School of Mines Teacher Enhancement Program.

April 24-27, 2008 ~ Loudonville, Ohio
The 2008 Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO) conference "ROOTS - Bringing People Back to Nature," will provide participants the opportunity to learn, share, and experience the best practices of EE.
Learn more >>

May 7-9, 2008 ~ Seattle, Washington
Application Deadline: March 7, 2008
Apply now for Astronomy from the Ground Up's next free workshop for science, nature center, and museum educators! Thanks to support from the National Science Foundation, the workshop is completely free for participating educators. Offered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in collaboration with the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers, training is through a face-to-face three-day workshop. Participants get a free toolkit, learn fun techniques for presenting astronomy and interpreting current events, and become part of the growing Astronomy from the Ground Up community, with access to ongoing resources and support.
Contact: afgu@astrosociety.org

April 25-27, 2008
Expected to be New York city's largest environmentally-focused consumer expo, the 2008 Go-Green Expo will feature a variety of the latest eco-friendly alternatives.

October 3-5, 2008 ~ Hancock, New Hampshire
The NEEEA 2008 conference will take a close look at strategies for coming home to a community built around basic ecological principles. Conference strands will explore approaches for creating and nurturing communities through systems thinking. Call for proposals to be announced.

Courses held at NCTC ~ Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Sign up now to participate in National Environmental Education Week, April 13-19, 2008!

National Environmental Education Week, made possible by Canon USA, promotes understanding and protection of the natural world by actively engaging K-12th grade students and educators of all subjects in an inspired week of environmental learning and service before Earth Day. To date over 650 schools, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums from around the country have pledged to implement EE Week activities, and you can join them!

This year EE Week 2008 will focus on a special Carbon Footprints theme. Participants will have access to a wide variety of free environmental education resources, including:

· Standards-based environmental education lessons and activities, including special Climate Change Educational Resources developed by the Earth Day Network and an online Student Carbon Calculator;
· Monthly electronic newsletters highlighting the latest EE curricula, professional development, and funding opportunities;
· Opportunities for online communication and knowledge-sharing with educators from across the country, including a special EE Week Photo Blog made possible by Canon USA.

Questions? Email EEWeek@neefusa.org or call 202-261-6484.

You can join National EE Week’s efforts, promote environmental learning, and gain national exposure for your work by registering today at:

June 23-27, 2008 ~ Berkeley, California
August 9-13, 2008 ~ New York, New York
Center for Ecoliteracy professional development opportunities for schools and districts wanting to create learning connections between healthy school food and curriculum. Presented by the Center for Ecoliteracy and Teachers College Columbia University.

March 31 – April 25, 2008 ~ Online
The Cacapon Institute 3rd Annual Stream Cleaner Environmental (SCE) Forum offers students the opportunity to explore nonpoint source pollution, role play as stakeholders to draft position papers, support or challenge their peers across the internet, and work together to build a consensus solution. The SCE Forum is open to up to 30 high school classes -- urban, suburban, or rural – anywhere in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that has internet access. To see the lessons and format of the SCE Forum click on the phone on the Web site.

Green Theory & Praxis, a double-blind and peer-reviewed online journal, seeks essays and book reviews for its upcoming June and December 2008 issues that will situate themselves within the transformative nexus of sustainability education, critical pedagogy, ecocriticism*, *ecological politics and forms of permaculture. Please visit the journal's Web site to freely register, submit one's work online, and gain more information.

Deadline: March 13, 2008
Diversity, Learning, and Inclusive Excellence: Accelerating and Assessing Progress conference on October 16-18, in Long Beach, California, aims to help campuses take diversity efforts to the next level of comprehensive, coordinated action, where educational benefits for all students and for the institution more broadly, can be demonstrated in meaningful ways. In this new conceptualization, progress is marked by the integration of diversity and educational quality efforts as well as a move from isolated programs and course offerings to a network of policies and actions, including policies and actions around assessment.

Special Offer for Classroom Teachers! Free 1-Year Subscription to YES! Magazine.

YES! magazine is an ad-free quarterly journal published by the Positive Futures Network, an independent, nonprofit organization supporting people’s active engagement in creating a just, sustainable, and compassionate world. Our stories are about real people making positive change in the real world. They are stories of hope that are especially inspiring to young people.

YES! honors classroom teachers for engaging and inspiring the next generation. Thanks to the generosity of our funders we can provide K-12 classroom teachers and college faculty with a one-year introductory subscription at no cost.

Sign up now and start your free year of YES! with our next issue devoted to climate change solutions with compelling stories by Bill McKibben, Joanna Macy, youth, and others about what's needed for us to meet this global challenge.

Sign up today at:

The CAPCO Classroom Aerosol Adventure Kit contains all of the materials necessary to teach your students about the Earth’s protective upper ozone layer, CFCs, and aerosol products in a fun and active way. The kit includes a teacher’s guide, classroom activities, experiments, homework assignments, and the DVD, "Another Awesome Aerosol Adventure," created by the makers of "Beakman’s World." It is a perfect compliment to standard teaching materials and an excellent way to meet state SOLs. The kit is free and can be ordered or downloaded from CAPCO’s Web site.

News story by freelance journalist Jennifer Oladipo

It was not so long ago, and it still remains the case in many states, that
whenever budgets need to be tightened, environmental education gets squeezed out. But Teddie Phillipson, the director of the year-old Center for Environmental Education at the University of Louisville, said a growing respect for environmental education, backed by resources, means Kentucky's current budget crisis won't put environmental education in critical condition.

By Deanna S. Neil. Land of Curiousities is the first tale in a series of adventures with the Clifton family into Yellowstone, the year that it is declared the world’s first national park. The collection is staged around defining events and themes in the history of the environmental movement as told through the experiences of these courageous young fictional characters, James and Alice, who learn to protect each other and the environment. The first book, for ages eight and up, includes a real history section, and was inspired by real events and places.

By Laurie Olsen, Jhumpa Bhattacharya, and Amy Scharf. Cultural Competency: What It Is and Why It Matters illustrates the need to adapt services to be more respectful, effective, and appropriate to culturally diverse populations, by building mechanisms into organizations' daily operations that foster continual learning. Download the report:

Teens for Planet Earth (TPE) is an international program developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo. Visit TPE to learn more about the environment and conservation, develop a service-learning project that’ll impact your own corner of the globe, and gain recognition with TPE annual Service Awards. TPE also supports educators and adult leaders.

Walden Media is offering these interdisciplinary, downloadable educator guides to accompany their films and books. The lesson plans are written by educators for educators and comply with national standards in content areas.

One-third of amphibian species are currently endangered. Join the Amphibian Project and Amphibian Ark in celebrating 2008 as The Year of the Frog by educating your students about amphibians, their importance, and the current global crisis. You and your students can help protect amphibian species.

For only $55 (professional membership rate), you get a wealth of member benefits that include the new Members-only version of EE-News, discounts on conference registration and publications, access to our membership directory for valuable networking, the ability to influence NAAEE policy through participating in Committees and Commissions, and more !

Join Online >>

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This email bulletin is provided by NAAEE , with funding from the Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP). Read the latest EETAP Bulletin >> . EETAP is funded by U.S. EPA's Office of Environmental Education. The NAAEE promotes excellence in EE and serves environmental educators for the purpose of achieving environmental literacy in order for present and future generations to benefit from a safe and healthy environment and a better quality of life. Read the latest EETAP Bulletin >>

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