53rd Annual NAAEE Conference
Building Bridges

Pittsburgh, renowned as the city of bridges with an impressive 446 structures spanning its rugged terrain, stands as a testament to the power of connectivity. These bridges, which gracefully cross the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and other waterways, have set a world record, symbolizing unity across neighborhoods once divided by landscapes of deep valleys, steep hillsides, creeks, and rivers.

Our 2024 conference draws inspiration from Pittsburgh's iconic bridges, celebrating their symbolic significance while embracing our theme of "Building Bridges" to address challenges in the environmental education landscape. In a world grappling with complex environmental and social issues, ranging from climate change to injustice, collaboration and understanding are more crucial than ever.

We seek to spotlight environmental educators as natural bridge builders. Focused on bridging gaps across borders, disciplines, and ideas, our event aims to foster mutual understanding and explore how to discover common ground. We recognize the pivotal role environmental educators play in developing solutions by dismantling barriers in communities, working collaboratively across borders, nurturing innovative partnerships, and amplifying program impact.

Advancing Civic Engagement and Sustainable Communities

Creating sustainable, equitable, and resilient communities through partnership building, civic engagement, personal decision making, systems thinking, connecting community and environment, and understanding historical impacts on underserved and marginalized populations

Sessions address such topics as:

Achieving environmental integrity, social equity, environmental justice, and economic prosperity through education and authentic engagement of all communities
Incorporating culturally rooted practices into our work and understanding how people from different backgrounds relate to, engage with, and care about the environment in urban, suburban, and rural communities
Creating grassroots partnerships for community improvement; characteristics of successful community action projects
Demonstrating strategies, tools, and training for finding common ground when addressing controversial issues
Linking environmental education and civic engagement and building networks to scale up community efforts into effective change.
Highlighting successful examples of how environmental education can effectively achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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Educating for a Changing Climate

Highlighting innovative approaches and best practices in climate change education to help learners of all ages understand climate impacts and solutions and overcome barriers to spur effective action

Sessions address such topics as:

Reducing climate anxiety and fostering hope for the future
Addressing climate change and building more resilient communities with education and civic engagement.
Addressing the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and working toward a just transition.
Preparing educators to teach about all aspects of climate change, from climate science to climate justice and community solutions
Building public awareness, support, and policies for climate action
Incorporating climate change across all grade levels and subjects in preschools, primary and secondary schools, and in universities, and nonformal education organizations

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Conservation and Environmental Education

Achieving conservation goals through education, communication, social marketing, and ecotourism strategies, including public participation in scientific research and place-based community action

Sessions address such topics as:

Integrating education strategies into the broader practice of conservation
Increasing equity and inclusion in the conservation movement
Applying current research on behavior change in conservation education initiatives
Demonstrating effective education strategies for addressing specific conservation issues such ecosystem restoration, ocean conservation, food systems, energy, and water
Showcasing effective collaboration between conservation educators, scientists, resource managers, and practitioners in formal and nonformal education settings
Highlighting successful tools, approaches, and educator preparation for bringing community-based science to classrooms and communities

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Enhancing Environmental Education in Formal Settings

Using environmental education to transform education, enhance student achievement, prepare students for green careers, conserve resources, support national and international education trends, link schools and communities, and build support for environmental education in formal education, including early childhood, primary, secondary, university, and vocational

Sessions address such topics as:

Green Schools as a pathway to service learning, student leadership, civic engagement, outdoor learning, and other effective education practices
Research-based benefits and challenges of learning and teaching in outdoor settings and in a culturally relevant context
Nature-based learning in early childhood and primary grades, including nature preschools
Preparing a workforce with 21st century learning skills—including vocational skills—for the green and blue economies
Exemplary initiatives for greening the campus and the curriculum, including strategies for using gardens, schoolyards, and landscapes to advance learning and demonstrating how facilities management practices and policies can support learning
Integrating EE into preservice teacher preparation and in-service professional development

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Connecting with Nature

Cultivating partnerships and providing accessible outdoor education experiences that connect people of all ages and backgrounds to nature and foster a sense of stewardship

Sessions address such topics as:

Developing outdoor programs that are inclusive and culturally relevant, and provide equitable access for all
The restorative power of nature during challenging times
Developmentally-appropriate and inclusive practices for connecting young children to nature
Creating and using parks and other green learning spaces in urban, suburban, and rural areas
Outdoor programs that promote physical or spiritual health and wellness and that build a sense of place and cultural relevancy in urban, suburban, and rural communities
Using the arts to explore and strengthen people’s connections to nature

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Building Leadership in Environmental Education

Strategies for building leadership and infrastructure to advance EE at the state, provincial, national, and global levels, and for preparing and motivating the public to take informed actions to protect the environment and address social and economic disparities

Sessions address such topics as:

Providing effective and relevant environmental education to build a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible field
Cultivating and supporting leadership and early career professionals in EE
Exploring opportunities and challenges of using technology and AI to advance the field
Culturally responsive strategies for evaluating and improving environmental education programs
Highlighting experiences from around the world that integrate, scale up, and sustain environmental education efforts
Promoting global citizenship through collaborative networks and online learning communities

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NAAEE: North American Association for Environmental Education

2024 Theme and Strands

2024 Theme and Strands

53rd Annual NAAEE Conference
Building Bridges

2024 Theme and Strands

2024 Theme and Strands

53rd Annual NAAEE Conference Building Bridges

53rd Annual NAAEE Conference
Building Bridges