NAAEE’s Annual Conference is one of the largest environmental education conferences in the world, and has also been called one of the most influential. In a year that has posed some of the most challenging circumstances of our lifetimes, as well as some of the greatest opportunities to re-imagine our future, the focus will be on positive change. Environmental education is, by definition, about creating a more equitable and sustainable future. By helping to create a skilled and motivated public, environmental education has the potential to transform lives and society.
The 2020 conference will offer inspiring and thoughtful keynotes with an emphasis on addressing racism and promoting civic engagement. Our opening session will feature Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist and one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist voices. Over the next several days, Dr. Kendi will be followed by a panel of outstanding thinkers speaking about the intersection of race, nature, and education; Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist and climate activist discussing ocean conservation and climate justice; and a panel of rising stars under 30 years old who are change-makers in their own communities and countries.
Educators and policy makers, students and researchers, emerging leaders and seasoned professionals from more than 30 countries will offer a rich variety of workshops and concurrent and on-demand sessions on topics ranging from green schools in a COVID world to inclusive programming, media literacy and community action to conservation, and universally accessible experiences in nature to cultivating effective partnerships.
Together, we will share proven practices, push the leading edge of our profession, advance equity and inclusion in the field, and motivate the pursuit of excellence.