The Power of Connection
The pandemic has made us realize how much we crave connection. During a year of lockdowns and social distancing, we’ve been forced to think about the importance of our ties with others: connections with our friends and families, our colleagues, and our communities, as well as our ties to the natural world.
NAAEE seeks compelling proposals that focus on the power of connection—building on all we’ve learned about how education helps bring people together from all backgrounds and disciplines to solve our most pressing problems and create more just and sustainable communities. As we look back at the past fifty years and think ahead to the next fifty, we hope to inspire new thinking about how education can address the complexity and interlinked nature of our environmental, social, cultural, and political systems. This involves, crucially, addressing systemic racism and centering equity and accessibility in all we do. We will also explore the unparalleled benefits nature brings to our psyche, our physical health, and our need to connect with the flora and fauna that bring us so much joy and support all life on earth.