Originally posted on Project Learning Tree's website:

As we all know, this has been an incredibly difficult period for educators, and we want to recognize the dedication and perseverance of educators to bring students the best environmental education experiences possible, despite all the barriers that have arisen to make their work harder than it’s ever been before.

PLT wants to help you green your community and show a little love to outstanding educators in the U.S. and Canada! We’re giving away an Outdoor Classroom Kit to celebrate and uplift educators who go above and beyond for their students, and encourage those working with children to take students outside to learn.

Nominate an educator or yourself to be entered into the draw to win the PLT Outdoor Classroom Kit. PLT will highlight many of the nominees on the PLT website, social media, and in PLT's newsletter, The Branch.

Submit your nomination before the March 14, 2022 deadline to celebrate educators!

The following is an article originally published by the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAEE).

NAAEE is on the search to find 30 changemakers under 30 years of age who are using environmental education to build a sustainable and just future for all.

The EE 30 Under 30 Class of 2022 will receive global recognition, join a growing community of inspiring EE leaders, and receive ongoing opportunities for professional development and networking, including scholarship opportunities to attend the 2022 NAAEE conference. We know that environmental education and leadership take many different forms, and welcome applicants from across sectors and disciplines. You can read more about what environmental education is and why it matters here and find some examples of leadership (if you need some inspiration!) in our online application.

Eligibility: Nominees must be 30 years old or under (as of December 31, 2022). We accept nominees from any country in the world. Nominations must be submitted in English, but your nomination will not be judged based on your English ability. You can submit more than one nomination (e.g. yourself and someone else, or nominate two different people), but you must submit a separate nomination for each person (we do not accept joint nominations).

Deadline: April 11 at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time

Applicant webinar: Register here for our 2022 Applicant Webinar(link is external) on March 9 at 10 AM US Eastern Time (time converter here(link is external)) to learn more about the program and some tips for writing a strong nomination.

About EE 30 Under 30: Since 2016, NAAEE's EE 30 Under 30 program has recognized 180 individuals from 40 countries who are making a difference through environmental education. To address today’s complex challenges, we need a diversity of perspectives, skills, and experiences. EE 30 Under 30 celebrates the unique and passionate leadership of talented young leaders around the world and gives them a professional boost to increase their impact. Each year our awardees join a growing alumni network of inspiring environmental education leaders and receive ongoing opportunities to network, grow professionally, and promote their work. This program is made possible by the Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP) and the U.S. Forest Service.

For more information about the program and to read alumni biographies, visit naaee.org/ee30under30. Please direct any questions to Nina Hamilton at nina@naaee.org(link sends e-mail).

When the pandemic forced schools to pivot to online learning in March of 2020, teachers and students were thrust into an unfamiliar and less-than-ideal learning environment. We all muddled through the end of the school year; teachers working hard to provide some semblance of a “normal” school experience to students who appeared (when they did) as a sea of icons or initials on a screen. As Vermont schools were given the go-ahead to return in person in the fall of 2020, districts scrambled to meet the health and safety stipulations handed down by the state while bringing large amounts of students back on campus. Across the state, using an outdoor classroom model seemed to be a viable solution to maximizing the amount of students returning for in-person learning.

Many schools in Vermont, from elementary to middle to high school, are lucky to already have an established outdoor classroom facility – a pavilion or covered structure, a natural amphitheater, a courtyard with tables -  these spaces are often designed with a single class in mind, or may function as just an outdoor cafeteria space. In an effort to accommodate many more classes taking advantage of outdoor learning spaces, many schools began acquiring event tents and pop-up style canopy tents. A tour of rural campuses around the state might give the illusion that we were embarking on a school-year, state-wide flea market. White event tents and blue pop-ups dotted campuses; picnic tables and camp chairs replaced desks.

At Northfield Middle High School and Elementary School, giant tarps were erected in the school forest to provide cover, and stumps were cut for seats, as teachers planned for their classes to meet outside. The outdoor classroom structure, also located in the school forest, was on heavy rotation by multiple grade levels. Departments in the middle/high school all creatively claimed outdoor spaces close to the building and students became quite adept at quickly putting up the pop-up tents we had bought to provide some cover from the sun or light rain. The sidewalks and parking lots around both schools were (and still are) covered with spray-paint dots, six feet apart to provide students with safe spaces to place their camp chairs. In my physics class, one of the students’ first labs reviewing measurements was to estimate tarp sizes needed to cover several outdoor spaces adjacent to the science wing and humanities wing, as well as come up with a creative means for installing them.

Teachers who may otherwise have been reluctant to bring their students outside found creative ways to deliver instruction. Students eased into the idea that a camp chair served the same purpose as a desk chair, and realized the advantage to bringing a hat and sunglasses to school each day. Throughout the school year, when the weather was amenable to it, many classes spent much more time outside than in previous years.

For as much as these options provided a temporary solution and gave many Vermont schools a chance to broaden the idea of what a classroom can be, they haven’t always been ideal. Schools and districts dropped a lot of money on tents and tarps, some of which didn’t function as desired for as long as they needed to. Adding sides to event tents may have kept out the elements, but with a group of 18-20 teenage bodies, they were apt to get quite stuffy quite quickly. With Vermont’s ever-changing “wait five minutes” weather, it was not always practical for classes to be outside under a tent. Anyone who has had the misfortune of attending a party in a tent on a rainy day knows that the sound of rain is a distraction to any conversation, let alone to a lesson being delivered. Camp chairs and plastic chairs, conveniently bought in bulk for a low, school-friendly price point, often become broken – even under typical use. The pop-up tents we merrily used on a weekly basis in the fall and spring last school year sit bundled in the corner of several hallways and unused classrooms this year. The camp chairs issued to every student last fall are scattered around campus, if they weren’t taken home by students or tossed out because they were broken. And some teachers who were willing to venture out last year haven’t made so much as an effort to consider bringing their classes outside this fall.

Schools are constantly looking at ways to get creative with classroom spaces, to provide students with options for learning environments, and to break away from a traditional model dating back decades, if not centuries. Last school year showed us that the outdoors is a viable classroom space, but needs to be structured with purpose. Vermont schools, like other northeast states, do need to be considerate of limited weather windows that will allow for students to comfortably be outside. Event tents may be a good solution, so long as they are good quality and set up in locations that are easy to access for teachers, and tables and chairs are durable enough for regular use by the typical student. Permanent structures, like pavilions, can offer longer-term use at a higher cost. So long as districts value the benefit of the outdoors as a worthwhile learning space, investing in accessible, quality outdoor classrooms is something to be considered beyond just the pandemic.

Written by board member Meg Lyons 

Whether you are a formal teacher or a non-formal educator, you likely have just ended a constantly changing and challenging school year. Now it is time for summer fun and the many extended learning opportunities that are available for children and adults throughout the state!  Some educational organizations have chosen to focus on virtual learning for one more summer, while others are operating in ways that resembled life in 2019.  Regardless, everyone is ready for some relief from stress, connections with others, and time to celebrate the beautiful summer in Vermont.  Environmental education comes in many forms with an equal number of names such as sustainability, nature, outdoor, conservation, and more. Whatever the label, what has been emphasized more than ever this past year is that this type of education is just what everyone, young and old, is searching for right now.  Environmental education offers opportunities for place-based, relevant, and experiential learning that empowers and inspires.  So let’s take a collective breath together, get involved, and celebrate the many environmental education extended learning opportunities that exist this summer in in Vermont.

The Vermont Education and Environment Network is here to help you navigate continuing education through in-person and virtual programs that range from climate education, food systems, to geology, job openings throughout the Northeast, and community connection opportunities through a variety of membership options.

Written by Alison Thomas, Education Manager, VT Dept. of Fish and Wildlife 

Tabsidemagok (tah-bsi-dem-agok)

Written by: Board Member Rebecca Roy, Vermont State Parks 

It is difficult to turn the huge ship that is Vermont State Government. Bureaucratic and container ship jokes aside, it takes time for large organizations to make important changes. I hope you feel comforted knowing there are caring people in state government working extra hard to make important changes. One example is our project at Vermont State Parks incorporating Abenaki place names into our state park signs.  

With feedback from my Department, Governor Scott signed into law H.880, Act 174, an act relating to Abenaki place names on State park signs in October 2020. This law requires state parks to include Abenaki place names on state park signs as we replace them. This is an exciting moment at a time when we are opening our eyes to the people who came before us, the native peoples who have lived in Vermont for over 10,000 years and continue to live here. This is a beautiful opportunity to have a meaningful way to acknowledge the original inhabitants of N’Dkinna, the Abenaki people who have cared for the land for many generations and continue to do so. 

Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs leadership is providing state parks with a list of Abenaki place names for state parks, and features within state parks. We are redesigning signs to include Abenaki place names, as well as the pronunciations and name meanings. We are adding Abenaki place names to signs as we need to replace them. Abenaki place names, stories, and history will be added to interpretive signs in state parks. 

Abenaki names describe how these places and features fit into the larger landscape and are not named after people as many of our colonial culture names. Abenaki names tell a rich story about different elements fitting into larger landscapes around us. For example, the popular destination, Elmore State Park, has an Abenaki name:  Tabsidemagok (tah-bsi-dem-agok) which means at the shallow/low water.

Want to get started with land acknowledgements and using native place names? Look at this map, you can zoom in close and see native place names wherever you are: https://native-land.ca/ 

Want to learn more about the Abenaki people, or take an Abenaki language course? https://www.ndakinnacenter.org/ 

Whether you have a large ship to turn, or if you have a smaller nimble canoe—now is a great time to make some positive changes no matter how large or small and acknowledge the great nation that has been in Vermont for over 10,000 years and continues to thrive here today.

How will you celebrate International World Water Day this year?  

What does water mean to you?

Join the Champlain Basin Education Initiative this month to celebrate International World Water Day! This marks the 17th anniversary of the United Nations International World Water Day and people are finding creative ways to join together virtually to acknowledge the value of water in all our communities!

We welcome students, teachers, families, scientists and community partners to join our local, virtual celebration of the value of water to our community! Each year we host a student art show centered on the World Water Day theme. This year that theme is Valuing Water. What does water mean to you? 

We will be featuring our annual student art show and reception virtually this year!  Classes that submitted works of art will be featured in our virtual gallery for attendees to view.  We will celebrate the winners in several recognition categories with fun prizes!  

Our guest speaker, Neil Patterson of the Center for Native People in the Environment at SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry will speak on this year’s World Water Day theme--valuing water--through the lens of traditional ecological knowledge and multiple ways of knowing.

Teachers are encouraged to attend with their students as the reception is scheduled during the school day at 10am on Tuesday March 23rd.   

Register Here

Thanks to our Champlain Basin Education Initiative partners! You can learn more about the professional learning opportunities for teachers and resources CBEI offers in and outside the classroom at WatershED Matters. 

More Education Resources for World Water Day

Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water

This film was created in an effort to share cultural history and knowledge with public and school audiences.  Working with chiefs and members of the Nulhegan, Missisquoi, and Elnu Bands of the Abenaki Nation, and Peregrine Productions, LLC, Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM Extension, are thrilled to share this short film.

Class activities from International World Water Day

The World Water Day website highlights global efforts--everything from fun runs to professional development opportunities, to social media campaigns, to art showcases like ours!  You can join the ongoing conversation about valuing water and learn more about working toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly #6 clean water and sanitation for all!  

Class resources from WatershED Matters

Many teachers have used the unique character of the Champlain Valley to create meaningful learning opportunities for their students.  If you have been within sight of the Lake and its drainage basin, you can easily grasp the significance it has held for residents for thousands of years. The Lake Champlain Basin is rich with many stories that can be explored and woven from and to traditional school subjects, school community partnerships, and meaningful service. 

Past Galleries of World Water Day Student Art

CBEI's World Water Day celebrations include an exhibit of entries into the International World Water Day contest. Students submit photos, artwork, maps, dioramas, and videos that address one of four past themes: Celebrate Water, Spread the Word, Citizen Science and Civic Action, and Act Locally-Think Locally.

2020 has been a strange and difficult year for all and we at Vermont Education & Environment Network are ever optimistic that the New Year will bring changes for the better in our country, in education and in our communities. Even with such a trying year, we have plenty to be thankful for and proud of. 

Vermont Education & Environment Network 2020 Accomplishments

• Secured funding to hire a part-time coordinator for the Network. Which, in turn allowed us to increase our social media presence, update and increase our communication efforts as well as provide the board with meeting and event support. 

• Board members Ashley Eaton and Kerri McAllister presented a workshop at the 2020 North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) national conference Systems Change for More Welcoming Organizations.

• Administered a survey for environmental educators across the State to help assess current educational needs during the pandemic. If you missed it, you can check out the November 2020 blog post summary of the results here.

• Free monthly educational webinars with registrations far exceeding our expectations with one workshop registering 603 individuals. See our Events & Webinar page for information on upcoming webinars. 

• Development of an equity statement to aid in refocusing our work as we look to understanding systemic racism in our organizations.

As we enter into 2021 we are looking to continue the work we have moved forward this past year and aim to better understand the needs of VT Educators and youth. We will continue to help others connect to the outdoors with our digital content and offer high quality professional development opportunities for our members. Lastly, we want more diversity across our board and membership. Please spread this open invitation to engage with us and Happy New Year!

Author: Beth Roy

Staying connected and relevant can be challenging during these hard times. Our networks comes from a variety of different backgrounds, and we would love to share ideas and connect with everyone!  As our mission states, The Vermont Education and Environment Network is a coalition of dozens of organizations and individuals promoting environmental education in Vermont. Our mission is to foster a network of individuals and organizations working together to promote high quality outdoor, environmental and educational experiences.  We want to hear from you, our members, about what you want to see, whether it be on our website and the blogs that we post, our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram! If you have content that you want to share and have valuable insight, we would also love to hear that too!

Our current webinar series is based on the feedback we received from classroom and outdoor educators in a survey this fall. We endeavor to continue offering relevant content for you here too! You can find all of our past webinars on our YouTube channel too!

Please complete this form to share your ideas on the content you would like us to offer. 

Upcoming Webinars Hosted by VT Education & Environment Network

January 14, 2021 4pm-5pm  Place-Based Education On A Budget

February 25, 2021 4pm--5pm Gardens As Outdoor Classrooms

Vermont classroom teachers along with outdoor, environmental and educational community partners pivoted quickly in March 2020 to provide fully remote learning opportunities for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. As teachers and students prepared for the 2020-2021 school year, there was uncertainty regarding the various distanced and remote learning structures that would be employed by schools. Local and national conversations among educators explored how COVID-19 safety guidelines would change instructional methods and learning spaces. One strategy became clear: outdoor classroom teaching and learning is a safe and effective alternative to indoor classroom teaching and learning, especially as the risk of COVID-19 growing during the winter months.

In response to the ongoing shifts and changing needs of Vermont classroom teachers and outdoor, environmental, and educational community partners, the Vermont Education and Environment Network sought to assess, understand, and respond to educator needs for the upcoming school year. North American Association for Environmental Education state affiliate groups in Georgia and Maine also conducted statewide surveys in an effort to identify and support the needs of educators in their states. 

Methods 

The Vermont Education and Environment Network used Survey Monkey to create an online survey of Vermont educators who work in a variety of settings,  including pre-K-12 classroom teachers, outdoor and environmental educators, and educational community partners. Survey Monkey estimated survey the survey would take respondents six minutes to complete.  The survey was active and accepted responses August 15-September 15, 2020.  

After providing demographic information, including school or organization and location in Vermont, educators were asked to self identify as either a classroom teacher or an outdoor, environmental, or community partner educator. The survey then included a branching format to distinguish classroom teacher responses from outdoor, environmental and community partner educator responses. The two groups were asked the same questions and the branching allowed for analysis of the educators’ responses as an affinity group.  

The survey asked about educational services each respondent was involved with providing pre-COVID; shifts in teaching implemented from March-June 2020; and educational approaches planned for fall 2020. Respondents were also asked about support needed to provide educational services during the 2020-21school year.  

Using the Vermont Education and Environment Network email list, partner listservs, e-newsletters, and personal contacts, the survey was sent to over 600 individuals and organizations in Vermont identified as pre-K-12 classroom teachers, outdoor and environmental educators, and educational community partners. Recipients were encouraged to share the survey with colleagues and coworkers. A link to the survey was also posted on the Vermont Education and Environment Network website, and participation in the survey was encouraged during webinars with teacher and educator audiences. 

Results 

A total of 83 individuals began the survey and 59 completed the survey. Only completed surveys were used in the analyzed results presented in this article. The numbers in parenthesis in the map above indicate the number of classroom teacher respondents and number of informal educator respondents in each county.  

Major shifts in response to COVID-19 activities for formal and informal educators included an increase in virtual instruction and a decrease in field trips and outdoor, environmental, and educational community partners programs. The image below shows the percent change in educational activities provided by Vermont classroom teachers and outdoor, environmental, and educational community partners due to COVID-19.

To adapt to the changes in practices necessitated by COVID-19 Vermont classroom teachers state they need support with virtual education content; appropriate outdoor clothing for students; and content and materials for teaching in outdoor classrooms.

Survey results showed that of the formal classroom teacher respondents 87% are teaching online and 67% said they are looking for lessons and activities for outdoor teaching content. In order to support outdoor learning 50% of classroom teachers identified a need for outdoor clothing and gear for their students and 23% expressed the need for knowledge of and access to local outdoor learning spaces. 

The top needs of Vermont outdoor, environmental and educational community partners included 62% stating the need for training to use online teaching tools; 69% seek to apply best practices for online teaching strategies; and 62% wish to engage in exchanging ideas with other educators.  

Many informal educators have experience teaching outdoors and can provide support and assistance. Building direct connections between school teachers and informal educators could improve the transfer of this information and materials. Additional outreach to connect informal educators with school teachers would be of benefit to both groups. A full inventory of outdoor equipment available for use by school teachers could improve the ability of school teachers to take students outside, while minimizing the risks presented by winter conditions.

Discussion 

A few themes emerge when comparing the results of the survey conducted by the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia (EEAG) and the Vermont Education and Environment Network Survey. Respondents from both surveys identified high quality outdoor activities and teaching resources as a top need: 59% of Georgia respondents said they need high quality teaching resources with activities kids can do outside, and 67% of Vermont respondents seek outdoor content. This was the number one need for Vermont classroom teachers. Additionally, respondents in both states identified a need for support in online learning: 48% of Georgia respondents identified a need for online teaching tips, whereas 69% of Vermont outdoor, environmental and educational community partners and 46% of classroom teachers identified a need to learn more about online teaching strategies. This was the top need identified by informal educators. Results from the Maine Environmental Education Association’s survey also show significant economic implications for organizations providing environmental and outdoor education with 51% of organizations shifting away from in person fee for service programming to free virtual programming.      

Response 

In response to the needs expressed by Vermont educators, the Vermont Education and Environment Network began a monthly webinar series in September 2020 on topics identified by educator respondents as priorities. Webinar topics have included support for virtual and outdoor classroom content; technology skills for online teaching and learning; and examples of successful outdoor teaching pedagogy.

A winter outdoor clothing drive is being held in an effort to address the lack of warm winter clothing and gear that may inhibit some students’ and classes’ abilities to safely and comfortably participate in outdoor learning activities during the winter months.  

Our Vermont Education and Environment Network website and social media accounts are being more efficiently utilized to reach and communicate with educators around Vermont and beyond.  We are using these platforms to build connections through our network of individuals and organizations working together to promote high quality outdoor, environmental, and educational experiences. Our website also offers opportunities to share educational resources; publicize our professional learning webinars, promote webinars by educational partners, and post job and grant funding opportunities relevant to educators.    

We will continue to work with and identify the needs of Vermont educators both in the field and in the classroom.  We plan to respond to their current and emerging needs through this pandemic and beyond.

View the complete survey results online

Authors: Ashley Eaton and Kerri McAllister 

Hello Vermont Education and Environment Network! 

(photo: Visiting Tracy's Arm Fjord and glacier in Alaska 2018)

I’m Lindsay Whitaker, Vermont Education and Environment Network’s new, temporary, Administrative Coordinator. Outside of this role, I also work as Summer Camp Director at Shelburne Farms.

Vermont Education & Environment Network is the Vermont state-level affiliate of the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE) and member of the regional New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) . This year in particular, our board members have worked to rebrand Vermont Education & Environment Network (formerly, VT SWEEP), and work towards becoming a more welcoming and inclusive organization that benefits teachers, educators, and learners across the state of Vermont. Three key areas we are focusing our current work on include: supporting teachers & educators, increasing communications & engagement with educators & teachers across the state, and enhancing the benefits to our members.

Classroom teachers shared that due to current COVID protocols in schools, they’re spending more time outside with their students, but that many students won’t have appropriate winter gear to wear in the colder months. The VEEN Board is organizing a winter gear drive to collect and distribute cold weather clothes to schools around the state. The Winter Gear Drive event came from a survey of educator needs we distributed this fall. If you’d like to donate gear please contact us at thenetworkvt@gmail.com. While winter gear is just one of the many needs educators have, we are committed to listening to the needs of our members, including offering relevant programming and resources.

Increasing communications and engagement with educators and teachers across the state is part of the work I’ll be doing as VEEN’s Administrative Coordinator. You can look to our Facebook page, Twitter, website, and blog to read about the work we’re doing, and sign up for upcoming webinars, where you can also submit relevant events and webinars for us to share with our Network. An upcoming and ongoing project is establishing regional hubs in different areas of the state that will allow opportunities for classroom and informal educators to network in their region. 

In the past few months, VEEN has seen a lot of positive changes, and more are coming. We endeavor to listen and be responsive to the needs of classroom and environmental educators in our state. We are committed to equity, justice, inclusion and creating systems change within our organization. We acknowledge that when it comes to this work our organization is not yet where we strive to be. We are working on learning, addressing, and improving the way we move through the world as individuals and an organization by engaging in active listening and learning.

If you know of organizations or individuals that would be an asset to The Vermont Education and Environment Network, or know of a story or event we could help spotlight, have a question, or just want to say hello, you can reach me thenetworkvt@gmail.com.  

In solidarity,

Lindsay (she/her)