CAEE 2024 Conference eeVoices: The Power of Stories

As we aim to reveal, inspire, and engage- weaving stories into EE is a powerful way to captivate the attention and emotions of our audiences. In this interactive session, we’ll uncover impactful hacks for making story-sharing an essential part of your communication and create a toolkit to apply to your experiences.

Join us at the first annual eeLeaders Forum, a specialized conference session designed for individuals with five or more years of professional experience in developing environmental education (EE) and interpretive programs, supervising education staff, and managing educational or interpretive sites. This forum provides a unique opportunity to network and connect with fellow managers, directors, and leaders of environmental and outdoor learning programs. This year, we will focus on the crucial areas of recruitment, hiring, retention, and the culture of EE teams, encompassing staff, volunteers, and other contributors. Participants will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance their team's effectiveness and cohesion.

The forum will give participants the opportunity to:

• Connect with other environmental and outdoor learning managers and leaders
• Ask your most burning questions about recruitment, hiring, retention, and team culture to a panel of HR Experts
• Engage in small group discussions with peers to brainstorm strategies that will work at YOUR organization

Grab lunch in the Hydro Lobby and bring it up to the Annual Member Meeting!  

The Annual Member Meeting is an opportunity to learn about state and national initiatives, catch up on CAEE news, and provide direction for EE in Colorado. We want to make sure we are meeting the needs of environmental and outdoor educators and organizations. Join us to provide your feedback on the most important things CAEE can be doing over the next 5 years to support you!

Learn some new team building activities for small groups, large groups, and all ages. These activities are based on the Training Wheels team building activities developed by Michelle Cummings. Come play AND Learn!

Ever noticed how some people dominate conversations? While it seems convenient, not speaking up means your ideas, values, and needs go unheard. What if there was a solution? Join our interactive session to gain three tools for speaking up, even for introverts. Unlock your voice and make an impact today!

Stories matter to bringing environmental justice (EJ) to EE. In Part 1, we center the ethics that allow us to receive and share stories of EJ, with respect, authenticity, and reciprocity. Intergroup Dialogue—especially relationship-building techniques and learning on social identities—support teachers ready to build EJ curriculum.

In Part 2, small groups build curriculum that aligns EJ with Colorado state standards, while engaging stages 3 and 4 of Intergroup Dialogue (approaching “hot topics,” creating a “product” together). Participants create lessons from case studies of environmental racism, or indigenous stories. We close with self-reflection to promote cultural competence and justice.

How do you create wonder in your science education and EE programs? We will discuss and practice how to use props, pictures, observations and more. This interactive session is applicable to early career professionals, staff and volunteer trainers and anyone who wants to hone their skills and share their techniques.

Our Landscape Analysis unveiled findings about the state of environmental and outdoor learning in Colorado. So, now what? Explore tools and data that you can use in grant applications, reports, and more to build support for your work. Delve into recommendations and discuss opportunities to collaborate to advance environmental and outdoor learning across the state.