2018 Utah Environmental Education Conference “From Inspiration to Monumental Impact” Comes to Historic Downt own Salt Lake City!
The Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE) is happy to announce that the 2018 Utah Environmental Education Conference, “From Inspiration to Monumental Impact,” will be in Salt Lake City, September 14-15, 2018. USEE [you-see] has been hosting the Annual Utah Environmental Education Conference since 1989. The conference is 2 days chock-full of breakout sessions, workshops, outdoor experiences, round table discussions, and field trips. The 2018 conference includes a statewide focus that caters to a variety of participants including: novice and experienced environmental educators, PreK-12 in-service and pre-service educators, non-formal/community based educators, outdoor enthusiasts and leaders, agency representatives, staff and volunteers from non-profit organizations, higher education personnel, students, and interested members of the community.
The conference will take place at the Wasatch Retreat & Conference Center in historic downtown, Salt Lake City, September 14, 8:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., and September 15, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Saturday, September 15, will also include 3 options for field trips 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. Keynote Speakers include Cache Uinta National Forest Forest Supervisor, David Whittekiend, and a special Panel Session with Utah Diné Bikéyah. Featured speakers include Salt Lake City Mayor, Jackie Biskupski, and Director of Sustainability Education at the University of Utah, Adrienne Cachelin. Another featured speaker is Sarah Bodor, Director of Policy & Affiliate Relations for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). USEE is a State Affiliate for NAAEE.
“We’re so excited to host the USEE conference in Salt Lake City this year. There are so many individuals and organizations doing great work in environmental education along the Wasatch Front and throughout the state, and this is a time for us to celebrate our successes and learn from each other,” says Alex Porpora, Interim Director of USEE. “Environmental education is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses a variety of topics. There is a place for everyone in EE, whether you’re a K-12 classroom educator or doing community outreach that encourages appreciation of the natural environment or sustainability, this conference is open to you. This year, we’re thrilled to honor youth doing great work in EE and to bring in guests doing work at the national level.”
The conference will include a special Utah EE Workshop this year, which will be a culmination of 5 Regional Mini-Summits for Environmental Education that took place throughout the state in 2018. The results from those focus sessions will be shared during this workshop.
An exciting new addition to the conference this year is the first annual Beehive 5 Under 25 Awardees Panel Session! Modeled after NAAEE’s 30 Under 30, the Utah Beehive 5 Under 25 program recognizes individuals, 25 years old or younger, who are game changers in their communities. These young people are taking on leadership positions to make a difference for the planet. They are engaging their communities, building relationships, and using the power of education to create change. These youth are also recognizing the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity and applying those principles to their work. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about these exceptional youth and their efforts during the Beehive 5 Under 25 Panel during the September 14 luncheon.
Our select Utah Beehive 5 Under 25 are: Stephen Grant, Kiman Kaur, and Elsa Loren Schmidtke of Salt Lake City; Paige Morgan of Logan; and Aimee Urbina of Ogden. If you would like to highlight these youth in their respective cities, please contact conference.
The Annual Utah Conference includes the presentation of statewide awards for Environmental Education. The categories include: Environmental Educator (Formal & Non-Formal), Environmental Education Program, Environmental Education Organization, and Environmental Education Volunteer of the Year. The awards will be presented during an Awards Luncheon on Saturday, September 15.
About the Utah Society for Environmental Education
The Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE), a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, and has been a statewide leader in promoting high quality environmental education in Utah since 1981. USEE encourages environmental literacy by teaching Utahns how to think, not what to think, about the environment.
For more information and to register, go to: http://usee.org/events/annualconference.
