Unlock Your Potential with eeCREDENTIALS!
eeCREDENTIALS is a groundbreaking micro-credential program that's revolutionizing professional development in environmental education.
NAAEE Affiliates offer online eeCOURSES, which are the building blocks of eeCREDENTIALS. These courses stand alone or can be combined into credentials.
You’ll benefit from:
- Cutting-edge online courses
- Flexible learning options
- Digital badges to showcase your skills to employers and colleagues
What’s an eeCOURSE?
eeCOURSES are top-quality, competency-based courses on specific topics across the breadth of environmental education. eeCOURSES are developed by NAAEE Affiliates and endorsed by NAAEE.
• Study on your own time with engaging asynchronous lessons*
• Complete courses in 10 to 15 hours
• Earn digital badges and certificates of completion
• Receive useful feedback from professional moderators
• Enroll with any participating Affiliate
*Some courses include synchronous elements
What’s an eeCREDENTIAL?
eeCOURSES can be combined to earn eeCREDENTIALS that demonstrate your mastery of key skills and content in specific areas within the field of environmental education. eeCREDENTIALS are awarded by NAAEE Affiliates.
- Complete a series of 3 to 5 related eeCOURSES plus a culminating project to earn an eeCREDENTIAL
- Choose from standard credentials* or work with your Affiliate to design your own
- Earn the equivalent of one hour of graduate credit
- Currently, offerings are limited, but the program is growing
*Visit the Kentucky Association for EE’s website for an example of an eeCREDENTIAL.
How to Sign Up
NAAEE’s current eeCOURSES are listed below. Each Affiliate maintains its own schedules and course selections. Within the dropdown descriptions, follow the link to the relevant Affiliate website for more information and schedules. Check individual Affiliate listings for additional specialized offerings.
Simple Enrollment Process:
- Browse Available Courses – Review current eeCOURSES listed below (click arrows for descriptions and who offers each)
- Choose Your eeCOURSE – If listed, sign up with your Affiliate. If your Affiliate doesn’t offer a particular course, sign up with another Affiliate.
- Enroll and Begin – Register directly through your chosen Affiliate's website
eeCOURSE Descriptions and Participating Affiliates
Check Affiliate websites below for more information, including additional course offerings.
Accessible by Nature: Designing EE to Support All Learners (NAAEE Endorsed)
This course uses the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to guide the design of learning environments that are accessible and challenging for all, rather than making modifications for individual students. UDL improves and optimizes teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn, giving all students equal opportunity to succeed.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
Canada
United States
- Arkansas Environmental Education Association
- California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education
- Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
- Environmental Education Association of Illinois
- Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education
- Minnesota Association for Environmental Education
- Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education
- Environmental Educators of North Carolina
- Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators
-
Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education
Building Relationships for Community EE
This course focuses on Key Characteristic 1 of the Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement and will help you take steps toward building relationships in your community. “Environmental Education in Your Community” is a prerequisite.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Capacity Building, Civic Action, & Long-Term Investment in Change
This course explores how environmental education can support capacity building for ongoing civic engagement in community life and the long-term commitment required to do so.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Children & Nature
This course provides foundational knowledge of theory, practice, and research on the emerging field of nature-based learning for young children in formal and non-formal settings.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
- Kentucky Association for Environmental Education
- Minnesota Association for Environmental Education
- Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
Climate Literacy
This course is designed to teach non-formal educators the basics of climate change, through readings, simulations, and visualizations, and also introduce them to climate change communication strategies.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Collective Outcomes Evaluation
Strengthen your environmental education programs through effective evaluation. This course equips you to measure outcomes across key impact areas—conservation, PreK–12 education, youth development, and health. You'll also gain access to national, peer-reviewed tools to support effective, impact-driven evaluation.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Community Engagement in Environmental Education
This course is designed to introduce you to NAAEE’s Community Engagement: Guidelines for Excellence and give you opportunities to practice using the Guidelines with a selected community.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Core Curriculum Program Training
This course trains participants in the core suite of environmental education programs, and may include Project WET, Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence, Leopold Education Project, PLT Early Childhood, and Growing Up WILD. The course takes different forms in different states/provinces and may include training to become certified facilitators for these materials. Consult each Affiliate’s course catalog for details.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Developing High-Quality Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs
This course is designed to provide early childhood formal and nonformal educators with an introduction to environmental education, experience with early childhood environmental education activities, and the skills necessary to integrate early childhood environmental education into their classrooms, centers, family child care homes, and programs. We primarily focus on ages three to six.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Early Childhood Environmental Education; Growing up WILD and PLT's Early Childhood Experiences
This course is designed to provide early childhood formal and nonformal educators with an introduction to environmental education and the skills necessary to integrate Growing Up WILD and PLT Early Childhood environmental activities within your classroom, center, home daycare, or program.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Engaging Teens in Exploring Green Careers
This course is for PreK–12 teachers, camp and scout leaders, zoo and park staff, naturalists, after-school program staff, natural resource professionals, and anyone who works with high school-age youth. Participants explore a variety of strategies, tools, and resources to integrate career exploration into programming and help teens on their path to an environmental career.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Environmental Education in Your Community (NAAEE Endorsed)
Focusing on Key Characteristic 1 of the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement, this course is designed to help you anchor environmental aims within the context of community interests, issues, and capacities that put the community at the heart of EE.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education
This course is designed to provide educators with the background knowledge and skills necessary to ground future professional learning experiences in the sound principles of environmental education.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
Canada
United States
Green Schools and You
This course is designed to help you learn about Green School programs in general--what they are, how to lead a program, and where to begin in building a program.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Introduction to Community Engagement
This course is designed to introduce you to and provide an overview of NAAEE’s Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement, including its five key characteristics and complementary elements that facilitate successful community engagement. This set of guidelines focuses on community wellness and is designed to help environmental educators create inclusive environments that support effective partnerships and collaborations.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
- Kentucky Association for Environmental Education
- Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators
- Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
- Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education
Investigating Environmental Issues
This course is designed to provide educators with the background knowledge and skills needed to identify, investigate, and evaluate environmental issues as well as plan appropriate action based on their analysis.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Leopold Education Project
This course is designed to provide K–12 formal and nonformal educators with an introduction to environmental education, and the skills necessary to integrate Leopold Education Project environmental activities within your classroom, homeschool classroom, or program.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Managing Controversy: Strategies for Teaching Environmental Issues and Topics (NAAEE Endorsed)
This course actively involves educators in understanding and building skills in how to investigate and evaluate environmental issues and topics with their learners. Participants will explore how to effectively teach about environmental issues and topics, and will start to develop their own classroom/program plans about teaching environmental issues and/or topics.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Nature and Human Wellness
This course provides learners with a foundation of the knowledge, theories, and interdisciplinary research on the important link between nature and human wellness. Throughout the course, you will be introduced to the science of our interconnection with the natural world, and receive an overview of the emerging field of studies indicating the important role nature plays in the healthy development of the whole child (physical, mental and behavioral) and their continued wellness into adulthood. Additionally, participants will learn to identify strategies of leveraging nature’s positive impact on wellness to drive positive changes in policy and practices in schools and community centers.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Sound Environmental Education Principles
This course is designed to provide educators with the background knowledge and skills necessary to engage communities in environmental education experiences that are based on established principles and proven practices in the field.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
Teaching and Learning Outdoors
This course is designed for formal and nonformal educators with an introduction to environmental education and experience with integrating teaching and learning outdoors within your classroom, homeschool classroom, or program.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
- Arkansas Environmental Education Association
- Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
- Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education
- Kentucky Association for Environmental Education
- Missouri Environmental Education Association
- Montana Environmental Education Association
- Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education
- Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education
Teaching Climate
This course is designed to teach the basics of climate science and introduce educators to climate change communication strategies. This course features activities from Project WET’s Climate, Water and Resilience Educator Module.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
- Environmental Education Association of Illinois
- Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education
- Montana Environmental Education Association
- Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Environmental Education
This course familiarizes participants with the background knowledge of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or Native Science, compares traditional ecological knowledge and Western science, and uses a TEK approach to understanding your relationship with the environment. Further, participants will develop a teaching plan that integrates TEK approaches and philosophies into teaching and learning.
Don't see your Affiliate listed? You're welcome to register with another state or province.
United States
FAQ
Do I have to go through my Affiliate?
If your Affiliate offers the course, then, yes, that’s your pathway.
If your Affiliate doesn’t offer a course you want to take, then you’re most welcome to sign up through another Affiliate.
Can international learners participate?
Sure! The courses are offered in English on Moodle.
Is there a cost associated?
Each Affiliate sets its own registration fees. Please contact the host Affiliate for information on fees.
What eeCREDENTIAL options are there? Can I customize?
We offer a wide variety of eeCOURSES. Right now, only Colorado, Kansas, and Kentucky offer full eeCREDENTIALS, but we’re working to expand these offerings. Keep checking back, or contact your Affiliate about a customized program.
How do I share my accomplishments?
Badges and certificates are issued by the Affiliate on completion of each course.
What’s the difference between EE Certification, eeCOURSES, and eeCREDENTIALS?
eeCOURSES are online courses on discrete topics, developed and offered by participating NAAEE Affiliates with NAAEE’s endorsement. These courses are the building blocks of eeCREDENTIALS, which are sets of eeCOURSES combined with a culminating project that together demonstrate mastery of a specific subject.
EE Certification is a separate program, also administered by participating Affiliates, that recognizes individual educators who have achieved a high level of proficiency in the skills and knowledge comprising the environmental education field as defined in NAAEE’s Professional Development for Environmental Educators: Guidelines for Excellence.