30 Environmental and Civics Education Leaders to Inspire Climate Action in Their Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

30 Environmental and Civics Education Leaders to Inspire Climate Action in Their Communities

[Washington, D.C. – September 7, 2023] The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is pleased to announce its new class of CEE-Change Fellows, thirty educators and community leaders who are working around the world to address today’s complex environmental and social concerns at local, regional, and national levels. 

CEE stands for Civics and Environmental Education. This Fellowship is part of a national training initiative called ee360+, which is a partnership of U.S. EPA and NAAEE with more than 25 partners designed to strengthen the field of environmental education. The Fellowship is also supported by a generous grant from the Cedar Tree Foundation. The CEE-Change Fellowship is uniquely positioned to shine a light on the intersection of civic education and environmental education in efforts to foster climate action in communities, large and small. 

This diverse and intergenerational group of Fellows represents schools, nature centers, conservation groups, research groups, and other community institutions—and all are using education to build knowledge and skills to create more resilient communities. They represent 11 countries including the United States, Cameroon, Canada, DR Congo, Germany, India, Malawi, Northern Ireland, Panama, Philippines, and Uganda. 

For the duration of the Fellowship, which runs until June 30, 2024, the Fellows will receive professional development, leadership training, mini–grant funding, and opportunities to grow their professional network. Fellows will also receive scholarships to attend the 2023 and 2024 NAAEE Conferences. In addition, each Fellow will develop and implement a Community Action Project that seeks to advance a more equitable and sustainable future. Projects vary greatly depending on community needs, from cultivating environmental stewardship in youth across Malawi to creating a college campus collaborative group that fosters civic engagement on climate issues in Pennsylvania. The Fellows are just getting started.

“Congratulations to the new class of CEE-Change Fellows, a talented and passionate group of educators committed to driving climate action in their communities. They will use their ingenuity and creativity to inspire environmental responsibility in people of all ages. They give us hope that by working together, we can build a better future for all,” says NAAEE’s Executive Director Judy Braus. 

To learn more and follow our Fellows’ CEE-Change journey and their planned Community Action Projects, please visit our webpage https://naaee.org/programs/cee-change-fellowship, and follow us on social media: @TheNAAEE on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) and North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) on LinkedIn.

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About the CEE-Change Fellowship

The Civics and Environmental Education (CEE) Change Fellowship Program is NAAEE’s newest initiative to support leadership and innovation in civics and environmental education across the country. NAAEE recognizes the value in bringing together environmental and civic engagement educators to learn from each other and collaborate to scale up our impact as we work to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

The CEE-Change Fellowship is a part of the National Environmental Education Training Program established by the U.S. EPA’s Office of Environmental Education, a national professional development program that has been building the professional capacity of educators since 1992. The program also focuses on building leadership skills and providing high-quality resources for the field. This Fellowship is supported by additional funding from Cedar Tree Foundation.

About NAAEE

For five decades, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has served as the professional association, champion, and backbone organization for the field of environmental education (EE), working with EE professionals across United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as globally, to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement to create a more equitable and sustainable future. For more information on NAAEE, visit https://naaee.org.

About ee360+

An ambitious multi-year initiative, the ee360+ Leadership and Training Collaborative connects, trains, and promotes innovative leaders dedicated to using the power of education to create a more just and sustainable future for everyone, everywhere. Led by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), ee360+ is made possible through funding and support from U.S. EPA and twenty seven partner organizations representing universities and nonprofits across the country, and five federal agencies. Through this partnership, ee360+ brings together more than five decades of expertise to grow, strengthen, and diversify the environmental education field. Visit www.ee360.org to learn more. 

About U.S. EPA 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a federal agency that has been protecting human health and the environment for over 50 years. For over 30 years, EPA has supported environmental education (EE) and training for teachers and other education professionals through the National Environmental Education and Training Program (NEETP), created by The National Environmental Education Act of 1990. The purpose of this program is to provide EE training and long-term support to formal and nonformal education professionals across the United States, bolstering their ability to effectively teach about environmental issues. The NEETP is managed by EPA’s Office of Environmental Education (OEE). Learn more about current projects managed by OEE:  https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-public-engagement-and-environ….

About Cedar Tree Foundation

The Cedar Tree Foundation is a family foundation created in the mid 1990’s by the late pediatrician and entrepreneur, Dr. David H. Smith. Dr. Smith believed in the power of individuals and organizations to make significant changes in the world and Cedar Tree’s grantmaking continues to reflect that belief. To learn more, go to www.cedartreefound.org.

This press release is funded by the Office of Environmental Education at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through ee360+, the Environmental Education and Training Program led by NAAEE under Assistance Agreement No. NT 84019001. It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the NAAEE and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.