2011 Environmental Educators of North Carolina Annual Awards
Nomination open on Thursday, May 26, 2011

EENC's mission is to promote excellence in professional development and facilitate networking opportunities, inspiring educators to create an environmentally literate citizenry.

Environmental education is a learning process that increases people's knowledge and awareness about the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions and take responsible action (UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1978).

2011 Environmental Educators of North Carolina Annual Awards nominations period opens May 26, 2011 and closes August 10, 2011. The 2011 Awards Program has a few changes from past years. The most notable change is the addition of the Exceptional Environmental Education Program Award and the Outstanding Practitioner Awards. The new awards rose from a need noticed by the 2010 Awards Committee. We have also combined the Outstanding Environmental Organization and Outstanding Partner Awards into one award. The other change is the nomination period. We wanted the nomination period to begin before the end of the school year. This will allow teachers to nominate their peers before the summer break. The Awards Program will still recognize individuals or organizations that have constantly demonstrated the principles of environmental education and raised the quality of environmental literacy in North Carolina.

Deadline August 10, 2011

Click To Nominate

Everyone is eligible for the following awards.

Environmental Educator of the Year recognizes an educator who stands out among environmental educators as a professional who exemplifies excellence in environmental education and lends credibility to the field. Through valuable contributions and professionalism, the environmental educator is regarded as an ideal example that other EE practitioners should strive to emulate.
(2010 Winner: Elizabeth Baird, Education Director, NC Museum of Natural Science)

Exceptional Environmental Education Program recognizes a program, education center, organization, partnership or educational system that exemplifies excellence in environmental education. The program reaches far beyond the usual magnitude and degree of scope and scale to create: a sustainable commitment to environmental education, a more environmentally literate public, a stronger profession for environmental educators, and otherwise supporting EENC’s mission and objectives. (Patterned after the 2010 special Outstanding Environmental Education Center Award given to Evergreen Community Charter School)

Outstanding Partner recognizes a business, non-profit, or governmental agency that have partnered with EENC to support the mission and growth of EENC. This organization has made significant contributions to EENC by providing in-kind contributions; donations of employees’ time, talent, and materials; monetary support to the EENC Board or Board Training; or by providing significant funding or services to the annual conference, funding for EENC’s annual conference. This partnership enables EENC to experience a growth in professionalism and/or membership, which may not have been possible without this contribution.
(2010 Winner: NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs)

To Nominate Click Here


The following awards require the recipient to be a member of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina

Outstanding Newcomer recognizes an Environmental Educators of North Carolina member of five years or less who has made significant contributions to EENC during his or her short time with EENC.
(2010 Winner, Blair Ogburn, Balsam Mountain Trust)

Outstanding Practitioner recognizes a member of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina who works regularly as an environmental educator, lending their skills to the growing body of environmental education as a profession. The individual will have made significant contributions to the Environmental Educators of North Carolina through statewide participation, leadership in their region, and being an advocate for high quality education through how they teach, live, and do.

Outstanding Service recognizes an active member who has served in several key leadership roles making a significant contribution to further the mission of EENC. This individual has given many hours of dedicated service to help shape EENC into a viable statewide professional organization.
(2010 Winner: Libby Wilcox, former coordinator of the NC Environmental Education Certification Program)

Melva Fager Okun Life Achievement recognizes an individual who has served EENC in key leadership roles for over three years on the Board of Directors. This individual has made very significant contributions in furthering EENC’s mission to serve as a leader in building a statewide network of EE practitioners, providing excellent professional development, strengthening EE throughout North Carolina, and serving as an active state affiliate to the North American Association for Environmental Education.
(2010 Winner: Diane Silver, former EENC President and Coordinator of the Mud Creek Restoration Project)

To Nominate Click Here


Please contact me with questions or to receive a paper copy of the nomination form.

Sincerely,

Keith Bamberger
Membership Co-Chair
Environmental educators of North Carolina
Keith Bamberger - keith.bamberger@ncdenr.gov
North Carolina Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources
Asheville Regional Office
Division of Air Quality
2090 U.S. 70 Highway
Swannanoa, NC 28778

Tel: 828-296-4500

Fax: 828-299-7043

www.ncair.org

I always tell the participants at the workshops that I lead that their contact with PLT doesn't end when they walk out the door.  I am here to help them use the activities, bounce ideas around, and I also have a connection to a great nationwide network.  Often - I don't receive much feedback until someone sees me at a conference and tells me how great PLT is.  Don't get me wrong - I love those encounters - but I recently received an email from an Early Childhood workshop attendee.

Hello Renee,


I have no choice but to continue with my preschoolers the PLT activities. They truly love it! We've made apple sauce, apple pie, peach pie etc. They really enjoy the CD with the up-beat music. They enjoy watering the one tree that we have. They are really observing so much about our natural environment. We've taken extra nature walks and I'm amazed at their excitement. We're planting flowers and vegetables after the Easter Hoiliday. Thanks a million for the great presentation and to the marvelous activities in the guide. Brenda

Love it!!!  Thank YOU Brenda for taking the materials and really putting them to full use.  Many happy days of learning and exploring for you and your preschoolers!

Just wanted to give a little shout-out to the forty-seven... yes 47.... early childhood educators that joined Diane Steltz and I for the workshop in Greensboro this past Saturday!!  We enjoyed every minute of it - and your enthusiasm throughout the whole day is what kept us going.  I know it was a really intense way to spend 6-hours on a beautiful Saturday - - - but we really do appreciate your participation.

Keep us updated either through emails or this blog and let us know how you are using the materials!  We would love to hear your stories :)

Hello everyone!! Just wanted to share some information with you that I have seen come across on participant evaluations lately....

NC PLT is very aware that this change is coming down the line. If fact,  the NC PLT Coordinator assisted with the review process on behalf of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina and the state Environmental Literacy Plan committee. The Department of Public Instruction really appreciated our comments and our future plan to help create a resource directory to work with the Essential and Common Core Standards.

The transition will be gradual, with required implementation beginning in the 2012-2013 school year (except for Information and Technology Skills and some of the Occupational Course of Study). NC PLT fully anticipates hosting a correlation workshop in the summer of 2012 to help us transition to these new standards. We will continue to offer the standards on a CD-ROM, but also hope to get an online platform up and running, too.

This document provides some great links as well as a calendar of implementation... and it is only four easy-to-read pages http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/timeline/timeline.pdf

We will also be seeking educators to help with the correlations and we will offer a stipend.  Send a message to NC PLT or renee_strnad *@* ncsu.edu if you would like to help out!

Last week kicked off a big run of NC PLT workshops for the month of February and March.  These workshops cover all levels of the materials... early childhood, PreK-8, and secondary.  So many choices and NC PLT Facilitators are doing a great job of trying new workshop formats to expand our program offerings.

I also wanted to thank the Sandhills Association for the Education of Young Children for hosting the workshop this past weekend at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst.  NAEYC is a great partner for our early childhood materials - and I am hoping to work with this group again in the fall!

In this little bit of downtime before the next workshop, I have to unpack and reorganize all my workshop materials and start thinking about what I need to replenish before March 12th! 

So all the official reports are done - and I wanted to share with you all the great work that NC PLT Facilitators across the state have done!

A total of 788 educators were trained across the state at 48 workshops, led by 37 facilitators. Those number include one Early Childhood Facilitator Workshop in which 17 folks were trained in the Early Childhood materials.

For your comparison, 2009 numbers:
556 Educators, at 30 workshops, led by 33 Facilitators

Almost $10,000 worth of guides were distributed in 2010. In-kind contributions totaled $17,500. We had almost $8,000 in grants to support the early childhood launch; which allowed NC PLT to purchase those fantastic new guides, conduct a facilitator training, and support some EC workshops. For 2011, we have just under $10,000 in grants to support a facilitator training, move forward with our recycling partnership and training some special facilitators for municipal solid waste workshops, as well as for some steering committee work on our Model Program Initiative.

2011 is already stacking up to be a great year with 18 (!) workshops already scheduled. WOW!!!! Twelve of those workshops are open to the public and currently on the NC PLT calendar, and the North Carolina EE calendar. That is an incredible number for January. Want to see if there are workshops near you?  Visit www.ces.ncsu.edu/plt/calendar!

Hope your 2011 is off to a great start!

First day back in the office - and boy is 2011 going to be a big year for NC PLT!! 

I can't believe it - but there is a PLT workshop being held on January 6th for new North Carolina Park Rangers... and just four days after that I will be working with pre-service teachers at Belmont Abbey College.  The group at BAC is always a favorite becuase they will be starting their student teaching later in the week, and it is always fun to have them discover lessons they can use right away in the PLT Activity Guide. 

Nine workshops have already been scheduled for 2011 - and all of those were set before the end of 2010.  I know a few more in the works.... so 2011 might be a record breaking year for workshops!  There will also be two facilitator trainings.  One will be for NC PLT program, and one will be for regional recycling coordinators as we shift the Where is Away workshop model that has been developed over three years to area recycling coordinators and the Division of Environmental Assitance and Outreach.  There is a chance this workshop model developed in NC could eventually go national.... so stay tuned!

Other happenings in 2011??  The North American Assocation for Environmental Education (NAAEE) international conference is coming to Raleigh in October!  This is very exciting for everyone involved in EE in North Carolina.  Seldom does one get the opportunity to attend such a prestigious conference in their 'backyard'.  If you would like to volunteer or be involved with the conference, visit www.eenc.org for more information.

What else for 2011.... the steering committee will be working on some strategic planning.  There will be two Sustainable Forestry Teachers' Academies this summer.  The national PLT conference will be in Texas.  Hopefully we will see you at one or more of these events!

Happy New Year - and best wishes for 2011!

And what a year 2010 has been!!  We will easily surpass the 523 educators trained in 2009 ... and actually might surpass that number by over 200!  Thanks to all of you that have attended PLT workshops in 2009, or shared information about PLT with others that you know.

Just because 2010 is coming to an end doesn't mean PLT stops.  I have just added two more workshops to the 2011 calendar... so we already have six on the calendar for next year www.ces.ncsu.edu/calendar!  In addition, information on our Sustainable Forestry Teachers' Academy can also be found online at www.ncsu.edu/sfta. 

Also for 2011 - - two facilitator trainings are in the works for NC PLT and our partner workshop, Where is Away, through the Division of Environmental Assitance and Outreach (DEAO).  So this means more workshops for educators in North Carolina!

Next post will most likely be a summary of workshops for 2010.  This is often a tedious task - but one I really enjoy as I like comparing numbers between years and seeing the growth of the program and of the NC PLT facilitators!

Stay warm!

During this time of the year when we all reflect on what we are thankful for - I wanted to share with you all something I am thankful for.  

The NC PLT Program is a wide and strong network of dedicated environmental educators across the state.  We have representatives in many state agencies, as well many county personnel, too.  Some are purely volunteers - using their free time to host and lead workshops.  NC PLT Facilitators put together unique and exciting workshops, and aren't afraid to try new formats.  In addition, they not only represent PLT, but other environmental education programs as well.

So to all the NC PLT Facilitators out there - THANK YOU for all you do to keep the NC PLT program strong!

Renee
NC PLT Coordinator

The NCSTA Professional Development Institute is always an exciting time because we strive to kick off registration for the Sustainable Forestry Teachers' Academy (SFTA) at the conference.

Despite some web site changes and other things that seemed to be against us - we did it!  The web site wasn't pretty, but all the information was there.  I am happy to share however, that after working out some kinks with the university servers, that the SFTA pages are up AND pretty looking!

If you are a classroom teacher in North Carolina and want to learn about sustainable forestry in North Carolina and our role in a global market, I encourage you to apply.  We have two academies that focus on two parts of the state and different products - pine (Coastal Academy) and hardwoods (Mountain Academy).

We cover all your costs for the week including meals, lodging, and tranportaion.  We keep a pretty packed schedule, but at the end of the week you will leave with some new friends, lots of information and pictures to use in your classroom, and the Project Learning Tree curriculum!

Want to know more and apply?  Visit our new web site at www.ncsu.edu/sfta!

Sorry - this opportunity is only for North Carolina teachers.  However, many states do have similar programs so I encourage you to contact the PLT Facilitator in your state and see if they can help you find a forest-related summer program. 

Will you be in Greensboro for the NCSTA PDI??  ME TOO!!!

Look for the Project Learning Tree exhibit in the Exhibit Hall.  We will be right next to our sponsor, the North Carolina Forestry Association.  We will have posters, Goods from the Woods boxes, information on PLT, upcoming workshop calendars, all the materials for you to flip through, and information on how you can get a workshop in your school.

We will also be co-presenting a session with the Division of Forest Resources on Thursday, and leading an Early Childhood session on Friday morning.  We will actually be distributing the Early Childhood materials during the session on Friday morning.... so if you work with children ages 3-7, make sure you make time to attend our session!

Adapting Project Learning Tree Early Childhood for a Sunday School Unit

BY: Laura Webb-Smith, NC Certified Environmental Educator, Durham NC

I designed a month-long “Kids and Nature Connect” summer unit for our church’s Sunday School, drawing heavily on Project Learning Tree’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood. During July and August, we combine ages 3-11 into one huge class to allow regular teachers to take a break. The mixed-age format can be challenging, but I thought the Early Childhood lessons could be adapted well for this setting.

Each week we had a different theme like Gifts from Trees, Listening to God, or Appreciating Senses. Every lesson began with three stations that the kids could choose to visit. Two stations had something active like painting with natural paint brushes, making binoculars, or matching the sounds. One station had books for the children to explore. This was a great opportunity for the older kids to interact with the younger kids by reading them stories. After discovering the theme for the day through the three stations, we gathered for a brief bible lesson. We then took a walk around the church grounds to listen or look for shapes or colors.

The fifth Sunday, families with young children met at the church supper garden to sample the harvest and help do some “urban farm” chores.

As a PLT Early Childhood facilitator, I found that designing and teaching this Kids and Nature Connect unit was very rewarding. I loved observing the children explore sights, sounds, and smells both in the classroom and around the grounds. Several kids are still signing “bird” and “shoes” to me. We learned those and other signs for common sounds for our listening walk. On the professional front, it was fabulous to try out so many of the PLT lessons before facilitating my first workshop! I hope workshop participants’ experience will be richer as a result.

Thanks for this story, Laura!! I am glad to have you on board as a PLT Early Childhood Facilitator. This sounds like a great experience for you, the children, and the families. ~NC PLT State Coordinator

Will you be participating in a TACO event?  Are you a parent that will make an effort to take a child outside for exploration during the week?  Please take a moment to record what you are doing on the TACO web site!  This is an international program - but began here in NC.... so let's show the world how it is done!

http://www.takeachildoutside.org/

3rd Annual "Take A Child Outside Week", September 24-30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—September 15, 2009
Environment, Education, Travel Editors.
Contact: Emelia Cowans, emelia.cowans@ncdenr.gov
919.733.7450, x305

RALEIGH — Take A Child Outside Week, a national initiative spearheaded by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences kicks off Thursday, September 24 and runs through Wednesday, September 30. Designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from exploring the natural world, the week encourages children and adults to spend time together outdoors. It was inspired by Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods,” which identifies the benefits of outdoor experiences for children and addresses some of the problems of what he terms “Nature Deficit Disorder,” such as increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention and feelings of being disconnected from the world.

On the Take A Child Outside web site (www.takeachildoutside.org), adults are encouraged to make a pledge to take a child outside during the week and chart their location on a digital map. The web site also offers a link to interesting outdoor activities, a list of participating organizations in your area and a portal for partner organizations to post information and add links to their website. "By arming parents, teachers and caregivers with resources on outdoor activities, children will become reconnected with nature and spend more time outdoors," says Liz Baird, Director of School Programs at the Museum.

Currently, all 50 US states and four foreign countries actively participate in Take A Child Outside Week. This initiative attracted 109 partners its first year and now over 300 organizations participate nationwide including all 35 North Carolina State Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Prairie Ridge Activity

Visitors can also venture outside with Museum educators to explore a variety of habitats— including a Piedmont prairie, woodlands, a lowland forest and a pond — on Thursday, September 24 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at the Museum’s Prairie Ridge Ecostation in west Raleigh. Free guided walks will begin every 30 minutes, with the last walk at 6 p.m. All ages are welcome. (Children 15 or younger must be accompanied by an adult.) Please wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. No registration required. For information contact: Cathy Fergen at cathy.fergen@ncdenr.gov  or 919.733.7450 x671 or visit
www.naturalsciences.org/prairie-ridge-ecostation.

Examples of Take A Child Outside activities

• Make a Date with the Moon - A monthly journey outside to look at the full moon.
• Spritzing spider webs – Discover the architecture behind spider webs by using spritz bottles.
• Leaf number search - Find and identify leaves with one to ten points and beyond.
• Shadow search - Use chalk to trace a shadow on the sidewalk, come back later to see how the shadow has moved and learn why.
• Animal tracks – Locate animal tracks in the dirt and cast them in plaster.
• Outdoor sculpture- Follow sculptor Andy Goldsworthy's lead and create sculptures using only tools found in nature
• Shape search - Find common shapes (square, circle, triangle etc.) in nature
• Color search – Identify colors of the rainbow found in nature.
• Bird song - Listen for a bird call and attempt your own imitation.

As part of the week, the Museum will also hide seven geocaches in the greater Triangle area. Geocaching is a worldwide game of using GPS technology to hide and seek treasure. Visit www.takeachildoutside.org to find out the locations of these new caches. For more information or to join us as a partner please contact Liz Baird at Liz.Baird@ncdenr.gov or call 919.733.7450 x601.

PLT's Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood has been selected a Learning ^® Magazine 2011 Teachers’ Choice^SM Award winner! 

 

For 17 years, the Teachers' Choice Awards have heralded the very best in classroom-tested, teacher-recommended products. Each year a nationwide panel of teacher-judges names the standouts in books, classroom supplies, educational games, software, Web sites, and supplemental materials that teachers need for their classroom. After receiving top ratings in rounds of rigorous judging, PLT’s Early Childhood Guide and CD won a 17th annual Teachers’ Choice Award for supplemental materials.

 

What is the history of the Teachers’ Choice Awards?  In 1994, Learning magazine introduced the first Teachers’ Choice Awards program. Over the years, the program has grown to become one of the most recognized and prestigious awards in the educational market. For the 17th annual program, 60 winners were chosen based on their scores from the evaluations done by a panel of teachers across the country.

 

How are the products evaluated?  A team of teachers evaluates each product in the classroom. The products are evaluated on quality, instructional value, ease of use, and innovation.

 

How are the winners selected?  Each product is evaluated on its own merit. Only those products that meet Learning Magazine’s teachers’ stringent standards are chosen to receive a Teachers’ Choice Award.

 

There are currently FIVE PLT Early Childhood workshops on the NC PLT calendar that will be using these award winning materials.  Sign up for one today!