MEEA Conference Call for Workshops Proposal Deadline Extended

Call for Workshops Maine Environmental Education Association Annual Conference March 22, 2013 DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013!!!

Info If you have a workshop that is practical, instructional, or inspirational, we hope that you will share it at the 2013 MEEA Conference. Workshops are generally 1-1.5 hours in length.   Please check the MEEA website throughout the winter for ongoing details.  Submit Now!    Click here to download the 2013 Call for Workshops OR    Click here to submit your Workshop Proposal 2013 MEEA Awards Help us to recognize outstanding environmental achievement in Maine!   Nominate an educator, program, school or business! Click here for the 2013  Call for Nominations Please Join Us!

Dear MEEA Members, W e invite you to submit proposals for the 2013 Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) Annual Conference in Wiscasset, Maine on Friday, March 22.  "Pathways to Environmental Literacy:     Sharing Stories to Inspire our Work"    MEEA is seeking proposals from educators, conservation professionals, entrepeneurs, business leaders, naturalists, artists, health care providers, scientists, state organizations and others who have experiences or resources that relate to our workshop strands.  We encourage professionals to join us from a wide range of fields who seek to collaborate toward a common goal of an environmentally literate citizenship.   Formative experiences in the natural world are shown to be a commonality amongst individuals who work in environmental fields. How did your love for nature influence your path, and how do you stay fresh and inspired in an ever-changing educational, cultural, political and environmental climate? Join us in sharing your story.  How can our stories, current trends in education and outdoor recreation, and research related to nature connection inspire and inform the work of environmental literacy moving forward? MEEA's 2013 Annual Conference seeks to bring together professionals from across sectors to explore these important questions, build connections, and find opportunities for collaboration.   We will be looking for workshops that consider or reflect the strands below.   We look forward to reading your proposal! MEEA Conference Committee Conference Strands Environmental Education Impact  (research findings and trends, evaluation and assessment methods, best practices, etc.) Effective Collaboration (cross-sector/organizational partnerships, cross-curricular teaching, collective impact, etc.) Professional Tools (grant writing, budgeting, staff/volunteer/board management, marketing, communication, etc.) Inspired Practice  (leadership development, reflective process, pedagogy/methodology, etc.) Nature Connection  (STEM and nature education, outdoor engagement, access to land, health, etc.) Printable Call for Workshops Online Workshop Proposal Form Questions?    Contact Tamara Whitmore, Conference Co-Chair. Deadline for submissions is February 4, 2013. Notification of selected workshops expected by February 10, 2013. Workshop presenters will be required to register for the MEEA Conference. Conference Registration will be available early February 2013.

MEEA Seeking Nominations for 2013 Awards

Call for Annual MEEA Award Nominations  To be presented at the  Maine Environmental Education Association Annual Conference March 22, 2013 Dear MEEA Members and Friends, We invite you to submit nominations for the 2013 Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) Annual Awards which will be presented at our upcoming conference in Wiscasset, Maine on Friday, March 22, 2013 -  "Pathways to Environmental Literacy:  Sharing Stories to Inspire Our Work".   Award categories and criteria are listed below.  Also, please consider presenting a workshop at this years conference.  The day is always full of networking and inspiration, learning from and collaborating with, each other!   A link to this years' "Call for Workshops" is at the bottom of this email. Please help us recognize outstanding environmental achievement in Maine!   We look forward to reading your nominations!   MEEA Awards Committee  Call for Award Nominations... The Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) is seeking nomination applications for recognition of outstanding environmental achievement in Maine in the following four categories: The Eberhard Thiele Environmental Educator Award Excellence in Environmental Education Program Award Maine Environmental Education Association School of the Year Award Maine Environmental Education Association Business of the Year Award Nominations may be submitted using the attached form either by the nominee or by a colleague on its behalf. Applications are due by Monday, February 8th 2013. The selection criteria for each of the awards are as follows: The Eberhard Thiele Environmental Educator Award is designed to recognize either an environmental education professional who works outside the formal classroom setting or a public or private school classroom teacher that incorporates environmental education into their pedagogical philosophy and practice. Eberhard Thielewas the first President of MEEA (1981), served many years on the board, and inspired many students as the Director of Environmental Studies at the University of Maine, Fort Kent. The award recipient: makes continuous and enduring contributions to environmental education demonstrates capacity for creating and implementing successful EE activities encourages students and/or audience to make informed decisions about environmental issues shows creative and innovative approaches to EE programming promotes environmental education by inspiring colleagues and/or providing training or resources to other educators The Excellence in Environmental Education Program* Award is designed to recognize an outstanding environmental education program that is: innovative and creative sustainable has a strong evaluation component results in action or changed behaviors by participants.  *Recipients for this award might include nonprofits, land trusts, city programs and others. The Maine Environmental Education Association School of the Year Award is designed to recognize an outstanding Maine public or private school or school program that demonstrates a commitment to one or more of the following: reducing the school's environmental impact and improving energy efficiency creating a healthy school environment (i.e. high school standards for nutrition, fitness, physical environment such as air and water quality, and quantity and quality of outdoor time for both students and staff) environmental and sustainability education that incorporates service learning.   The Maine Environmental Education Association Business of the Year Award is designed to recognize an outstanding Maine Business that is committed to one or more of the following: connecting to local land and resources which highlights conscious understanding of health, conservation or environmental and economical sustainability serving their community through the support of green initiatives reducing their environmental impact and improving their energy efficiency MEEA awards will be presented at the annual conference, Pathways to Environmental Literacy: Sharing Stories to Inspire Our Work, March 22, 2013 (snow date: March 23, 2013) at the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset. Please complete the application form to nominate yourself or a colleague for one of the 2013 awards. Submission by e-mail is required. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact: Olivia Griset MEEA Awards Committee Chair oliviagriset@yahoo.com Please Note:  Individuals that serve as MEEA Board Members and the programs those individuals oversee are not eligible to receive MEEA awards during their term of service and for one year after. In addition, MEEA does not have to award every award every year; if MEEA deems there are not enough quality nominations in any one category an award may not be given in that category that year.     Maine Environmental Education Association AWARDS NOMINATION FORM 2013

2013 MEEA Conference     Call for Workshops Due January 31, 2013

Questions?     Contact Olivia Griset, Awards Committee Chair Deadline for submissions is Friday, February 8th, 2013. Notification of awards expected by March 15th, 2013.

New EE Job Postings

Hello MEEA Members,
Here are a few new job postings that have come across our desk in the past week.  Hopefully some of you find these of interest.  Please remember if your organization has relevant job openings please contact MEEA to help you advertise to our membership.
Thanks!

January 24, 2013 Downeast Lakes Landings About Us Conservation Visitor's Guide Support We’re Hiring! Downeast Lakes Land Trust is pleased to announce that we are hiring an Education and Communications Manager.  We are seeking a dynamic leader with exceptional skills.  We encourage our supporters to consider whether they may know a strong candidate, and inform them of the opportunity.  With an outstanding Community Forest resource under our management, and strong cooperative relationships within our community, DLLT has an opportunity to develop and expand our education and communication program.  We seek to build stronger connections between residents, visitors, and the natural resources that sustain the economy, while educating future generations and building their appreciation for the natural environment and sustainable use of forest resources.   The Education & Communications Manager will lead development and expansion of DLLT’s education program and assume substantial responsibilities for communications including print and online materials and media relations.    This is a full-time position.  Initial funding for the first three years is secured due to a major grant from the Maine Timberlands Charitable Trust, and the position is expected to be permanent.  The complete position description, and application instructions, are available at www.downeastlakes.org.   C&NN Executive Director Announcement! The Children & Nature Network has announced a search for an Executive Director. Dear Friends, After more than seven years as Founding President and CEO, I have asked the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) Board of Directors to find a new executive so that I may serve the organization and its mission in other ways. I will remain actively involved with C&NN. It is my belief, shared by the Board of Directors, that this is a good time in the history of the organization to bring aboard new leadership to help build the movement—and succeed in its vision—to connect all children with nature in their everyday lives. The application process opens January 11th and closes February 20, 2013. We anticipate making the transition officially in the summer of 2013. We hope many of you will consider applying—and will spread the word to others about this exciting and important opportunity! Warm regards, Cheryl Charles, Ph.D. President and CEO Children & Nature Network [+] Download the C&NN Executive Director Announcement

MEEA 2013 Conference Call for Workshops

Call for Workshops Maine Environmental Education Association Annual Conference March 22, 2013

Info If you have a workshop that is practical, instructional, or inspirational, we hope that you will share it at the 2013 MEEA Conference. Workshops are generally 1-1.5 hours in length. Please check the MEEA website throughout the winter for ongoing details. Submit Now! Click here to download the 2013 Call for Workshops OR Click here to submit your Workshop Proposal 2013 MEEA Awards Help us to recognize outstanding environmental achievement in Maine! Nominate an educator, program, school or business! Click here for the 2013 Call for Nominations Please Join Us!

Dear Friends of MEEA... W e invite you to submit proposals for the 2013 Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) Annual Conference in Wiscasset, Maine on Friday, March 22. "Pathways to Environmental Literacy: Sharing Stories to Inspire our Work" MEEA is seeking proposals from educators, conservation professionals, entrepeneurs, business leaders, naturalists, artists, health care providers, scientists, state organizations and others who have experiences or resources that relate to our workshop strands. We encourage professionals to join us from a wide range of fields who seek to collaborate toward a common goal of an environmentally literate citizenship. Formative experiences in the natural world are shown to be a commonality amongst individuals who work in environmental fields. How did your love for nature influence your path, and how do you stay fresh and inspired in an ever-changing educational, cultural, political and environmental climate? Join us in sharing your story. How can our stories, current trends in education and outdoor recreation, and research related to nature connection inspire and inform the work of environmental literacy moving forward? MEEA's 2013 Annual Conference seeks to bring together professionals from across sectors to explore these important questions, build connections, and find opportunities for collaboration. We will be looking for workshops that consider or reflect the strands below. We look forward to reading your proposal! MEEA Conference Committee Conference Strands Environmental Education Impact (research findings and trends, evaluation and assessment methods, best practices, etc.) Effective Collaboration (cross-sector/organizational partnerships, cross-curricular teaching, collective impact, etc.) Professional Tools (grant writing, budgeting, staff/volunteer/board management, marketing, communication, etc.) Inspired Practice (leadership development, reflective process, pedagogy/methodology, etc.) Nature Connection (STEM and nature education, outdoor engagement, access to land, health, etc.) Printable Call for Workshops Online Workshop Proposal Form Questions? Contact Tamara Whitmore, Conference Co-Chair. Deadline for submissions is January 30, 2013. Notification of selected workshops expected by February 10, 2013. Workshop presenters will be required to register for the MEEA Conference. Conference Registration will be available online by February 1, 2013.

High School Teachers Take Note-Gulf of Maine Essay Contest for High School Students Recently Announced

Hello MEEA High School Teacher Members...thought this would be of interest:

From the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Essay Contest promotes ocean stewardship
among high school students and rewards them with thousands of dollars in
prize money for their winning essays. This year's theme of Sea Animals Big
and Small focuses on current threats to the marine life of the Gulf of
Maine, especially to right whales and to forage fish. Students can find many
resources to inform their essays at www.fromthebowseat.org/.

Essayists can also find up-to-date research from the Census of Marine Life
to enhance their composition at www.coml.org/. The Census of Marine Life was
a 10-year international effort undertaken to assess the diversity,
distribution, and abundance of marine life. By the time the decade of
discovery concluded in 2010, 2,700 scientists from 80 nations had discovered
new species, habitats, and connections and unlocked many of the ocean's
long-held secrets.

Students can find out specific information about the biodiversity of the
Gulf of Maine by clicking through Regional Ecosystems, or by going directly
to www.gulfofmaine-census.org/.



The Ocean Awareness Essay Contest is an educational complement to From the
Bow Seat, a 64-minute documentary about environmental issues impacting the
Gulf of Maine. The film, contest information, and essay questions are posted
at www.fromthebowseat.org/.



The essay contest is open to all high school-age students across the
country, including homeschooled students. Winning essayists will be awarded
$2,500 for First Prize, $1,500 for Second Place, and $500 for Third Place.
The high school science department of the First Place essayist also receives
$2,500.

For more information Contact:
Mary M. Cerullo, Associate Director

Friends of Casco Bay

43 Slocum Drive

South Portland, ME 04106

(207) 799-8574

mcerullo@cascobay.org

Exploring Oceanography Summer Workshop for Maine High School Teachers

Hello MEEA Members,
Thought some of you might be interested in this new workshop offered by Bigelow Labs this summer...enjoy!

Explore ocean science on the coast of Maine!
July 16 - July 19, 2013

Exploring Oceanography Summer Workshop

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is expanding the reach of the Keller BLOOM Program by offering professional development workshops for Maine high school science teachers interested in collaborating with Bigelow Laboratory scientists to enhance ocean science education in the state.  These four-day summer workshops, led by Dr. David Fields<http://www.bigelow.org/research/srs/david_fields/> and Dr. Nicole Poulton<http://www.bigelow.org/research/srs/nicole-poulton/>, provide teachers with training, tools and hands-on research experience so that they are better equipped to teach ocean science in their classrooms.

Educators attending a workshop learn how to teach fundamentals of ocean science in a local and global context.  Topics covered include the history of oceanography, the ocean's biological pump, primary productivity and climate change.

Participants spend a day in the field on a research cruise, attend seminars by Bigelow scientists and engage in hands-on laboratory learning activities.  All attendees receive curriculum materials, aquatic field sampling and laboratory equipment, and follow-up academic year support, as well as 3 Continuing Education Units.  Housing near the Lab, a transportation reimbursement and most meals are provided.

Workshop Feedback

"Thank you for one of the best science professional development (PD) activities I've had in a long time. Everyone was interesting and enthusiastic about their research. Everything was well organized. It was PD done WITH us, not just given TO us, and it includes an on-going piece which is very important for the program's success. With much appreciation, thank you!"

"One of my favorite workshops as it provided time to interact with scientists regarding subject matter understanding and authentic scientific work."

"The day out on the boat, collecting data and then analyzing it back at the lab were excellent -- we were given the opportunity to do the science ourselves (practice and learn), which in turn will make it more transferable to our students."

2013 Workshop - July 16 - 19, 2013
The 2013, "Exploring Oceanography" Professional Development Workshop will take place from July 16th to July 19th (4 days) at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.  Participants include all MAINE High School and Middle School Science Teachers.  Housing near the Lab, a transportation reimbursement and most meals are provided.

TO REGISTER:  Please complete the online form<http://njpoulton.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3x5/>.  Maximum number of participants is 10.  Once registered you will receive notification of your registration, if full, all others will be placed on a waiting list.  For more information, please call 202-747-3255 or email Nicole Poulton, npoulton@bigelow.org.



Funded by the Betterment Fund and the Horizon Foundation.

Chewonki Announcing Second Annual Zero Waste Challenge

Announcing! The Second Annual Zero Waste Challenge Learn how your school can win up to $2,000

Dear MEEA Members,  If you're a 6th, 7th, or 8th grade teacher or administrator  in a Maine school, you can qualify to win a $2000, $1000, or $500 prize by having your student group take the Zero Waste Challenge.  Last year's challenge was so successful that the project has been expanded to reach more schools.  The Zero Waste Challenge is a hands-on service-learning project created by Chewonki and Poland Spring to help encourage the reduction of waste in schools across Maine.   This year, we are partnering with ecomaine and Pine Tree Waste to expand our reach because they know the business of waste and the enormous benefits of reducing your school's waste.  Middle school classrooms (grades 6,7,8) are challenged to enter the contest and help their schools save money and resources by evaluating their waste stream and creating a plan to reduce waste. The three winning student teams will receive a cash prize that can be used to implement a Zero Waste plan at their school or fund an environmental education experience with Chewonki. Contest Timeline Fall/Winter 2012: Schools engage in challenge. January 2013: Entries due. March 2013: Three winning plans are announced and awarded prizes as follows: First prize: $2,000, Second prize $1,000, Third prize $500. For more information and to register, visit:  www.chewonki.org/zerowaste  OR, contact Tom Twist ttwist @chewonki.org

Please forward this to other schools you know!

MEEA Hosting New England's First Environmental Literacy Summit

Tomorrow is the big day!  New England's first Environmental Literacy Summit hosted by MEEA is happening in Biddeford tomorrow at UNE- with over 130 regional EE leaders attending - it is bound to be an amazing day.  Laura Downey, Executive Director for the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, will be offering the Keynote address "The EE Stars are Aligning".   Follow this blog to find out more after the conference.  Looking forward  to seeing you there!
-MEEA Board

MEEA Board Meeting Today in Augusta

Hello MEEA Board and Members,
Please feel free to join us today at our monthly meting from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Viles Arboretum in Augusta. 
Thank you!
-MEEA Board

MEEA at the Common Ground Fair

Hello MEEA Members and Friends,
Make sure you come check out the MEEA table this weekend at the Common Ground Fair!  Come found out about all the exciting new initiatives MEEA is working on to help advocate for and support EE in Maine and New England!  We would love to catch up with you. 
Also MEEA President Ryder Scott will be a main speaker at the Fair this year...if you have a chance make sure you make it to his talk!

See you at the Fair-we look forward to reconnecting with you all!

Update on MEEA Happenings...

Hello MEEA Members,
Hope your summer was well.  MEEA has been busy this summer working on many exciting projects and collaborating with the New England Environmental Education Alliance to raise money to help implement Maine's Environmental Literacy Plan.  We look forward to awarding EPA funds to some outstanding Maine recipients later this fall and are so pleased to be able to support the great work that is happening in Maine!   

We are working hard on redevolpment of our website and are excited to be creating a new website that will be full of resources for formal and nonformal educators.  This is one of our most important goals and we are hoping to have the new site live in January 2013.

MEEA, in collaboration with NEEEA, will be hosting a one day conference October 26th at the University of New England.  Speakers from all over the region will join with Maine EE leaders to talk about implementing Envrionemental Literacy Plans and building capacity for EE programs and associations.  It will be a very educational and inspiring day and we hope you choose to join us!

MEEA will be at the Common Ground Fair this year!  Please stop by our table and say hi.  Thank you for all your support and for the good work you are doing in our state!

-- The MEEA Board

Reminder MEEA Board Meeting Tomorrow in Augusta

Hello MEEA Members,
Just a reminder our monthly board meeting will be in Augusta at the Viles Arboretum tomorrow, Thursday, June 6th, from 3:30-5:30 pm.  All members are invited to join us at this meeting.
Hope to see you there!
--MEEA Board of Directors