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May 2014                                                          News for Teachers
ACEE would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the delegates, presenters and volunteers, who helped make the 2014 Earth Matters conference such a success!

 

Everyone's energy, enthusiasm and passion for environmental education is truly inspiring. Over 200 teachers, agency professionals, students, and other environmental education stakeholders gathered in Canmore from April 24-26 to celebrate, share and learn.

 

The response to the conference has been overwhelmingly positive, with over:  

  • 86% of attendees rating the conference as "Very Good" to "Excellent" 
  • 88% saying they are very likely to attend next year.

Click here to view photos from our 2014 conference - and we'll post information on our upcoming 2015 conference when it becomes available!


 

Preparing for the New Curriculum


Thank you to the April 24th pre-conference participants that helped frame a discussion on the steps teachers and environmental educators can take to prepare for the new curriculum.

ACEE has created a web page that lists some resources and we will use "What we heard" from the pre-conference to help support you in this preparation.

Learn more.  
 

Apply today for the Cenovus Energy Environmental Education Leadership Clinic   

 

Are you looking for an opportunity to:

  • Build the environmental education capacity of your team,
  • Create an action plan to deliver on one of your environmental education goals, and
  • Improve your team's performance?

The fully funded four-day leadership clinic will help your team achieve all of the above. The 7th annual leadership clinic will provide professional development sessions as well as innovative team-planning time for teams from a variety of organizations. You will network with colleagues and learn from others in creating your own action plan.

 

Applications for the 2014 leadership clinic are now being accepted with the deadline of July 11th, 2014. Teams are selected based on the strength of their applications so don't leave your application until the last minute.

 

For more information and to apply, visithttp://abcee.org/leadershipclinic/.

 

This program is made possible with funding from:

 

Cenovus logo

 

 

Invitation - Curriculum Conversations Calgary Area   

 
Students, parents, teachers and community groups are invited to these upcoming conversations about the curriculum advancement in Alberta. Dates are:
  • May 29
  • June 2
  • June 4

Register though the Calgary Regional Consortium here.  

 

Edmonton Region Community of Practice - June 25th - 12:00 - 4:00     

     
If you are a teacher or environmental educator in the Edmonton area, join us on June 25th at the Devonian Botanical Gardens to continue exploring how we can advance environmental education in the Edmonton region.
Click here to register!
 

New Guide Features Food-Focused Content   

     
The Center for Ecoliteracy and the National Geographic Society are pleased to introduce a new guide - BIG IDEAS: Linking Food, Culture, Health, and the Environment.
 
The free, downloadable guide is available now on the Center's website and will be published on the National Geographic Education website in June.  

This resource will be the centerpiece of a growing collection of activities, lesson plans, multimedia tools, games, and more for K-12 students.

Learn more. 
 

Forest School Practitioners Course July 14-18 Canmore  

     

Forest School training courses have been offered to educators in the UK for over a decade. 

 

To connect with this tradition of practice and benefit from what has been learned so far, Forest Schools Canada is collaborating with experts in the UK to adapt the established UK level three Forest School Practitioner Course to the Canadian context. The result is a program steeped in the tradition of Forest School abroad, but grounded in the realities of the Canadian experience.

 

Learn more here.  

 

Enter the 2nd Annual Take Me Outside Student Video Contest   

  • Do you go to school in Canada?
  • Are you in a K-12 class?
  • Does your class explore and find adventures outside of the classroom?
 Prove it! Create a short video to let us know how your class explores and finds adventures beyond the schoolyard fence. Then submit your video for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to Banff as well as some great prizes from Mountain Equipment Co-op - tents, sleeping bags, and packs! If your video is chosen as a finalist, you could have it screened at the 2014 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, alongside some of the best mountain, adventure and exploration films in the world!

 

Read more at: http://takemeoutside.ca/contest

 
Solar Oven Challenge 2014 

  

Over 40 classes have registered for Green Learning's annual Solar Oven Challenge! Stay tuned to see what the participant's "cook up"! Missed the deadline for this year? No problem! The next round of registration begins in the fall.  

 

Find out more about the Solar Oven Challenge and access free teaching resources, at http://www.greenlearning.ca/
Quick Links

Outdoor Bill of Rights 

Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights has recently been introduced in New Jersey. What do you think about this? Read more here.

Outdoor Experiences Can Shape Career Choices 

Erin Lau describes her personal experience in this blog from the Child and Nature Network. Read it here.  

For more information visit:  
www.abcee.org
Questions or comments? Please contact rosemarie@abcee.org.