Workshop Descriptions

A) Two Hour Workshops

Effective Decision-making: Key to Effective Organizations

Primary Presenter: Garry Enns, EECOM: The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication

Workshop Summary/Description: Environmental Educators, whether at work or on volunteer boards, have experienced the frustration and trauma of working with "dysfunctional" boards and committees. Assumptions are made that, if we are educated and can bring an expertise and experience to the table, we will be an asset to any board or committee we join.

Great ideas and worthy causes often experience painful and ignoble death at the hands of decision-makers who seem unable to make effective decisions. Effective Boards and Committees are the backbone of EE organizational capacity building.

This workshop will consider a number of decision making models - from Kepner-Tregoe Problem Solving models to Consensus Building to Round Tables. Discussion among workshop participants will draw out decision-making dilemmas; and the workshop facilitator will explore, with participants, how one or more approaches could lead to effective decision-making and effective organizations.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? I have often found myself on a board or committee whose members assumed because they were there (often invited or elected)they knew what they were doing. This workshop is innovative in that it recognizes highly educated individuals often are highly ineffective decision makers - at work, at home, and as members of boards. Nothing new in that, but admitting it just might be….

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? Workshop's design or delivery is fairly basic. For some U.S. participants, the fact that this is a 'Canadian' workshop with many Canadian illustrations might make it "new" South of 49.

Primary Presenter: Dr. Bora Simmons, Northern Illinois University

Workshop Summary/Description: Have you or the state organization that you represent ever struggled with responding to the question of what is good Environmental Education? What guidelines do you use in answering this question? Excellence in Environmental Education—Guidelines for Learning (K-12) is a tool that allows your organization to respond to questions like these with credibility, and authority and adds to the positive profile of your state organization. Guidelines for Learning (K-12) is a tool that can be used to examine national, state and local academic standards developed for core disciplines (e.g., civics, science, geography) It can also be used to assist in developing quality environmental education standards within your state. Through hands- on exercises participants will be introduced the Learner Guidelines, and given the opportunity to practice using them. Participants will also learn about upcoming two and three day workshops that give extended learning opportunities in the Guidelines for Learning in addition to the Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence.

 How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? The Guidelines for Learning (K-12) have just been published. This 2-hour presentation at the Leadership Clinic will be the first time the Guidelines for Learning are presented to the public.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? The hands-on format for the workshop, and small group breakouts will allow participants to be fully engaged in learning and practicing using the Guidelines.

Primary Presenter: Mike Way, Director, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education

Workshop Summary/Description: This workshop will highlight Colorado's approach to creating statewide links to the curriculum content standards, and re-inact a portion of the EE correlations workshop which illustrates what standards-based education is, and how standards work. Participants will have several hands-on learning experiences which will provide them with a good understanding of standards-based education terms, and processes. This workshop will be applicable for any state facing the standards issue in education reform.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? The workshop takes a close look at what standards-based education really is…how it works, what standards are. For many EE providers, this is completely new territory, even though they've heard of standards, they really don't have a complete picture of how they actually impact the teacher, classroom, learner, etc.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? We have a great way of having the participants actually get first-hand experience with standards-based education through a simulation.

The (Ed)Gateway to Electronic Networking

Primary Presenter: Jim Isleib, Texas Association for Environmental Education

Workshop Summary/Description: At some time or another, we've heard the call for better communication and networking using the latest technology. We have all bemoaned the fact that we are mostly volunteers and have little time or resources, especially for web-sites. At best, we establish mass e-mails, which are definitely a step in the right direction. However, mass e-mails are unwieldy and don't fully utilize the electronic networking potential of the Internet.

I would like to present a user's perspective of EdGateway. Since learning about this tool at the 1998 NAAEE Conference, I have "created" eleven EE Groups, totaling over 250 participants. More importantly, I have experience in "kick starting" and maintaining groups. What I have learned during this time will help leadership clinic participants not only create groups, but keep active, achieving better communications and networking.

This proposed workshop session would complement the WestEd presentation, bridging the gap from concept to implementation. By the end of the workshop, participants will have created a functioning EdGateway group for their EE association.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? This workshop content strives to better utilize an underutilized resource by going beyond demonstration to actual implementation.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? The design and delivery allows the participants to move from concept to implementation. Note: the logistics of creating EdGateway groups requires a significant amount of computer hardware, particularly on-line hook-ups.

Developing a Statewide EE Masterplan

Primary Presenter: Karen Reagor, Executive Director, Kentucky Association for EE (KAEE)

Additional Presenters: Dr. Joe Baust, President, KAEE

Mary Kathryn Dickerson, President-elect, KAEE

Evelyn Morgan, Immediate Past-president, KAEE

Workshop Summary/Description: A simulation of Kentucky’s EE Master Plan: Connecting Formal and Nonformal educators statewide. To model the process of developing the EE Master Plan: As a result of being in this workshop-participants will be in on the inception-development and conclusion.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? Brings together a diverse group of people: formal/nonformal educators, business/industry to devise a plan to make EE a priority statewide.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? This simulation will allow participants to have a visceral sense of the project with the ability to reproduce the project in their own state.

B) Four Hour Workshops

True Colors: A Tool for Improving Communication, Leadership, and Teamwork for Sustainable EE Organizations

Primary Presenter: Libby McCann, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Workshop Summary/Description: Effective EE capacity building at any level requires teamwork and quality communication. In this workshop, participants will become familiar with the True Colors personality styles model and communications tool. The power of this instrument is its accuracy, ease of application, universal relevance, theoretical base, and applied research. By providing innovative approaches to collaboration and communication, this model compliments NEEAP's Organizational Assessment Tool (OAT), as well as state's/team's EE strategic planning and implementation processes.

In this workshop, participants will become familiar with the True Colors communications tool through a variety of small and large group, individual, and hands-on activities. Learn how to use the most appropriate methods of communication and team building to gain the best outcomes in your EE organization and professional relationships. Participants will become more aware of their own personality style and its significance in leadership roles. You will also leave with a new understanding of group dynamics, teamwork, and recognize the potential contributions of your organization's various members. Applications to EE capacity building will also be discussed by the group as a whole. Come ready to learn more about yourself and others to create a positive atmosphere for learning and leading together to further the EE field.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? Personality characteristics of group members play an integral role in determining the group dynamics and overall process. A personal assessment tool such as True Colors can aid group members in understanding and appreciating their varied personalities, the strengths they bring to the process, and can potentially improve the overall group dynamics. Effective leaders must develop an understanding and appreciation of the commonalties and vast diversity among people of various backgrounds and experiences. The more EE organizational members and leaders can understand their EE community and individual roles within that context, the better equipped the organization will be to address challenges and affect positive change. To date, I am unaware of the use of a communications tool such as True Colors within the EE capacity building community.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? The training focus of the workshop is to enable participants to learn the True Colors model experientially through a series of individual and group activities. The power of this communications model is its accuracy, ease of application, universal relevance, theoretical base, and applied research. This personality tool incorporates Jungian Type theory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Keirsey Temperament Model, and True Colors into a personal and organizational map that leads to better teamwork, more effective communication, and improved professional and personal relationships. Knowledge of our strengths, needs, values, and preferred behavioral and relationship style is increased significantly through learning and applying this model in a hands-on workshop approach.

Recruiting and Retaining Members

Primary Presenter: Beth Applegate, Consultant trainer, Institute for Conservation Leadership

Workshop Summary/Description: This training has been developed for board members, staff and volunteers in grassroots organizations who wish to use the tools of direct mail to increase the number of paid members and volunteers, raise money for the organization, and educate constituents about key issues and the organization's mission. Included in this training will be simple, step-by-step instructions geared to small volunteer and staffed grassroots organizations on how to create, plan and execute cost-efficient and revenue-producing mail packages.

 By the end of this training, participants will:

� Understand why and how using direct mail benefits their work, and is necessary for the organization's success.

� Understand and be committed to the various uses of mail for membership recruitment, retention and upgrading.

� Be able to plan a cost-effective, engaging and persuasive mail package.

� Know how to evaluate the success of a direct mail package and to modify tactics for the future.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? This training is designed to introduce grassroots board, staff and volunteers to the fundamentals of membership development and the use of direct mail. This training design will use proven skills, tools and techniques to cover both the basic and cutting edge theories, models and frameworks in the areas of membership development and the use of direct mail.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? Through a fun and highly participant driven, substantive and practical process, we will use case studies, small group exercises and individual stories to learn the step-by-step principles of how to create, plan and execute cost-efficient and revenue-producing mail packages and how to evaluate the success of a direct mail package and modify tactics for the future.

Identifying and Influencing Leverage Points for Change within Your Institution

Primary Presenter: Nancy Gabriel, Director, Education and Training

Additional Presenters: Bert Cohen, Second Nature

Carey Levitt, Second Nature

Cynthia Staples, Second Nature

Workshop Summary/Description: Working to strengthen environmental education involves dealing with the demanding, unceasing and fluid process of change, not only in the environment, but within your own institution. Becoming an effective agent of change requires you to understand yourself, your relationship to change, and your relationship to the larger institutional system. Using an experiential format, this workshop will help you understand these complex relationships, and identify leverage points for change with your system. Participants will leave with a map of their institution, highlighting the roles that people play within their system, and some strategies for improving the overall functioning and flow of ideas through that system.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? The content of this workshop serves the needs of individuals who are firmly grounded in their commitment to environmental and sustainability education, but who need some strategies, tools, and other resources to enhance their activities. The systems exercises and Innovation Game provide interactive, experiential and replicable models that participants can use back at their institutions.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? From the opening to the closing, workshop facilitators create an atmosphere of community, safety and empowerment. All activities are designed to draw upon the expertise and experiences of the participants. By the end of the workshop, participants not only leave with an action plan, but with the knowledge that all of the people participating in the workshop are a resource that they can and should utilize.

Get Your Project Funded!

Primary Presenter: Tim Brown, Director, Utah Society for Environmental Education

Additional Presenters: Robert Olson, EE Consultant

Additional participants will be needed for various roles with the scenarios and can easily be trained at the clinic (will need the use of resource people for differing roles for instance like EPA people being themselves in the grant writing scenario).

Workshop Summary/Description: The first part of this participatory, investigative workshop will identify various fundraising strategies and models to leverage resources for projects. Scenarios are built from real fundraising experiences discussed in the beginning of the workshop. Multiple fundraising strategies will be explored, modeled and investigated for use as needed by different affiliates. The second part of the workshop will focus on writing grants and participants will have an opportunity to develop a one page summary for an actual project they would like to fund.

Using actual fund raising needs of the participating teams, tactics are developed and role played. A debriefing will assist participants to understand the actions taken and to explore the next steps. The teams can use consultants (resource people) with their planning process. This idea can help affiliates locate and solve funding acquisition problems within their organization. The workshop will also generate more creative solutions to fundraising dilemmas.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? Most workshops on funding present good technical ideas and information about fund raising and grant writing. This workshop will take that good basis as a start and encourage participants to use the information to formulate plans and try out those plans in a role play situation so that participants can get immediate feedback on the viability of plans and thus remove obstacles to their organizational development.

Cultural Competency and The Relationship to Sustainability

Primary Presenter: Emilio Williams, The Koi Group

Workshop Summary/Description: Do you see yourself as a global partner who capitalizes on "community" assets and diversity to work toward common ground? Are you aware of how critical building mutual respect, trust, and freedom of expression is to the quality of all relationships especially those in which the desire is to collaborate? The session focuses on what it means to be "culturally competent" and the relationship that this competency can have on program initiatives, contributions of unequal partners, and sustainability. Particular goals include helping participants understand cultural expectations, individual motivations, diversity and acceptance, alternative ways to perceive actions, and learning how to disclose the power that exists within the group. Working through group scenarios and small group discussions, participants will identify strategies, build upon their current level of competency, and develop action steps they can use upon returning to their programs and/or local communities.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? The session provides an opportunity for participants to identify critical issues inhibiting them from working with diverse populations or through different cultural barriers. It is innovative in that it allows participants to increase awareness, expand their knowledge, and develop specific skills they can use upon returning to their programs or community.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? The session capitalizes upon the assets of the participants and allows their experience to serve as the foundation of the session. Given the combined experiences and assets, participants will be able to walk away with strategies they can immediately use, relevant and customized to their current challenges and/or opportunities.

Environmental Education and Education Reform: Using EE Model Schools to Bridge the Gap

Primary Presenter: Susan Toth, Pine Jog EE Center of Florida Atlantic University

Workshop Summary/Description: The Pine Jog Environmental Education Center of Florida Atlantic University has developed a sustainable project to assist elementary schools in meaningfully integrating environmental education (EE) into their curriculum. EE is being used as both a curriculum focus and as an important step toward meeting each school's goals for educational reform. The nine elementary schools currently in the project are implementing a model for EE that addresses the issues of school reform and improvement and teacher education. This project model includes the following components: 1) Identification and training of school-based resource teachers. 2) Collaborative planning for instruction through interdisciplinary units focused on an environmental theme. 3) Incorporation of non-formal EE programs in the curriculum. 4) Development of field trip extensions which enhance the curriculum, 5) Development of environmental action projects which extend from the school into the community. This workshop will share what is taking place at these schools. Participants will develop their own action plans for how to begin a similar approach in their state/region/community.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? This workshop will provide a detailed look at an ongoing, self-sustaining project that is changing how students learn and how teachers are teaching by linking EE with schools' education reform agendas.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? The workshop will utilize small and large group processes that encourage active participation and interaction. My experience has been that in other forums there has never been enough time for participants to generate and ask questions about the details of such a project.

Am I a Certifiable Environmental Educator or What!!!

Primary Presenter: Margaret Menzies, Marine Science Edcuator/Coordinator, MN Association of EE

Additional Presenters: Dr. Bora Simmons, Northern Illinois University

Su Beran, Information Education Coordinator, RCRCA, MAEE

Workshop Summary/Description: Environmental educators' worst nightmares--allegations of propaganda, critical legislation in favor of EE thrown out, or passed and then rescinded because of a vocal minority--the backlash seems to continue. It seems, to us, like common sense to teach about living within sustainable means on this planet. But is there some basis to this backlash? Perhaps for EE it is the lack of defined qualifications and professional training standards. As a field, we need to address these issues and establish some recognizable structure while gaining credibility for the field.

This workshop examines the current status of leadership efforts in this direction, and gives an opportunity to discuss various developments. Items addressed include the challenges, roadblocks, and solutions to this issue. Bring your ideas, and knowledge of this issue and be prepared to share them. Plan to hear from all stages of development and leave with ideas about the possibilities for your home area.

How is the workshop’s content new or innovative? Standards, standards, standards--everyone speaks of standards, but just what are they, and how can they be developed in an inclusive process that strengthens their acceptance? This leadership clinic is an excellent setting to bring together leaders in this matter and examine existing models. This workshop will allow the dissemination of such knowledge and the processes involved in the development of professional standards. In addition, participants have an opportunity to discuss the draft standards for EE professionals from NAAEE. It will allow the sharing of visions for the process and the product, which can then be adapted to the state level. The workshop session permits direct dialog amongst leaders in EE and immediate feedback for participants, along with collective wisdom in this endeavor.

How is the workshop’s design and delivery process new or innovative? The workshop is different in its approach to a topic that for some people may be less than stimulating!!!--the development of criteria for environmental educators. The use of parodies on a well-known story and song is engaging, enjoyable, interdisciplinary, and uses multiple intelligences and learning styles. At various points in the workshop, activities are used which promote and require the involvement of the participants and therefore they are actively learning about this topic--whether it is reading sections of documents in small groups and then reporting back to the larger group, producing a concept map or evaluating--the participants are learning about the process. In addition, it is a two-way process with the organizers receiving valuable feedback on the development of criteria for environmental educators for their own state.

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