Coming Together In Atlanta:  An Innovative Professional Development and Networking Opportunity

By David Starnes, International Training Coordinator, NAAEE

 The Environmental Education Advocate - Fall 1998

The following information is provided to you as a service of the National Environmental Education Advancement Project (NEEAP). We encourage you to use it and please credit the National Environmental Education
Advancement Project where appropriate.

Photo: Jeff Bach

Rosalyn McKeown-Ice (TN) and Terri Ippolito (EPA-Region 2) present a fundraising workshop for EE organizations at the 1998 NAAEE Conference.

More than 70 representatives from 22 state environmental education (EE) organizations and consortiums from across the United States participated in a unique training experience at the 1998 NAAEE Conference in Atlanta, GA. The participant-driven NAAEE/NEEAP Leadership and Organizational Development Workshop utilized many innovative group process techniques, such as "Heads Together" and "Open Space". These and other networking, strategizing, and planning processes helped state EE organizations and consortiums build and strengthen EE in their state.

In addition, representatives from other state and national organizations were present to share their experiences and expertise on such issues as fundraising, working with principals and administrators in school-wide EE efforts, nonformal in-service providers and media promotion of environmental education. The workshop was modeled on the NEEAP/NAAEE Spring 1998 Leadership Clinic which featured innovative group process strategies for planning, networking, and professional development in EE capacity building. Workshop coordinators also utilized a 1998 survey of NAAEE Affiliate organizations in prioritizing workshop sessions.

Photo: Abby Ruskey

Peter Kelly, from the National Environmental Trust, doubled as "Dr. Media" and provided the "Portrait of a Reporter's Desk", along with many other useful media insights during the Pre-conference Workshop.

According to some workshop particpants, "This was the best capacity building workshop to date!" Tim Sandsmark, a first-time participant in this type of workshop, said "The workshop was a good opportunity for us to get together and reconfirm our goals and objectives for the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education for the coming year. It was also a great opportunity to network with other state affiliates."

For more information on this workshop and upcoming training opportunities with NAAEE Affiliates and NEEAP’s EE 2000 consortium, please contact David Starnes at NAAEE at dstarnes@aed.org; phone: 202-884-8942 or Abby Ruskey at NEEAP at aruskey@uwsp.edu; phone: 715-346-4179.

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