AEOE Vision Statement

Through regular participation in environmental and outdoor education, learners will gain the knowledge, skills and inspiration to help them understand, respect and care for themselves, their communities and their environment. These values will be reflected in a world where:

• All people in our diverse society have equal access to environmental and outdoor education.
• A variety of environmental and outdoor education opportunities are consistently provided through schools, community groups, government and non-profit agencies, and all students attend a residential outdoor school at least once.
• Environmental education is integrated throughout the traditional school curriculum.
• At every level of education, teachers and students go outdoors to explore, appreciate and care for the natural world on school grounds, throughout local communities and into natural areas.
• Learners have a strong connection to their natural environments, whether wilderness, rural or urban, resulting in a deep and nurturing sense of place.
• First-hand experience and environmental service learning projects develop critical thinkers who make sound environmental decisions and actively move our society toward sustainable practices.
• Recognition and support of educators and programs providing environmental and outdoor education is an integral part of California’s educational system and society.

AEOE Mission Statement

The Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education supports and inspires educators in their quest for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to help all learners understand, appreciate, and care for their environment. As an integral part of achieving our mission, we encourage direct experience outdoors.

Strategic Plan Strategies, Goals and Objectives

Strategy A: Serve as a Top-Notch Professional Association

Ø Goal 1: Provide regular professional development to our membership.

1a. Offer one statewide spring conference and two regional fall conferences. The statewide conference should serve at least 300 members and the regional conferences at least 100 members each.

1b. Provide one keynote speaker to address current and topical issues in environmental education

1.c Offer workshops that address current issues in EE as well as opportunities for instructional training.

1d. Workshops and keynote speakers are expected to rate a 4 out of 5 or higher on attendee evaluations.

1e. Offer continuing education credit for teachers attending AEOE conferences.

1f. Offer workshops on career advancement at each conference including how to apply and interview for positions, how to locate jobs in EE, how to improve your skills, information on college preparation programs and career paths available in EE, etc.

1g. Offer two or more regional training weekend workshops (a minimum of one in each region) to address specific training areas identified by members.

1h. Initiate an AEOE naturalist training program that can be completed over a weekend (or longer) that will provide participants college credit and a certificate of completion. Such training will allow potential employers to understand that they are hiring a certified AEOE trained naturalist.

Ø Goal 2: Provide networking opportunities to our membership.

2a. Publish a quarterly newsletter that includes article of interest, job opportunities, and AEOE contacts.

2b. Provide a website that alerts membership to current events, AEOE contacts, EE contacts, and a world class job listing.

2c. Provide periodic electronic newsletter updates and updates of current issues/opportunities for members.

2d. Work closely with NAAEE, GSEEC, and other EE organizations to share information, membership, etc.

2e. Provide specific networking opportunities at conferences to include job fair, story and journal swaps, skit contests, and “guided opportunities” at meals and free time (such as “take this time to meet and talk with someone from another program”), and workshops.

Strategy B: Increase Member Participation in AEOE.

Ø Goal 3: Motivate members to become more involved in organizational leadership and operations.

3a. Search out assistance from organizations that are successful at recruiting volunteers and/or available training programs in this area.

3b. Recruit at least 4new active council members statewide each year.

Ø Goal 4: Increase the number of individual and institutional memberships.

4a. Make publicity phone calls to at least 75% percent of all ROSS programs prior to fall and spring conferences.

4b. Update the paper brochure.

4c. Mail the paper brochure and a “video brochure” to at least 75% of all ROSS programs each fall.

4d. Offer at least 3 local trips or workshops per section each year.

Ø Goal 5: Maximize participation at all conferences and events.

5a. Make publicity phone calls to at least 75% percent of all ROSS programs prior to fall and spring conferences.

5b. Mail conference flyers and paper brochures to ROSS programs, nature centers, museums, and other non-profit agencies.

5c. Establish a contact person at each ROSS site and engage in ongoing communication with those people. Contact person should agree to regularly promote AEOE among their co-workers.

Strategy C: Address Issues of Diversity in the Outdoor Environmental Education Community.

Ø Goal 6: Engage and network with diverse audiences and organizations.

6a. Maintain a standing Inclusivity Committee.

6b. Develop an AEOE statement of principles regarding diversity in the EE/OEE field and for AEOE as an organization.

6c. Identify at least 10 organizations with ethnically diverse staffs and representing ethnically diverse populations, especially in urban areas, with whom to network, offer our services, and from whom the AEOE Board can learn.

6d. Achieve at least 20% attendance at conferences by people of color by 2010, representing more diverse EE organizations, and becoming more representative of the state of California.

6e. Recruit so that at least 30% of the conference workshop presenters, speakers and entertainers are people of color by 2010.

6f. Identify aspects of the culture of AEOE and its conferences that need to be changed so that everyone feels comfortable and welcome. Develop an action plan to address these issues.

Ø Goal 7: Offer cultural competency workshops.

7a. Continue the diversity strand at the annual Spring Conference, offering a minimum of 10 workshops directly related to diversity/inclusivity.

7b. Offer a minimum of 2 inclusivity/diversity workshops at each fall conference

Ø Goal 8: Encourage a more diverse applicant pool for OEE/EE positions.

8a. Appoint an Inclusivity Coordinator to identify underrepresented populations entering the job field.

8b. Provide information about the OEE/EE field, including the AEOE video brochure, paper brochure website and job list, to community colleges, high school guidance counselors and other relevant parties.

8c. Offer workshops at conferences with strategies for how OEE/EE organizations can hire diverse staffs. List resources on the AEOE website.

8d. Match OEE/EE organizations with facilitators who can offer cultural sensitivity training. List resources on the AEOE website.

Strategy D: Identify Career Paths in Outdoor Environmental Education.

Ø Goal 9: Educate members about the range of career possibilities.

9a. Maintain detailed and diverse job listings on the website.

9b. Provide at least 1 workshop that focuses on career options or professional development at the Fall Conferences and at least 3 at Spring Conferences.

Ø Goal 10: Provide leadership opportunities within AEOE and throughout the greater education community.

10a. Actively, advertise AEOE Board and council positions, committee positions, and liaison opportunities through the newsletter, website, and word of mouth.

Ø Goal 11: Manage quality job fairs at Spring Conferences.

11a. Invite employers from a wide variety of organizations.

11b. Schedule job fairs during a convenient down-time to maximize participation and minimize conflict with other conference events.

Strategy E: Increase Collaboration with Organizations in the Environmental Education Field.

Ø Goal 12: Identify organizations for collaboration.

12a. Add at least 3 partnerships.

Ø Goal 13: Encourage active reciprocal participation with partner organizations.

13a. Invite representatives from partner organizations to all AEOE conferences, events and council/Board meetings.

13b. Compensate one spring conference registration for NAAEE and NAAEE affiliates in Arizona, New Mexico and Orgegon.

13b. Send an AEOE representative to all conferences, events and meetings of partner organizations.

13c. Maintain an official AEOE liaison to each partner organization who will regularly report to the councils.

Ø Goal 14: Promote Outdoor Environmental Education within the larger Environmental Education field.

14a. Participate with partner organizations in projects which will affect state and/or national education policy.

14b. Submit articles on the benefits of taking learners outdoors to partner organizations’ publications.

Strategy F: Track Issues in Environmental Education and Take Appropriate Action.

Ø Goal 15: Disseminate information to the AEOE membership.

15a. Publish a quarterly newsletter which can be obtained in paper or electronic format.

15b. Provide an electronic update service for members who wish to be alerted via email of current issues and/or opportunities in EE.

15c. Provide workshops and/or booths at AEOE conferences that address issues of interest to membership.

Ø Goal 16: Advocate for OEE in state and national policy.

16a. Assign AEOE representatives to serve as liaisons to relevant organizations that are involved in education or advocate for environmental education such as NAAEE, GSEEC, NSTA, Sierra Club, etc.

16b. Maintain an “Information Officer” whose job it is to track legislation and other EE issues and make recommendations to the board. This individual will provide a quarterly report to the Board, publish updates in the newsletters and send out email notifications as necessary.

16c. Create and maintain a portion of the annual budget for expenses related to tracking such issues (to include travel, etc.)

16d. Assign AEOE representatives to attend public planning meetings to discuss and/or form legislation/policy that relates to EE.

16f. As needed, alert membership to current EE issues and provide information as to who they may contact and what action they may take.

16g. Arrange to have conference speakers familiar with current issues talk or provide information via workshops, etc, at conferences.

Ø Goal 17: Create accessibility to Outdoor Environmental Education for all students.

17a. Utilize AEOE Information Officer, etc. to advocate as necessary within legislation and other policy efforts (Sierra Club, etc.).

17b.Create information brochure and multimedia for distribution to schools and others in need of EE education.

• This goal, to be effective, would require some research to clearly identify our best audience (if not, the materials will go unused)

17c.Provide workshops at conferences to share “best practices” for increasing participation in existing and fledgling programs. Also share these best practices on the website, newsletter, etc.

17d. Research and post grant and other funding opportunities on the website—also send electronic updates to membership of such things.

17e. By 2010, create an AEOE speaker bureau where members can locate speakers, consultants, etc. to assist them in starting and/or expanding programs.