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CEL’s 2024 in review

It was a busy year for our team in the Center for Environmental Learning; we launched new projects, piloted virtual learning sessions, and made our way to conferences all over the country. Read on to learn more about our inaugural year…

In 2024, we…

  • Officially became a Center!
  • Completed a Pulse Check report on the needs and priorities of our field to inform our strategic planning. See the summary of our report here!
  • Published quite a bit! Like…
  • A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK-12 classrooms.
  • A report on Youth Engaged in STEM and Service.
  • A paper in an academic journal! The value of outdoor environmental education programs for girls and youth of color: cultivating positive dispositions toward science and the environment. Check it out here!

  • Launched ecotone, our virtual networking and professional learning platform
  • Hosted our first virtual BEETLES professional learning session, which got rave reviews like →

“Great to think and share with a thoughtful community of learners and instructors. (The session gave me) more awareness of thinking critically about my own practice as an educator and how to share these skills and strategies effectively with educators I work with. (I) appreciated the modeling of how to effectively run this session as a virtual learner opportunity.”

  • Accepted a new Working Towards Racial Equity (WTRE) cohort.
  • Wrapped up initial research and evaluation on cohorts 1 & 2 of WTRE “1.0”
  • Submitted 5 grant proposals, including:
    • Affirming Youth and Communities in Outdoor Environmental Learning
    • Building Teacher Leadership for Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Outdoor STEM Experiences
    • Rightful Presence: Transforming Public Science with Ohlone Perspectives
    • Conference: Elevating Joy, Power, and Leadership of Professionals of Color in Environmental Learning through Radical Storytelling
    • Lawrence STEM Pathways Scholars Program: Empowering the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders
  • Launched 3 new National Science Foundation-funded projects
    • Understanding the Impact of Outdoor Science and Environmental Learning Through Community-Driven Outcomes
    • Centering Indigenous Science in K-12 Science Instructional Materials
    • Working Toward Racial Equity: Building Capacity to Institutionalize Equity in Outdoor and Environmental Science Education
  • Submitted papers for publication, like…
    • Romero, V. F., Sanchez, A., Cavero, D., Collins, M. A., Gattozzi, E., & Totino, J. (Under review). STEM, culture, and power – where does it fit? Exploring the enactment of culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy in a summer STEM program. Submitted to Cultural Studies of Science Education.
    • ​​Strang, C., Dorph, R., Romero, V. F., Collins, M. A., Foreman, J., Young, A., Laina, V., & Pande, A. (Under review). Just outside the door: How outdoor science learning addresses key challenges for youth and schools. Submitted to Connected Science Learning.
  • Attended and presented at so many conferences, like:
    • North American Association for Environmental Education: Building Bridges
    • Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education’s Annual Statewide Conference
    • Association of Nature Center Administrators Annual Summit
    • American Evaluation Association Annual Conference
    • We Are ONE Conference (First 100 coalition, Justice Outside, PGM ONE)
    • Blue Sky Funders Forum 10th Anniversary
  • Engaged in many professional learning opportunities, including:
    • Facilitating for Freedom Fundamentals from AORTA (anti-oppression resource & training alliance)
    • Courageous Conversations
    • Equity Meets Design’s “What is Codesign?”
    • and more!

we are looking forward to continuing our work in 2025, and finding new ways to advance equitable and accessible environmental learning

Learn more about us and what we are up to on our main webpage.