Missouri Environmental Education News
December 2019

Table of Contents: Conference Photos, MEEA Conference Presentation Slides, Things to Look Out for This Month, Kudos, MEEA News, Grants, Contests and Awards, Conferences, Workshops, Jobs

Dear MEEA Members,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so grateful to be connected to all of you through MEEA, working together to catalyze meaningful change for people and the planet. The MEEA Conference took place Nov. 1-3, and was a wonderful weekend full of learning and postivity. Thank you to all those who turned out to make the weekend such a smashing success!

The Conference Committee deserves a special thank you. Laura Seger, Amber Brown, Kat Golden, Hope Gribble, and Lucy Herleth put in countless hours to create this meaningful event. The St. Louis Zoo donated space and staff time to help with just about every aspect of the actual event, again thank you! Because of the Zoo and our other sponsors--The Missouri Botanical Garden, Tyson Research Center, Forest Park Forever, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter, Gateway Greening, wallflowerdesign, and Greenscape Gardens--we were able to offer sliding scale registration to eliminate cost as a barrier to attendance.

And, of course, the Saturday presenters and tablers and Sunday green school tour guides were the heartbeat of the actual event. Thank you to all the folks who donated time to share knowledge and inspiration. In case you missed it, check out the presentation slides in the newsletter below. And be sure not to skip the Kudos section--it features all of our amazing MEEA Award honorees!

Enjoy! Happy Holidays everyone!

Lesli Moylan, Executive Director
P.S. We had a glitch with our conference survey, so please take a moment and share your experience. I promise it's short--just two questions!

Conference Photos!

Conference Chair, Laura Seger at the Friday night social (right)

Amber Brown, STL Zoo Education Intern

Presentation Sessions

Table Talks

Green Schools Tour

2019 MEEA Conference Presentation Slides

If we didn't receive a copy of your presentation, and you'd like to archive it on our website, please email a pdf copy of your slides to Lesli Moylan. Thank you!

Eagle Scout Project of Habitat Restoration at School presented by Japhet and Doug Hoff

EliminatingStyrofoam presented by Matthew Duncan

Empowering StudentsThrough AuthenticExperiences presented by Dr. Chad Dickemper and MyPath Science Experience by Nicholas Durkovic

Encouraging ConservationBehaviors presented by Leslie Gittemier, Amy Niedbalski, Erin Tate, and Laura Seger

Facilitating Experiential Learning presented by Larry Jeude

Geo-Literacy: Theintersection of maps anddata for young learners presented by Jean Turney

Pathways to Green School Recognition presented by Hope Gribble and Lesli Moylan

Panel: Place-BasedEducation in the Real World Handout Presented by Eddie Jones, Peggy Knock, Linda Kram, David Bruns, and Mike Herries

Reintroduction of the American Burying Beetle presented by the Zoo Alive Teens

Running a River presented by Jan Weaver

St. Louis Box Turtle Project:Students are the Field Biologist presented by Keri Lammering

St. Louis Zoo Library and Teacher Resource Center presented by Jill Gordan

Sustainability in Action presented by Aria McMullin

Sustainability in Action presented by Principia Teens

Using Outdoor Education toEnhance Classroom Learning presented by David, Jennifer, and Bailey McCoy

Yes You can Write a Book presented by April Anderson

Things to Look for (or Look Out for) in December!

(check out all the green holidays)

• Christmas Bird Count - http://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count
• 4 International Cheetah Day (annually) - http://internationalcheetahday.com/
• 6 National Miner's Day (annually) - http://www.minersday.org - Miner's Day Memorial Association of West Virginia
• 10 Human Rights Day (annually) - http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/ - United Nations
• 21 Winter Solstice

What to Look for Right Now - MDC's list of What's Out There in December!

Kudos

Kudos to the MEEA network of members for responding so quickly last month to the need to share their climate change education practices with a KC NPR reporter. Take a listen https://www.kcur.org/post/seg-1-teaching-climate-change-seg-2-walking-wall-update, the story features MEEA member Jen Lacy and 2020 Sustainability Institute for Educators presenter Michael Wysession!

Kudos to the 2019 MEEA Awards Honorees!

Outstanding EE Individual: Jan Weaver




Jan’s commitment to the field of EE and to MEEA are unparalleled. Jan was the first director of the Environmental Studies program at MU, and impacted numerous students during her time in that role from 1995 to 2012, helping them to learn to use systems thinking and figure out concrete ways they could positively impact the environment. She was one of the “founding mothers” of MEEA. She has been on the board, helped provide the vision for the creation of MELAB, Missouri Green Schools program, and so many other facets of the organization. Jan was MEEA’s first Executive Director, hired just a few years ago. Even after “retiring” from MEEA earlier this year, Jan is still involved as our Board Treasurer and by far our best volunteer! She’s also actively involved in community efforts in mid-Missouri, from invasive species management to climate change action. Jan lives out her commitment to making the planet a healthier and more just place every day, in just about every way imaginable. You may wonder why she’s not getting a Lifetime Award, since she just retired from MEEA. Well, we didn’t want to give her an excuse to pare down her activity with the group--we need her continued involvement! So….we decided that, this year, the best way to honor the hardest working member of MEEA was to award her the Individual Award and to rename the award in her honor. So, next year we will be honoring another stellar individual with the “Jan Weaver Environmental Educator Award”. Thank you, Jan for all you’ve done and all that you continue to do!

Outstanding Organization Award: US Green Building Council’s Missouri Gateway Chapter




Under Hope Gribble’s leadership, the US Green Building Council’s Missouri Gateway Chapter has been a tremendous driver in the green schools movement in Missouri and an invaluable partner in moving MEEA’s mission for environmental literacy forward. During Hope’s 11 year tenure with USGBC, The Missouri Gateway Chapter has catalyzed so much change through their annual Green Schools event and the remarkable Green Schools Quest program, spurring on Missouri’s involvement in the US Dept of Education Green Ribbon Schools award program, as an instrumental partner for the annual Sustainability Institute for Educators conference in St. Louis, and the creation and growth of the Missouri Green Schools program. And that’s not nearly all of the amazing contributions by this small but mighty organization. They are really an invaluable part of our EE network.

Grassroots Organization Award: Green Thumb Project




About twelve years ago seeds were planted in a small garden project at Ray Miller elementary school in Kirksville, Missouri. From those seeds has grown an organization that truly embodies the spirit of community engagement and environmental education. From its roots the Green Thumb Project has been a project that is all about engaging and serving the people of the community. Starting as a Truman State University group student project, the project has kept growing into something so much more than just a school garden. The Green Thumb Project continues to bring gardening, nutrition, and environmental education to the Kirksville community by building on strong partnerships in everything they do – from local foods dinners in the fall to afterschool clubs and providing raised bed “veggie squares” for residents at a low-income senior housing the community is at the heart of it all. We are truly amazed at how this organization has grown. Thank you to all those who are engaged in keeping the Green Thumb Project growing, you are truly an example of community engagement and a leader in environmental education. Keep growing!

Youth Group: Green Teen Alliance






In environmental education we often hold onto the idea that the youth of today are the promise of a stronger, healthier future for all. This year’s award for Youth goes to the students who are part of the Green Teen Alliance, an organization with a mission to equip and provide pathways for the youth of today to be the environmental leaders of our future. These youth, representing historically marginalized communities in environmental education, are paid for their work in sustainable agriculture, habitat restoration, and environmental research throughout the St. Louis community. Since the beginning of the Green Teen Alliance in 2014, over 75 youth have been engaged in paid work at places such as EarthDance Farms, Forest Park Forever, Forest Releaf of Missouri, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the St. Louis Science Center, STL Youth Jobs, Torchbearers 2, and Tyson Research Center. Thank you for all that you do and we look forward to seeing you all as become future environmentalists, farmers, urban planners, and sustainability advocates.

Lifetime Award #1: Karen Armstrong




When Karen landed in Kirkville she began an impressive career as an environmental education leader. Karen developed and taught the environmental science curriculum at Kirksville High School for seven years, including the creation of an outdoor classroom with her students. She got her students involved with Envirothon and got sucked into MEEA. (Which is what tends to happen when one meets Jan Weaver at a conference.) She created Discovery Trunks for the Education and Outreach division of the Missouri Department of Conservation. And then transitioned to her current MDC position where she has spent the last two decades as an incredibly busy conservation education consultant in the Northeast Regional Office. Karen has worked hard to promote outdoor classrooms across multiple counties and has been critical in preparing teachers and students in her region for Envirothon. She has trained teachers at every grade level in hands-on curricula about Missouri’s many habitats. She hosts a Bioblitz for all 4th graders at Ray Miller Elementary School in collaboration with Karen Keck and her environmental science students at Kirksville High School, local AmeriCorps members, Truman State University, and Moberly Area Community College. Beyond her MDC work, she has been involved in her community with the Green Thumb Project, YMCA of Adair County, and several area service club organizations. And quite importantly for MEEA, Karen has served in various positions on the MEEA board, has presented at MEEA conferences, and was instrumental in getting MEEA’s environmental educator certification program going. Thank you, Karen, for your lifetime of environmental education service!

Lifetime Award #2: James Trager




Dr. James Trager is recently retired from Shaw Nature Reserve of the Missouri Botanical Garden where he served as a restoration biologist/naturalist/instructor for over 28 years. He has been a critical force behind the ecological restoration, vegetation management, and natural history education at Shaw and was the liaison for the many researchers using Shaw as a field site. If you have taken a walk anywhere at Shaw, then you have enjoyed the beautiful fruits of his labor. While James has been sharing his vast knowledge of the natural world with people for decades, not everyone knows he is a passionate and world-renown myrmecologist (For the rest of us, that is someone who studies ants). He has published numerous scientific articles on ants, including important taxonomic revisions. He has described and named 14 ant species and has had three species of ants named after him in recognition of his myrmecological accomplishments. In the same way that ants seem to pop up everywhere, for visitors and students at Shaw, James has popped up everywhere. We’re pretty sure that he has a series of tunnels that allow him to materialize right when a question is brewing. And he always arrives with an enthusiastic, “Ooooh, what do you have here?” or “That’s a great question!” Exactly the kind of response that encourages young people to embrace their own excitement about the natural world. James has been invaluable in the development of and instruction for the Shaw Institute for Field Training, known as the SIFT program, for the last 12 years. He has artfully modeled the dynamic, complex, and fulfilling career of a truly accessible environmental biologist to students with interest in that career path. He has taken 411 SIFTers from 75 St. Louis area high schools into the field to study prairies, glades, woodlands, wetlands, and, of course, ants. Thank you, Dr. Trager for your lifetime of environmental education service!

MEEA News

• People Team
  • Memberships - We are growing! Since April of this year, we have grown from 500 to 577 members. Help us continue the trend. Share the importance of EE with your colleagues and friends to increase MEEA's impact!
  • Outreach - The Website Committee began the work to update the meea.org and missourigreenschools.org websites. Stay tuned!
  • Surveys - Jan Weaver has begun in-depth interviews with several MEEA members who participated in our member survey this summer. Thank you to Jan and interviewees!
  • Partnerships - See below.
  • MELAB - Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 12, 10 am to 3 pm at the Unity Center of Columbia, 1600 W Broadway, Columbia, MO 65203 for the next MELAB meeting. We will be diving into the creation of a partnership network to support green schools for all Missouri kids and grow the audience for the partners in the network. Register at https://meea.wufoo.com/forms/melab-meeting-dec-12-2019/
• Purpose
  • Conference - Sustainability Institute for Educators in June 2020 in St. Louis will be about "Equity and Justice in A Changing Climate". The 2020 MEEA Conference will be held in Springfield the first weekend in November.
  • Missouri Green Schools - Enrollment open, sign up at https://meea.wufoo.com/forms/m1dbdvin0zbarhh/. If your school is interested in applying for the US Dept of Ed's Green Ribbon School award, the deadline is Jan. 6. See missourigreenschools.org. In talks with IT folks to develop a plan and budget to create a more user-friendly, digital version of the assessment and tracking spreadsheet we currently have.
  • Grants - MEEA mini-grant application deadline extended to Dec. 15!
• Resources
  • Accounting - MEEA is contracting the services of a Certified Professional Accountant for 2020.
  • Fund Development - 1. Be on the lookout for a mailer where you can renew your membership AND donate to MEEA. We are moving to a calendar year membership rather than a rolling membership structure. This will reduce administrative time spent on updating memberships and increase time spent on finding and connecting our members to the resources you need! 2. Consider joining the Fund Development committee. Monthly videoconference meetings, lots of way to plug in big or small. Contact Lesli Moylan if interested.
• Governance Team
  • Board of Directors - We are moving to quarterly in-person board meetings beginning in January. Stay tuned for more info!
  • Administration - We have created regional segments for our membership list. If you'd like to receive updates specific to your region as they arise, please update your county information at https://meea.us20.list-manage.com/profile?u=d99d8605b986c70f64aaa843c&id=87d007326e&e=[UNIQID]

Coming Up in the Next Two Months

• Grants, Contests and Awards Deadlines more grant info here
  • Innovate to Mitigate Challenge Initial abstract due December 6, 2019. Students brainstorm a project focus, inspired by the latest scientific innovations featured on the project website. All participant groups submit an abstract and receive feedback to improve and resubmit an expanded abstract. ALL participants then select one of these ideas to investigate, after which they submit a 3-minute video and a short research paper. Students have a chance to win prize money and earn recognition from peers, community and experts. https://external-wiki.terc.edu/display/innovate2
  • Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge Enter the contest by March 1, 2020, Submissions due April 1, 2020. Middle and high school teams of 2-8 students apply biomimicry to address social or environmental issue related to climate change. Cash prizes for 1st ($1000), 2nd ($750), and 3rd ($500) place. https://youthchallenge.biomimicry.org/en/challenge/youth-design-challenge-2020?fbclid=IwAR2WmZXTJHkMw2v-bMbDvjo6FqaS0p0_iSMs2MGxL6kG_d8dyoUGw7opaEk
  • Food Too Good To Waste Project Challenge Enter the contest by Dec. 6, 2019, Projects due April 3, 2020. Kansas City Regional students, grades 4-12 engage in a project related to food systems. Cash prizes for winning schools. https://foodtoogoodtowaste.com/challenge
  • National Summer Learning Association Excellence in Summer Learning Award. Deadline December 13, 2019. Up to $10,000 for the winner, valuable feedback on programs for all participants, and increased visibility of your program. https://www.summerlearning.org/summer-learning-awards/
  • National Wetlands Awards. December 20, 2019. For individuals, not organizations or agencies. 800 words for short form nomination. http://elinwa.org/nominations
  • NSTA/Seaworld Environmental Educator of the Year (NSTA). December 18, 2019. U.S. residents. The award recognizes schools (elementary, middle school, high school and college) and individuals (youth, adult and educator). https://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx
  • Youth Garden Grant. Deadline December 16, 2019. $1000 for the top 5 programs. School and non-profits that are developing new gardens or expanding existing gardens for at least 15 youth between the ages of 3 and 18. https://kidsgardening.org/2020-youth-garden-grant/
  • Coca-Cola/KAB Public Space Recycing Bin Grant Program. Deadline December 30, 2019. Local governments, non-profit organizations, K-12 schools, colleges and universities and other community groups. The 2017 program is expected to award up to 3,000 recycling bins for locations such as streetscapes and playgrounds, athletic fields, fairs and festivals, and college campuses. https://kab.org/grants/coca-cola/
  • Dr. Scholl Foundation. Application period October 1, 2019 through March 1, 2020. Foundation funding for education, social service, healthcare, civic and cultural, and environmental programs aimed at improving the world. $5,000 to $25,000. https://www.drschollfoundation.com/application-procedures/preferences-limitations/
  • Toshiba America Foundation (TAF). Deadline October 1, for K-5; rolling deadlines for grades 6-12. Funding for classroom teachers engaged in project-based STEM education. Up to $1000 for K-5. Grade 6-12 applications for $5,000 or less are accepted on a rolling basis, throughout the calendar year. Grant requests of more than $5,000 are reviewed twice a year. Applications for grants of more than $5,000 are due November 1st and May 1st each year.https://www.toshiba.com/taf/
  • Youth Opportunity: EPA's Harmful Algal Bloom Video Contest for High Schoolers Deadline Jan 3, 2020. High school students will create a video (no more than two minutes in length) that teaches people how to spot harmful algal blooms and how to be safe around them. https://www.epa.gov/innovation/harmful-algal-bloom-video-challenge
  • American Chemical Society Professional Development Grant. Deadline January 4, 2020. Up to $1,500. For High School Chemistry educators in the U.S. or a U.S. Territory School. For conference or workshop registration fees, travel expenses, tuition and education expenses for new/upcoming courses, books and online instructional resources. http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/hachprograms/acs-hach-professional-development-grant.html
  • Back to School Plastic Challenge. Now until January 10, 2020. Students. Post your story online with the hashtag #CleanSeas and send an email to cleanseas@un.org. https://p.widencdn.net/7ck6ia/Clean-Seas-education-pack-ENGLISH
  • Teach Earth Fellowship. Deadline January 10, 2020. A Teach Earth Fellowship includes the full cost of your assigned expedition, including meals, accommodations, and on-site transportation. Fellows also receive a travel award grant to offset out-of-pocket travel expenses to and from the expedition site. Travel award value varies by project location. http://earthwatch.org/education/teacher-fellowships/teach-earth-united-states
  • President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA). Deadline January 15, 2020. Recognizes youth for projects which demonstrate commitment to the environment. http://www2.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award
  • NSTA's Shell Science Lab Makeover. Deadline Jan 15, 2020. The annual Shell Science Lab Challenge Competition recognizes outstanding middle and high school programs for their exemplary approaches to science lab instruction utilizing limited school and laboratory resources. The Challenge will showcase the work of teachers, representing their schools, who submit innovative, replicable strategies to deliver quality lab experiences with limited equipment/resources, and award teachers/schools with additional tools, resources, and rich professional development opportunities needed to support high-quality science teaching and strengthen their existing capabilities. Recognition includes a lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. https://www.nsta.org/shellsciencelab/
    
  • New York Life Foundation's Aim High Grants. Deadline January 24, 2020. One and two-year grants aimed at after-school and summer learning programs for Middleschool students. Four two year grants $25,000 and $50,000 and ten 1 year grants of $15,000. https://afterschoolalliance.smapply.io/
  • Fund for Teachers. January 30, 2020. Full time pre-K-12 teacher with at least 50% contact time with students. Up to $5000 for travel, degree completion, certification, professional development, etc. http://fft.fundforteachers.org
  • Missouri Agribusiness Academy Applications. February 1, 2020. The Missouri Department of Agriculture is giving 30 high school students representing 4-H clubs and FFA chapters, as well as farm families, throughout Missouri the opportunity to explore careers in agriculture through the 2017 Missouri Agribusiness Academy – a competitive program for sophomores interested in pursuing agriculture-related college degrees and careers. http://agriculture.mo.gov/connect/youth/agribusacademy.php
  • Exploravision. February10, 2020. U.S. EE Savings bonds $10,000 for four teams, $5000 for four teams, all expense trips to DC for finalists. K-12 students of all interests and abilities working in teams of 2 to 4 to study a technology of interest and predict what it will be like 20 years from now. Teams submit web pages showing future of the technology. Sponsred by Toshiba and NSTA..http://www.exploravision.org/what-exploravision

• Conferences and Meetings details here
  • February 23 - Gateway Greening's Community Agriculture Conference - St. Louis - http://www.gatewaygreening.org/community-agriculture-conference/
  • March 2-4 - Green Schools Conference and Expo - Portland, OR - http://greenschoolsconference.org/
  • March 30 - Experiential Education Exchange Annual Conference - Jan Philips Learning Center, Pacific, MO - https://www.eeestl.org/conference-deets
  • April 3-4 - Midwest Parent Educators Homeschool Conference - Kansas City - https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/attend-events/conference/

• Workshops and Events around Missouri details here
  • See the MEEA Workshop page at http://meea.org/workshops.html for opportunities in your region. Be sure and scroll down to see the December webinars. Great opportunities in December!
  • If you'd like for your organization's calendar to be referenced for our monthly updates, please contact Lesli Moylan.

(These count for Environmental Educator Certification categories 1, 2 or 3. Visit the EE Certification page here)

• Outdoor, Nature, Environmental and Sustainability Event Calendars- visit our page of organization and agency calendars - if you would like to have your organization's regularly updated calendar added, email Executive Director Lesli Moylan

EE Jobs details here

• Volunteer and Tour Programs coordinator, Powell Gardens, Kansas City, MO https://powellgardens.org/about/jobs/
• Director of Environmental Education, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Alton, IL http://www.ngrrec.org/News-Stories/Announcements/Job-NGRREC-Director-Environmental-Education/
• Projects WET, WILD, and Learning Tree, Part-time Projects Coordinator position. http://projectwet.missouristate.edu/?p=492
• EPA Green Interns Program - Washington, DC and Regional Offices throughout the U.S. https://www.epa.gov/careers/green-interns
• Assistant Manager, Nature Play Programs - Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL - https://naaee.org/eepro/jobs/assistant-manager-nature-play-programs
• Environmental Learning Specialist - Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL - https://naaee.org/eepro/jobs/learning-specialist-1
• Environmental Education Coordinator - Plymouth, IN - https://naaee.org/eepro/jobs/environmental-education-coordinator-9
• Education and Awareness Assistant - Elsburn, IL - https://naaee.org/eepro/jobs/education-and-awareness-assistant