The 2021 Conference Committee is excited to present a hybrid conference that will engage educators both virtually and in person from Nov. 4 to Nov. 6, 2021.

Make a splash at the 2021 conference by presenting a virtual or in-person program. The call for proposals is now open - submit your proposal by May 30, 2021.

New Conference Format:

​The conference will feature two full days of virtual learning followed by a day of outdoor in-person training offered at three locations across New York State. This allows us to engage with each other during a year when travel and overnight stays may prove challenging for many conference attendees.
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The 2020 virtual conference proved that we can successfully provide valuable professional development for our members, and we're working hard to build on that success. The one-day in-person trainings will have a similar format to NYSOEA's tested and well-attended WNY Environmental Educators Activity Exchange, providing a large number of resources through a plethora of in person activities presented by attendees and special guests.

In-person training sessions will be at: Montezuma Audubon Center, Five Rivers Environmental
Education Center, and Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center.

​Cutting Edge Content:

Workshops will fall into six strands that ripple together to make a wave:
Building a Safe Space for Outdoor and Environmental Education
Connecting to the Outdoors in the Digital Age
Climate Change
Environmental Stewardship: Be a Changemaker
Equity, Access and Inclusion
Natural History and Outdoor Skills

The outdoor education field wants to learn from your experience! Lead a professional workshop! Propose a workshop idea here.

Speakers:

We are thrilled to announce that Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, is a featured speaker. Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist and author. He is currently working on a book about the emerging field of road ecology.

Keynote Speaker:

Our keynote speaker is Dr. Sherri A. Mason, professor of chemistry and leading researcher in freshwater plastic
pollution. Recipient of the 23rd Heinz Award in Public Policy, her work drew international attention to the threats posed by microplastics and led to the passage of national measures banning microbeads. She currently serves as Sustainability Coordinator at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

Using the framework of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, Dr. Mason will discuss the life cycle of plastic, from extraction to pollution. Connecting with the ground-breaking work of her research group, she will conclude by giving strategies to engage students and citizen scientists in plastic pollution research and solutions across curriculum and disciplines.

Sponsor Opportunities Available:

The conference provides an opportunity to reach about 200 outdoor educators, camp and nature
center administrators, and classroom teachers from across New York State and beyond.

Learn more about sponsorship, exhibition and donation opportunities here, or fill out the online form. Questions? Email conferencecommittee2021@nysoea.org or call 518-414-0244.

Get Involved:

The outdoor education field wants to learn from your experience! Lead a professional workshop! Propose a workshop idea here.
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To get involved with workshops, and get your conference questions answered, email conference chairs Meaghan Boice-Green and Carol Rogers at conferencecommittee2021@nysoea.org.
Thank you to the 2021 Conference sponsors and donors!
What 2020 Virtual Conference Attendees Had to Say:
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“I am new to my role and [the conference] gave me insight and helpful ideas as to what I can
offer our school districts.”

“It goes without saying that there is no replacement for in-person conferences, but the virtual
platform did exceed my expectations. It seemed like a great way to replicate an in-person
conference digitally.”

“[The Conference] exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the friendly spirit of the entire
conference, meeting people, and found the webinars and workshops helpful. I appreciated the
emphasis on issues of inequity for BIPOC. I also liked the platform.”

“You had a great mix of workshop presenters and the feature speaker and panelist were great!”

“It was more fun than I expected and everyone seemed really engaged throughout.”

“I joined for a required credit for my class and I loved every minute of it! Thank you!”

“It was great to get a feel for EE efforts across the state.”