CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: June 16, 2023

2023 ANNUAL MAEE CONFERENCE
Equity, Partnerships, and Place

OCTOBER 27-29, 2023
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center

MAEE seeks compelling proposals that highlight promising and proven practices, push the
leading edge of the profession, advance equity and inclusion, and motivate the pursuit of
excellence, as well as proposals that highlight the incredible resources of Minnesota.
The audience for the annual conference includes (but is not limited to):

● preK – 12 teachers and educators
● non-formal environmental educators: naturalists, interpreters, and school program
staff at nature centers, science museums, zoos, etc.
● administrators of nature centers, ELCs, etc.
● environmental education and outdoor program directors
● education & outreach professionals at local government units such as cities,
counties, SWCDs, watershed districts, townships, etc.
● nature-based preschool staff and administrators
● college and university students interested in pursuing an environmental career
● environmental education volunteers, supporters and partners

Conference Strands

We invite presentation proposals in the three thematic strands that characterize this year’s
conference. Each strand explores a different aspect of the environmental education
profession; the focus points indicate this year’s priority topics. Use these to guide your
submissions and choose the one strand that most closely aligns with your proposal.

1) Rethinking Programs to Boost Equity and Inclusion

Sessions help participants evaluate, assess, and rethink their programming to meet NGSS, social studies and other
standards as well as goals to meet diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Examples of topics that might fall under this strand include:
• Integrating indigenous knowledge as indicated in NGSS, social studies, and other standards
• Incorporating culturally rooted practices into our work and understanding how people from
different backgrounds relate to and engage with nature
• Remodeling outdoor programs to be more inclusive and provide equitable access
• Developing nature-based programs that build a sense of place and cultural relevance in
urban, suburban, and rural communities
• Expanding marketing and tabling to reach traditionally underrepresented communities
• Writing curriculum to offer programs to serve traditionally underrepresented communities
• Analyzing data to identify gaps and inequities in services, staffing, and programming
• Diversifying program staff through targeted and intentional recruitment efforts

2) Building Partnerships for Financial and Program Support

Sessions help participants develop tools and strategies for cultivating financial and programming partnerships to
build successful environmental education programs and organizations.
Examples of topics that might fall under this strand include:
• Building successful civic engagement programs that address environmental issues with a
focus on disadvantaged & disproportionately burdened communities
• Leveraging school-community partnerships to support standards and project-based learning
• Sharing stories from growing grassroots partnerships for community engagement;
characteristics of successful community action projects
• Developing strategies, tools, and training for funding projects and applying for grants
• Building collaborations between conservation educators, scientists, resource managers, and
practitioners in all formal and nonformal education settings
• Sharing successful tools, approaches, and educator preparation to bring community-based
science to classrooms and community improvement projects
• Integrating environmental education into teacher prep and professional development
• Introducing green career options for middle and high school students

3) Leveraging the Power of Place to Enhance Learning

Sessions help participants enhance and leverage spaces to provide innovative and accessible outdoor education
experiences that connect people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to nature.
Examples of topics that might fall under this strand include:
• Creating and using parks and other green learning spaces in programming
• Designing outdoor classrooms with limited resources
• Addressing safety considerations when bringing programs outdoors
• Transforming traditional preschools into nature-based preschools
• Incorporating environmental initiatives into classroom spaces through rain gardens, rain
barrels, recycling programs, and student projects
• Incorporating the restorative power of nature into existing programming
• Identifying common plants and foraging for mushrooms, berries, and wild edibles
• Learning bird calls and animal signs, from tracks to homes to scat

Session Formats and Delivery Options

Please read the following descriptions carefully, and select the most appropriate format and
delivery option for your proposal.

Delivery Options:

Sessions may be presented indoors or outdoors, weather dependent. Please make sure you
understand these options before selecting your preferred method of delivery.
Outdoor Sessions:
● Consider taking at least a portion of your session outdoors! We will help provide
guidance on the facilities available and a map of possibilities.
● Alternative indoor spaces will be available for adverse weather, but preference will be for
those that can present in all-weather conditions.

Indoor Sessions:

● Hands-on, inquiry-driven, and interactive sessions are highly encouraged!
● Sessions will be scheduled in one of the classroom spaces with A/V equipment
available for your use.

Formats:

Hands-On Presentations
(40 or 90 minutes) Hands-on presentations are designed to actively engage
participants in teaching activities, interactive discussions, and project development. A/V
equipment is provided. Appropriate outdoor spaces will be coordinated with the
presenter as needed/requested.
Traditional Presentations
(40 minutes) Traditional presentations focus on a single topic or program, typically including a
talk or PowerPoint (or other media) presentation followed by questions and answers or a
short discussion. A/V equipment is provided.
Roundtable Discussions
(40 minutes) Roundtable discussions emphasize spirited discussion about a central
question between the presenter(s) and session attendees. Presenters briefly introduce the
baseline idea or question they wish to explore and then open the discussion for input and
exchange of ideas. Presenters may request post-it notes and other materials as needed.
Workshops
(40 or 90 minutes) Workshops should be used to explore the area or provide a unique
outdoor opportunity, and are intended to allow everyone a chance to learn more about the
natural world through hands-on experiential learning and engagement.

Review Criteria
The strongest proposals carefully address the criteria listed below and provide enough
detail for reviewers to fully understand what the session will entail.
Proposals will be assessed and selected by how well they:
• Engage: Effectively engage the audience in the session through active
participation, hands-on learning, discussion, live polls, etc.
• Innovate: Deliver innovative approaches to education, highlight new ideas for
programming, and/or offer positive, solution-oriented outcomes supported by
research and/or program evaluation
• Advance: Inform environmental educators about proven practices that push the
leading edge of the profession or pursue excellence in the field
• Apply: Provide information that can be applied broadly across all environmental
education fields (e.g. applicable to formal educators, administrators, naturalists,
preschool teachers, etc.) and be applied to multiple audience types.
We also place importance on advancing justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and
accessibility in environmental education and each proposal should reflect on how these
concerns might be included in their presentation. This may include:
● Incorporate culturally rooted practices and an understanding of how people from
different backgrounds relate to, engage with, and care about nature
● Affirm differences in skills, abilities, and perspectives as resources and opportunities
to build stronger programs
● Describe how curriculum design, participant recruitment, program leadership or
administrative structure result in equitable opportunities
● Identify how education programs are reaching vulnerable communities and strategies
for working in places where resources are limited

How to Submit a Proposal
Proposals must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, June 16, 2023. You
may find it helpful to download a blank form from the MAEE website and use it to draft your
proposal before entering the information online.
Use THIS ONLINE FORM to submit your final proposal. If you have any questions about
how to submit or would like to make changes to your submission, email
maeeinfo@gmail.com.

Important Notes About Presenters and Registration
MAEE depends on registration fees to cover conference expenses and will cover only the
cost of the same-day registration for one presenter attending the conference per proposal.
ONE presenter for each accepted presentation will receive a single

one-day registration at the conference.

Registration for other days at the conference, travel costs, and

overnight accommodations are not included.

All co-presenters are required to register and pay full in-person fees for

the conference.

MAEE has not yet finalized fees, but we expect conference registration for current MAEE
members to be about $250 for full conference registration (two nights lodging, food, and
3-day conference access) for environmental education professionals; one-day rates are TBD.
Non-member rates will also be offered. Once fees are finalized, we will post information
about registration and scholarships on our website. A special link will be provided to the
primary contact for each accepted abstract for one discounted/free registration.
All presenters must confirm their participation
by registering for the conference by September 1, 2023
If your proposal is accepted, you will have an additional opportunity to finalize session
information after receiving your acceptance notice.

Questions?
Please contact us at maeeinfo@gmail.com.

Past Conferences:

2020: Engage with Nature: Connecting with Community Science - Virtual Event
2019: Midwest Environmental Education Conference "Access Nature: Promoting Inclusion and Diversity in Environmental Education" - St. Paul, MN
2018: Making Connections - Savage, MN
2017: Speaking Loudly and Acting Boldly for Natural Spaces - Finland, MN
2016: Grow in the Open - Collegeville, MN
2014: Rooted in Diversity - Sandstone, MN
2013: Exploring our Communities - Bloomington, MN
2012: Rec-reate, Re-create - Park Rapids, MN

Call For Presentations

Past Conferences: