AAEE Annual Conference
AAEE is honored to plan and coordinate an annual conference each year. Our conferences are designed to explore cutting-edge topics, share ideas, and support those new to the field of environmental education.
AAEE’s annual conference provides a space for networking with other EE professionals, sharing successes and challenges from the past year, developing new skills and learning new tools, and engaging in meaningful conversations about the future of environmental education in Arizona. Our conferences and all of our events are as inclusive as possible. We keep registration fees reasonable, offer pay-what-you-can options, and split the event between weekdays and weekends. We host in-person conferences in a welcoming space with an organization that shares our values. We invite an array of speakers, and raise up the voices of those typically under-represented in our field.
We begin planning our annual event in February of every year and host it in September. The event rotates around the state to encourage educators to experience other habitats programs, classrooms, and facilities. If you are interested in joining our Conference Planning Committee OR hosting our next event, reach out to profdev@arizonaee.org.
Conference Archive
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September 5-6, 2025, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix. In a time of compounding environmental, social, and emotional challenges, environmental educators are more vital than ever. This year's theme, Reigniting Hope, Rising Together, invited us to connect with purpose to our communities and the land we call home. Thank you to our conference sponsors: Grand Canyon University, Southwest Fire Science Consortium, City of Phoenix Water Smart Program, Western National Parks Association, SRP, and the Arizona Master Naturalists.2024 In-Person Conference: Resiliency
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September 13-14, 2024, Pima Community College East Campus and Patagonia, AZ. Our 2024 in-person event was held over two days in Southern Arizona! We hosted indoor sessions on Friday in Tucson and then outdoor sessions and field trips on Saturday in Patagonia. The theme was a vision for building a network of educators working together and supporting each other, helping young EE professionals enter the field, promoting equitable pay for those in our field, and expanding the boundaries of what we consider environmental education to work toward equitable and sustainable solutions for all of our community members. 2023 In-Person Conference: Careers in Environmental Education
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View the conference program | View the Conference Infographic |
September 7-9, 2023, Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ. AAEE gathered our community in person for two and a half days of learning, field trips, fellowship, and mentoring. We highlighted the work done by our inaugural eeFellows cohort, resources for finding funding and new job opportunities, and discussed equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the field. We also spent time reconnecting with colleagues and friends we hadn't seen in almost a year. We also raised $1325 in scholarship funding for programs for the next 12 months. A big thanks to our conference sponsors: The SW Fire Science Consortium, Prescott College, Arizona Master Naturalist Association, and the Outdoor Learning Store. Thanks to all who made it a success! 2022 Virtual Conference: Environmental Literacy
September 23, 2022 - 9a
m - noon; $25 -Join the Arizona Association for Environmental Education for the 2022 One-Day Virtual Conference! As the North American Association for Environmental Education Conference took place in Tucson, Arizona, AAEE invited Arizona environmental educators to this event to gear up for the larger conference. Attendees learned about the importance of planning for environmental literacy, explored strategies for maximizing the benefits of the NAAEE Conference, heard about AAEE's activities in 2022, and discussed how to develop a career in environmental education in Arizona and beyond.2021 Virtual Conference: Planting New Roots
September 10, 17, and 24, 2021 - The 2021 Conference — Planting New Roots: Growing an Inclusive EE Community in Arizona was held on four Fridays in September 2021. We offered both virtual and in-person meetup options for engagement. Highlights included an Opening Keynote by Parker McMullen Bushman of Inclusive Journeys, a Plenary Session by Professor Alberto Arenas of UArizona’s College of Education, and a Panel Discussion on EE Deserts in Arizona with Dionna Reese Williams, Denisse Ortega Lorona, and Cassandra Stouder, moderated by AAEE Board Member and one of 2021 NAAEE’s 30 under 30, Ellen Bashor. Registration for the virtual event included access to the recordings of all presentations for one year from the air date. View the 2021 Conference Program
2019 In-Person Conference: We Are EE!
September 12-14, 2019 - The first conference sponsored by AAEE in almost a decade! We believe in the power of inclusivity, community, sharing ideas, and celebrating our collective successes. We strive to create a more environmentally literate and compassionate society. Conference Goals: 1.To bring attention to AAEE. 2. To demonstrate that EE is not just for K- 12 formal educators in a classroom. 3.To highlight the diversity of ways people in Arizona conduct EE. 4.To begin to address inclusivity issues in the work that we do.