Friday, November 8

2:00 – 3:00 pm

Rachel Felling

Zionsville Parks and Recreation

Kids Make a Difference – Learning Through Service

Service projects are a great way to connect kids with their natural resources. Learn how kids have made positive impacts during environmental education programs and how you can implement these strategies in your programs.

Emily Gough

Warsaw Community High School

Envirothon – A Collaborative Academic Competition for High School Students

Envirothon is an international problem-solving competition that builds leadership experience for high school students. Students must work together in teams of 5 and are also encouraged to reach out to local organizations and natural resources professionals. It is a great program for fostering a greater understanding of the world around us, jobs in environmental science, and innovative thinking for the future.

Austin Broadwater

Amos Butler Audubon Society

Bird Safe Indy

Bird Safe Indy, an initiative of the Amos Butler Audubon Society, provides a summary of the issue of birds striking glass, how the program came to be, what actions we are taking, and how you can help.

3:30 – 4:30 pm

Laurie Christie

Indianapolis Zoo

Making Nature Connections Through the Zoo

Discover how Zoo Educators engage visitors with the natural world through interactive activities, engaging exhibits, and educational programs. Session will include a variety of hands-on activities, games along with a zoo walk.

Eric Shideler

National Conservation District Employee Association

Local Working Groups-The Value of Locally Led Conservation Planning

Locally led conservation consists of a series of phases that involve community stakeholders in natural resource planning, implementation of solutions, and evaluation of results. Locally led conservation begins with the community, working through the local Conservation District. It is based on the principle that community stakeholders are best suited to deal with local resource problems.

Ava Hartman

CanopyBloomington

Growing Together: Cultivating Community Resilience Through CanopyBloomington

CanopyBloomington is a social impact organization created to maximize Bloomington's tree canopy and sustainably manage Bloomington's urban forest for trees' many environmental, economic, and social benefits, with a focus on tree equity and community engagement. Canopy will discuss how we create a more resilient Bloomington through community engagement and urban forest education.

Saturday, November 9

9:00 – 10:00 am

Janna Lynas

Conner Prairie

Time, Space and Freedom: The Evolution of an Indiana Forest School

Early childhood nature schools are common around the world, but what does it look like in a central Indiana community surrounded by hundreds of early learning options?  Discover the concepts of time, space, and freedom and how they guide the days of a young child at Preschool on the Prairie.

Jen Cullerton Johnson

Green Literacy

Green Literacy

In this workshop, participants will explore children's books focused on the environment, along with engaging learning activities. They will discover strategies to inspire young people to think critically and take action as stewards of the Earth.

Julianne Turner

Indianapolis Zoo

Connecting Global Species to Local Stewardship

The Indianapolis Zoo has a unique opportunity to connect people to local wildlife through experiences with global species. Through diverse programs such as behind the scenes tours, public chats, and special celebration events, we use conservation issues from across the globe to encourage participants to take stewardship actions at home.

10:30 – 11:30 am

Nakeisha Washington

Nyla Nova STEMversity

Rooted Beginnings: Nurturing Childhood Through Nature

Join our journey into the transformative realms of nature play spaces and innovative methods that shape resilient, creative, and connected individuals. Unearth the secrets of 'Rooted Beginnings' and sow the seeds for a flourishing childhood!"

Iris O’Donnell Bellisario

Lead for America – American Connection Corps

Voices of Impact: American Connection Corps Members in Service at Home

The American Connection Corps (ACC) is a fast-growing, national AmeriCorps program whose corps members are leveraging the promise of digital technologies to meaningfully connect the people and places they serve to opportunities that advance prosperity and alleviate social and economic inequities. ACC places each Member with a local non-profit or government agency for a yearlong, paid, full-time term of service, and ultimately aims to develop a deep bench of civic leaders in every corner of the country. In this session, we’ll walk through the impact that ACC Members bring to their communities. Join us for a presentation that showcases how national service helps to build capacity for climate work.

Norm Leonard

Ben Davis University High School

Hands-on Environmental Education in a World of 8 billion

Discover hands-on activities to explore the delicate balance between people’s environmental footprints and the sustainability of ecosystems, towns, and cities. Engage in role-playing simulations, games, and group collaboration to understand population ecology, carrying capacity in nature, human-environmental interactions, and possible paths toward sustainability.

1:30 – 2:30 pm

Melissa Burger

Greenwood Community High School

How Questions Can Drive Sustainable Solutions: Empowering Students Through the Question Formulation Technique

The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) is an innovative strategy to teach students how to ask their own questions. Environmental educators can use this strategy to spark inquiry and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will help students find solutions to complex issues in sustainability and restoration.

Jessica Helmbold

Garfield Park Conservatory – Indianapolis Parks and Recreation

Coffee and Conversation

Join us as we discover the history of coffee and gain a greater appreciation for one of our favorite beverages. Learn more about how coffee can be grown in harmony with the rainforest and protect Indiana native migratory birds.

3:00 – 4:00 pm

Tatjana Rebelle

Earth Charter Indiana

Indiana Thriving Schools and Students

In 2022, Earth Charter Indiana secured a USDA NIFA grant for its Indiana Thriving Schools Challenge (ITSC), promoting sustainability in K-12 schools. The grant also funded the School Garden Liaison Program, empowering youth affected by food apartheid to effect change. Explore Indiana schools' climate change challenges and sustainability efforts.

Siera Stuart

Zionsville Parks and Recreation

Nature’s Network: Engaging Your Community through Social Media

Dive into the world of social media! Discover creative ways to spark community engagement, expand your outreach, and cultivate a love for nature online. This session will offer valuable resources, creative strategies, and easy content ideas to help you unleash the full potential of your online community.

Hope Rogers

Dunes Learning Center

Cultivating Sense of Place with Middle Schoolers

Dunes Learning Center partners with the Indiana Dunes National Park to connect program participants with nature in the park. This session will focus on DLC’s on-site program approach to helping middle school students develop a sense of place in an urbanized park through field investigations.