Conference: North American Association for Environmental Education
November 5-9, 2024
The 2024 North American Association for Environmental Education Annual Conference and Research Symposium will be held in person in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this November 5 through 9. The Center for Community and Citizen Science will represent our research and projects at both the research symposium and regular conference.
Check out the schedule below to find the Center’s presentations.
Wednesday, November 6
10:00 AM to 11:00 PM EST
Challenges and Opportunities Implementing Critical Place-Based Education in K–12 Science
Session Format: Research Roundtable
Presenter: Jadda Miller
Despite the growing recognition of its importance and potential implications, critical place-based education remains limited in formal K-12 science curricula. By integrating critical pedagogy and critical place inquiry frameworks into place-based environmental education, K-12 educators can not only connect science curricula to local contexts but also ground them in justice orientations.
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM EST
Studying Spinning Salmon: Capturing collaborations amongst students investigating salmon alongside scientists
Session Format: Research Roundtable
Presenters: Peggy Harte and Becca VanArnam
This roundtable discussion explores research design focused on learning outcomes for students, teachers, and scientists involved in an interdisciplinary science project within the Youth-Focused Community and Citizen Science (YCCS) framework. The project addresses thiamine deficiency in California’s Central Valley Salmon and engages students as active scientific partners. The Environmental Education (EE) program aims to involve high school students in conservation research through hands-on activities, emphasizing research design, data collection, and analysis. Students contribute to scientific research, developing agency and exposure to environmental science careers. The program also includes professional development for educators to enhance science pedagogy and collaboration with scientists. Early-phase research highlights outcomes for students’ awareness, teachers’ self-efficacy, and scientists’ use of youth-collected data. Feedback will be sought on program features that promote equity and access, particularly in underserved communities, fostering inclusive participation in conservation efforts.
Thursday, November 7
1:00 to 2:00 PM EST
Clear Lake Reflections: Honoring Communities Through Participatory Science Environmental Education
Session Format: Poster Presentation
Presenter: Sarah Angulo
The Clear Lake watershed has increasingly felt the impacts from invasive species, excess nutrients, pollutants from runoff, and devastating wildfires. Informed by robust Tribal and community ecological knowledge, expertise, and priorities, we developed environmental education materials to engage youth in local scientific efforts to restore Clear Lake. The materials integrate the work of partners, analyze locally-sourced data, utilize participatory science projects, and integrate culturally relevant perspectives on restoration and caretaking. We describe strategies for Tribal and community collaboration in co-developing these materials, frameworks used for structuring the materials, and important guiding considerations for our local context. Lessons learned can serve as an example for practitioners engaging in community-based participatory curriculum development.
