EVENT
SPONSORSHIP
Dear Environmental Education Supporter,
We invite you to show your support for environmental education in our state by sponsoring Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) events this year. KACEE unites public agencies, teachers, community organizations, businesses, and individuals behind a common cause - teaching kids how to think, not what to think, about environmental issues through non-biased and science-based EE.
KACEE is a 501(c)3 organization with a vison to grow a healthy, vibrant and resilient Kansas through the power of environmental education. A portion of your sponsorship is tax deductible. Your sponsorship will be recognized in our promotions, reaching 1300+ people across Kansas.
By sponsoring our fundraising events, you will help offset costs, reduce registration fees, and provide scholarships for educators. Support for environmental education is vital for a healthy environment, vibrant economy, and successful communities.
If environmental education is something that you or your organization deeply values, sponsoring one or more of our events provides the opportunity to live your values and lead your community by example.
Thank you for your consideration!
The KACEE Board and Staff
2025 Conference Schedule
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Session Details:
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 9 - 9:50 AM
Teaching Greener: How Environmental Education and Green Schools Reignited My Career
PRESENTER: Kathryn Louderback
AUDIENCE: Middle School Educators; Elementary School Educators
Discover how integrating environmental education and green school practices can transform not just your teaching—but your students’ engagement, sense of purpose, and connection to the world around them. This session shares one educator’s journey of renewal through green practices, project-based learning, and sustainability-focused curriculum.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 9 - 9:50 AM
Safely Fostering Exploration and Curiosity in Outdoor Learning
PRESENTER: Matthew Clay
AUDIENCE: General/Mixed
This session will explore teaching strategies for outdoor settings that encourage exploration and curiosity, while focusing on safety. This session will introduce a risk assessment framework and provide examples for how to apply it in terms of physical and emotional safety.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 9 - 9:50 AM
From Observation to Understanding: Ecology Survey Methods as a Tool for Lifelong Science Literacy
PRESENTER: Jennifer Rader
AUDIENCE: General/Mixed; Elementary School Educators; Middle School Educators; High School Educators; Nonformal Educators; PreK/Early Elementary Educators; Program or Project Administrators; Non-Profit Organizations
In this session, you'll learn how incorporating real-world ecology survey methods can boost science literacy for learners of all ages and in various educational settings. We'll start with a brief overview, then share hands-on activity examples and discuss practical ways to use them in your teaching environments. These activities can introduce learners to ecology, support citizen science projects like bio-blitzes, create engaging outdoor learning experiences and more. Participants will go home with a couple of example activities demonstrated in this session, and some resources for coming up with their own future activities!
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 10 - 10:50 AM
Cultivating Resilience: School Gardens and Emotional Regulation in Children
PRESENTER: Amanda Campanella
AUDIENCE: Green Schools; PreK/Early Elementary Educators; Elementary School Educators; Educators Working with Children with Special Needs; Nonformal Educators; General/Mixed
Explore the role of school gardens in promoting a student's ability to recognize and manage their own emotions. Based on my experience as an SEL aide and Green Team leader in an elementary school.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 10 - 10:50 AM
Landscape Like A Kansan: Changing Schoolyard Mindsets and Habitats
PRESENTER: Brad Guhr
AUDIENCE: Elementary School Educators; Middle School Educators; High School Educators; Educators Working with Children with Special Needs; Educators Working with English Language Learners; Nonformal Educators; Program or Project Administrators; Green Schools
From smaller native plant gardens to larger seeded prairies, landscaping with native plants connects people to the land and fosters ecological literacy. We'll explore how these habitats can become living classrooms, and provide best management practices and real-world examples for K-12 teachers and students.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 10 - 10:50 AM
Kansas Apple Earth
PRESENTER: Nancy Zenger-Beneda
AUDIENCE: High School Educators; Middle School Educators; Elementary School Educators; PreK/Early Elementary Educators; Green Schools; Educators Working with Children with Special Needs; Educators Working with English Language Learners; Nonformal Educators; Program or Project Administrators
Gain awareness of available resources:
- Discover resources that connect with agriculture, science, and real-world applications across K-12.
- See practical, classroom-ready activities.
- Hands-on examples that engage students and align with standards.
- Ideas you can immediately apply in your own teaching or outreach.
- Leave inspired to take action.
- You will be motivated to use agriculture topics in your educational space.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 11:10 AM - NOON
Growing Together—How Green Schools Can Support Student Wellness, Learning, and Leadership
PRESENTERS: Jena Simms and Mitchelle Perez
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Middle, High, Green Schools, General
Join an inspiring conversation with teachers and students as they share firsthand experiences of how green schools create healthier, more engaging, and more empowering learning environments. This roundtable will feature Mitchelle Perez (Garden City High School) and Jena Sims (Wichita Collegiate School) alongside their students, highlighting the ways in which outdoor learning, sustainable practices, and student-led initiatives support both academic success and personal growth. Together, they’ll explore how green schools foster wellness, spark curiosity, and build leadership skills that extend beyond the classroom. Participants will gain insights into practical strategies for integrating green school practices and hear directly from students about the impact these experiences have on their education and their future.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 11:10 AM - NOON
The People Connection: Human Ecology Activities to Inspire Teens
PRESENTERS: Max Lu
AUDIENCE: Nonformal Educators; Middle School Educators; High School Educators; Educators Working with English Language Learners
Build on students' growing environmental awareness with hands-on lessons that inspire them to collaborate, communicate and advocate around issues in their local communities and across the globe. Discover civics-based activities for the classroom and an projects for budding global change makers.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 11:10 AM - NOON
Barriers to Participation in Kansas Parks and Recreation Programs
PRESENTERS: Evelyn Peat
AUDIENCE: Nonformal Educators; Program or Project Administrators; Non-Profit Organizations; General/Mixed
This research presentation examines barriers to participation in Kansas parks and recreation programs. The ongoing study explores accessibility, outreach, and challenges in boosting engagement. The project is lead by KSU master’s student Evelyn Peat, under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Jackson, in collaboration with and supported by KRPA.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 1:30 - 3:30 PM WORKSHOPS
Rooted in Hope: Growing Courage to Heal our Climate
PRESENTERS: Delia Lister
AUDIENCE: General/Mixed; Nonformal Educators
This workshop explores the emotional impact of the climate crisis on students and educators. Grounded in doctoral research on climate communication in national parks, participants will explore personal stories and find ways to cultivate hope. Together, we’ll build the courage to take meaningful, collective action for a better future.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, 1:30 - 3:30 PM WORKSHOPS
Mindfulness Moments in Nature
PRESENTERS: Patrice Gonzalez
AUDIENCE: Green Schools; PreK/Early Elementary Educators; Elementary School Educators; Middle School Educators; High School Educators; College & University Programs; Educators Working with Children with Special Needs; Educators Working with English Language Learners; Nonformal Educators; Program or Project Administrators; General/Mixed; Non-Profit Organizations
Mindful Moments in Nature is a hands-on workshop designed for environmental education professionals who want to integrate mindfulness practices into their programs — even if they’ve never tried it before. In this experiential session, you’ll explore simple, adaptable mindfulness activities that align naturally with outdoor learning. You’ll learn how to gently introduce these practices to groups of all ages, enhancing focus, curiosity, connection, and well-being in outdoor settings. Together, we’ll explore:
- Sensory awareness walks to deepen engagement with place
- Breath-based grounding techniques for group transitions or emotional regulation
- Sit spots and reflection prompts that build connection to nature and self
- Mindful movement and games for youth groups
- Tips for weaving mindfulness into your existing programming