Monday, May 13

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Triple Educator Training

Location: Navarro B

Educator training for Texas educators to get certified in all three Projects WET, WILD, and PLT.

Lunch included: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Project WET New Coordinator Training

Location: Lantana

Speaker: Julia Beck

Training for new (and experienced) Project WET Coordinators. Engage in Project WET activities and learn how to run your Project WET program from experience Coordinators.

Lunch not included: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

5:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Opening Dinner

Location: Navarro

Speaker: Minna Paul

Welcome to the Triple Projects Conference! Join us for the parade of states, gathering of the waters, Key Note Speaker Minna Paul, and dinner with our PLT-WET-WILD friends.

Please bring a small vial of water (or just use some symbolic water from the hotel) to pour into the Gathering of the Waters vessel. This is a Project WET tradition that will be shared by all projects in the historic conference. It blends everyone at the conference together and ties us to past conferences and future conferences through the water that is carried from one conference to the next since 2000.

Tuesday, May 14

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Breakfast on Your Own

Breakfast is not included. Sleep in a eat a snack from the welcome bags, or grab your own breakfast from one of the surrounding restaurants or hotel. See list of restaurants for suggestions.

8:45 AM – 9:45 AM

Actions Speak Louder than Words: Earning a Seat at the Community Table, Panel and Breakouts

Location: Navarro

9:45 AM – 10:45 AM

Networking Break

Location: Navarro Prefunction and Carranza

Grab some coffee and snacks, talk with new and old friends, explore exhibits and bid on silent auction items (in Caranza).

9:45 AM – 9:45 AM

Silent Auction Opens

Location: Carranza

Bid early and bid often. Items will be labeled as PLT, WET, or WILD. The proceeds from those items will go the project designated by the donor on the bid sheet.

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Actions Speak Louder Than Words (continued)

Location: Navarro

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Awards Luncheon (Meal included)

Location: Navarro

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Climate and Health: Integrating human health impacts into your climate workshops

Location: Villa

Speakers: Monica Kilpatrick, John Etgen, Anna Consolazio, Hannah Penn

Climate change is causing an increase in health-related impacts in all US regions. There is a gap in understanding what climate change is, how we can build resilient communities through local actions, and what health impacts are related to our changing climate. This project will educate youth in climate-vulnerable communities to understand the health impacts of climate change, to increase youth engagement in climate and health solutions, and through scale-up, to expand the capacity of youth to address climate change in their communities. Building on the success of Project WET's co-creation and pilot of the Climate and Health Module, this project will expand the reach of climate health education awareness and action by training the entire Project WET Network and beyond. You will receive a copy of the new Climate and Health Module that integrates with Project WET's Climate, Water, and Resilience Guide.

2:15 PM – 5:15 PM

PLT Network Meeting

Location: Camino Real

PLT Coordinators ONLY.

2:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Community Service

Join us to stuff backpacks for environmental education programing for students in the San Antonio area.

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Planning for Diverse Learning Needs

Location: Villa

Speakers: Juliann Dupuis, Elena Takaki

This interactive session will help you think of things to consider when planning for an audience with diverse learning needs during an outdoor or environmental
education activity. We will look at a sampling of Project WILD activities with the intent to make them more inclusive and discuss how to include these types of activities into lesson planning in various subjects.

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Ohio's New K-2 Field Guide-Literacy for Early Learners

Location: Camino Real

Speaker: Jen Dennison

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

Networking Break

Location: Navarro Prefunction and Carranza

Grab some coffee and snacks, talk with new and old friends, explore exhibits and bid on silent auction items (in Caranza).

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

EcoSchools US: A New & Sustainable Path Forward

Location: Zapata

Speakers: Naomi Alhadeff, Jennifer Hammonds

Join the National Wildlife Federation staff as we delve into the newly redesigned EcoSchools US program. This revitalized platform boasts a brand-new website, action cards, enhanced platform flexibility, and a streamlined certification process. Navigate the program's three main pathways: "Climate, Wildlife and Biodiversity, and Resilient and Healthy Communities” and gain insights into tracking and visualizing the impact of your efforts.

Together, we'll explore how teachers can wield the EcoSchools US framework to empower students in leading actions that contribute to building a more sustainable school and community and uncover the potential for positive change on our planet through student-led initiatives. Join teachers from all over the world who are shaping greener and more sustainable classrooms through EcoSchools US.

Furthermore, discover how EcoSchools US seamlessly complements existing educational resources, such as Project WET, WILD, and PLT education guides, enhancing the overall educational experience and reinforcing the collective commitment to environmental stewardship.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Mission Critical: Road to Recovery: Environmental Conservation Escape Room

Location: Villa

Speaker: Lori Nicholson

This is an immersive activity that allows participants to experience the environmental conservation in a new and challenging way. Throughout this physical adventure game, players solve a series of puzzles and riddles to learn about the National Wildlife Refuge System and help save species from extinction within a set time limit. LIMITED TO 25 PARTICIPANTS. You must register in advance for this!

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Welcoming the GLOBE to Your World

Location: Navarro A

Speakers: Michael Jabot, Jennifer Bourgeault, Alicia Carlson, Haley Wicklein

This session will introduce participants to The GLOBE Program (sponsored by NASA) and make connections between PLT, WET and WILD’s “Teaching Across Climate Change” and GLOBE’s protocols and learning activities. A scope and sequence model from the New Hampshire Education and Environment Team will be used to share ideas about connecting the four programs in a teacher-friendly format. Bundles of GLOBE protocol measurements (agriculture, water quality, soils, air quality, urban, weather) will also provide discussion prompts. Although presenters will come prepared with example connections, this session will also provide the space and time to make even more.

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Fun Night (Optional)

Location: Mi Tierra

This local haunt is close to the hotel; a 10-15 minute walk. Join us for food, drink, networking, and FUN!

6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Bracken Cave Bat Viewing (Night 1)

Meet in Lobby at 6:30 to take the bus to Bracken Cave to view millions of bats emerge at sunset.

LIMITED SEATING. You MUST sign up in advance for this field experience.

Wednesday, May 15

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Breakfast on Your Own

Breakfast is not included. Sleep in a eat a snack from the welcome bags, or grab your own breakfast from one of the surrounding restaurants or hotel. See list of restaurants for suggestions.

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Canyon Lake Gorge Field Experience

Meet in Lobby to head to Canyon Lake Gorge, GBRA's field site, for a unique field experience.

Capacity is limited. You MUST sign up ahead of time for this.

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Project WET Network Meeting

Location: Camino Real

For Project WET Coordinators ONLY.

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

San Antonio River & Mission Field Experience

Meet in the Lobby. Visit Roosevelt Park, San Juan Mission, and Confluence Park in San Antonio.

Capacity is limited. You MUST sign up ahead of time for this.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Polishing the GEMS: Improving PD through Lesson Study

Location: Villa

Speakers: Michael Kamen, Kiki Corry, Jennifer Kaszuba

High quality professional development is the hallmark of WILD, WET, and PLT. How do we push the boundaries of excellence? By facilitating the facilitators refinement of their own work! Japanese Lesson Study provides structure and strategy that is applicable in a variety of situations. Texas WILD field-tested one approach. This session will focus on the processes and tools that characterize Japanese Lesson Study while reflecting on both Texas WILD's trial and our experience during the tri-combo pre-conference workshop. Consider the challenges and benefits of implementation in your own state.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Journeys and Green Jobs: Inspiring the Next Generation

Location: Zapata

Speaker: Andrea Stay

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

Location: Navarro Prefunction and Carranza

Grab some coffee and snacks, talk with new and old friends, explore ehibits and bid on silent auction items (in Caranza).

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Rebuilding a Facilitator Network: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Renewal

Location: Zapata

Speaker: Mary Westlund

Embark on an exploration to rebuild a facilitator network. Dive into strategies for navigating challenges, fostering renewal, and cultivating resilience within your network. Acquire valuable insights into fostering effective collaboration and adaptability essential for reshaping the current framework. Join this engaging session filled with practical tips and discussions on transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and expansion.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

WILD, WET, and PLT What’s the Connection?

Location: Villa

Speaker: Tarneshia Evans

Explore how Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, and Aquatic WILD activities can be taught as stand-alone activities or by themselves as a larger unit. Using the lessons and activities from the various guides participants will be encouraged to explore how they align with the strands from the NAAEE's Guidelines for Excellence K-12 Environmental Education. Through small group work and hands-on invitations that support all the Projects, participants will compare and share how they conduct and facilitate workshop within their localities. You will leave this session inspired to continue to help grow the next generation of environmental stewards. This is a BYOB (bring your own books) session.

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Lunch on Your Own

Check out nearby restaurant options in the Conference Guide to Local Attractions.

1:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Advanced Training for Project WET: Thematic Trainings for New Guides

Location: Navarro

Speakers: Brian Brown, Candice Miller, Kathy Madren, Hannah Penn, Tomi Bergstrom, Jack Hilgert

This training session for Project WET Coordinators and facilitators will cover our continued efforts to support the transition to a new guidebook structure. We will go over further details on the new guides and continue to cover themed workshop agendas and ideas, specifically climate, using the new guides. There will be activity demonstrations from the new Earth Systems guide and examples of how you can localize the activities to have a greater impact with participants.

1:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Reaching Secondary Audiences with PLT's Watershed Activity Collection and Focus on Forest

Location: Zapata

Speakers: Nicole Filizetti, Ana Leirner, Jaclyn Stallard

PLT's secondary guides are like your cool older cousin-- you've heard interesting things about them, but you're not sure how to approach getting to know them better. In this session we will dig into Focus on Forests, Forests of the World and Places We Live. By engaging in some of the activities in these guides, participants will leave with the confidence to incorporate PLT's secondary curricula into their state's PD program. The session will include time to discuss how the design and implementation of a secondary workshop may differ from a standard K-8 workshop in order to meet the needs of high school educators, as well as a look at how these guides connect to important secondary standards. Come prepared for active learning, peer teaching, and much discussion. Be forewarned like your cool older cousin, these PLT guides might become your favorite!

1:15 PM – 3:15 PM

WILD - Welcome to the OUT(Outdoor Understanding for Teachers) Tour!

Location: Villa

Speakers: Catherine Dolder, Tracy Predmore, Jennifer Standlee, Kellina Gillbreth

Are you ready for it? Colorado Parks and Wildlife Education Coordinators will take the stage to share how we use Project WILD to create sustainable community engagement programs that support teacher professional development and our mission in a creative, meaningful way (to keep the crowd coming back for more!). We'll uncover how to strengthen outdoor teaching engagement and confidence in your facilitators by implementing thematic content that connects with place-based learning opportunities in both rural and urban areas. For the grand finale, apply your takeaways from this model in a facilitated connection space to design your own relevant PD workshop and make the whole place shimmer.

1:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Cooperative Learning: Exploring best practices through PLT, WET, and WILD

Location: Camino Real

Speakers: Renee Strnad, Lauren Daniel, Tanya Poole

Cooperative learning has been proven to boost individual achievement and as well as reducing achievement gaps. As Project Coordinators and Facilitators, can we recognize the difference between group work and cooperative learning? Are we utilizing and modeling cooperative learning strategies within our own workshops? This session will explore the differences between group work and cooperative learning, introduce basic cooperative learning structures, and challenge session participants to think critically about cooperative learning strategies. Session facilitators and participants will actively engage in demonstrations of cooperative learning strategies with activities pulled directly from each one of the Projects curricula. After exploring different strategies, the group will discuss how to model the best cooperative learning strategies in workshops by infusing their learning into their favorite activities.

3:15 PM – 3:45 PM

Networking Break

Location: Navarro Prefunction and Carranza

Grab some coffee and snacks, talk with new and old friends, explore ehibits and bid on silent auction items (in Caranza).

3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Resilient Organizations, Building the Foundation for a Sustainable Future

Location: Navarro

The leaders of the organizations that make the homes for Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, and the North American Association for Environmental Organization discuss what it means to build a resilient, stable foundation for our environmental education work. Grab and snack and join us. Raffle drawn at end of session.

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Dinner on Your Own

Check out nearby restaurant options in the Conference Guide to Local Attractions.

6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Bracken Cave Bat Viewing (Night 2)

Meet in Lobby at 6:30 to take the bus to Bracken Cave to view millions of bats emerge at sunset.

LIMITED SEATING. You MUST sign up in advance for this field experience.

Thursday, May 16

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Breakfast on Your Own

Breakfast is not included. Sleep in a eat a snack from the welcome bags, or grab your own breakfast from one of the surrounding restaurants or hotel. See list of restaurants for suggestions.

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Canyon Lake Gorge Field Experience

Meet in Lobby to head to Canyon Lake Gorge, GBRA's field site, for a unique field experience.

Capacity is limited. You MUST sign up ahead of time for this.

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Project WILD Network Meeting

Location: Camino Real

Open to Project WILD Coordinator ONLY.

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

San Antonio River & Mission Field Experience

Meet in the Lobby. Visit Roosevelt Park, San Juan Mission, and Confluence Park in San Anotnio.

Capacity is limitted. You MUST sign up ahead of time for this.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

USDA Forest Service: New Resources and Collaboration Opportunities

Location: Zapata

Speakers: Heidi McAllister, Rachel Bayer, Susan Cox, Jaclyn Stallard

Come learn about exciting opportunities to collaborate with the USDA Forest Service. We'll discuss various models for engaging the Forest Service in your state PLT/WILD/WET programs and then take a deep dive into three exciting new resources the Forest Service is currently developing with PLT and other partners: 1) Forests 2 Faucets Activity Collection, 2) Mobile Forest Products Exhibit, and 3) Forest Learning Lunchboxes. Session participants will have the opportunity to experience activities from each of these new resources and learn how each is designed to engage new audiences in learning about STEM, environmental careers, and the natural resources. Participants will have the opportunity to provide input on the resources and sign up to become involved in their development and launch.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Engaging Natural Resource Professionals to be Teachers

Location: Villa

Speakers: Tony Pascall, Jacey Tosh, Matt Schnabel, Ellen Powell, Chelsea York, Beth Foley

Many of us work with natural resource professionals and agencies who don't have a lot of experience in environmental education. Many of these folks are interested in doing more education, but don't know how to start or what to do when they are in front of kids.

The education coordinators for 5 Southern State Forestry agencies collaborated on a training for their staff with the goal of:
1) Answering why environmental education is important.
2) Sharing important skills for nonformal education.
3) Sharing the lessons and materials for the "what to teach" in an easy to access way.

This session will talk about our process, successes, and what we learned along the way!

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Novel Approaches to EEPD: Methods to Recruit, Retain, & Re-engage Educators

Location: Zapata

Speakers: Jack Hilgert, Jaclyn Stallard, Brittany Wray

Due to a variety of factors within the professional learning and educational landscapes, traditional EE PD models are not always the most effective tool to reach a broad base of educators.

Join Jack Hilgert, Jackie Stallard, and Brittany Wray to explore how to develop more unique PD experiences that attract or retain educators and increase state program relevancy. Thematic, outcome-driven, place-based approaches will be covered as well as in-person, blended, and virtual delivery formats. We will also demonstrate how PD events can blend PLT/WET/WILD curriculum offerings in a coherent way.

Participants will be exposed to success stories from current state programs and develop an action plan to use within their own programs. Discussion will include successful strategies to empower facilitator networks and leverage local partnerships when embracing new methods and models for EE PD delivery.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Wild & Wonderful Wetlands making Environmental Education Easy!

Location: Navarro B

Speakers: Tomi Bergstrom, Linda Carnell

In West Virginia, less than one percent of the total area of the state is a wetland, yet they provide essential habitat for a remarkable 23% of West Virginia's plant species, and for an even higher 44% of its rare plants. Attendees of this session will learn how wetlands provide an unique venue to discuss, experience, and learn about environmental education. Join WV’s Project WET and PLT Coordinators for a joint session on their experience with the Wetland Development Grant offered through EPA and how they involved sister programs in teacher trainings around the WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands curriculum guide and various PLT curriculum guides. Coordinators will discuss how the collaboration of programs led PLT, PWET, and PWILD to meet new partners in their state, build on environmental literacy and educational standards, and reach a wider audience of formal educators and wetland partners.

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Lunch on Your Own

Check out nearby restaurant options in the Conference Guide to Local Attractions.

12:00 PM – 12:00 PM

Silent Auction Closes

Location: Carranza

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Show and Tell Presentations

Location: Navarro

14 Subsessions

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Networking Break

Location: Navarro Prefunction

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Understanding the Landscape of Environmental Education in Schools

Location: Zapata

Speakers: Ashley Hoffman, Laura Downey

Over the past few years, the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance and the Plains Environmental Education Partnership have been conducting a landscape analysis of environmental education efforts across 12 different states. Most recently, we've expanded the landscape analysis to include K-12 Schools, Teachers, and Administrators. Collectively, our regions have surveyed nearly 2000 administrators, EE leaders, classroom teachers, and nonformal educators. This project was the result of a collective desire to better understand the needs of both the environmental education providers and the schools in our regions. We can now offer tools to help meet the needs of teachers, EE leaders, students, and administrators. This session will share more about our findings, key takeaways, and the tools we have created to allow others to use this data to address their own needs.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Re-engage, Grow, and Support Your Facilitator Network

Location: Villa

Speakers: Brittany Wray, Perry Thomas

In 2020, Kentucky saw a significant decline in facilitator activity. What once was a thriving and connected community became a siloed and disconnected group. Our facilitator network is our boots on the ground for Project WET, WILD, and Learning Tree. They have connections to their community, the ability to reach more students and adults, and advance environmental literacy across our state. In this session, you'll learn about the strategies we employed to re-engage, grow, and better support our facilitator network after the pandemic. From our Facilitator Training (in-person and online) to Facilitator Reunions to our Facilitator Site and more, participants will receive an overview and menu of options to help them jumpstart or re-engage their facilitators and learn how our community of facilitators has grown.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Showcasing Green Career Opportunities with PLT and WET Partners

Location: Camino Real

Speakers: Rob Beadel, Sophia Stephenson, Ted Stevens

In 2022, the Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation (PLT) and the Arkansas Environmental Education Association (Project WET) began hosting an annual Green Careers Expo. Local, state, and federal agencies, university and vocational institutions, businesses and industries, and conservation organizations are invited to participate in a one-day interactive student expo focusing on Green Career opportunities.

Area students from grades 8-12 are invited to attend this free event, learning about various professions that exist within the environmental, natural resources, and conservation fields in Arkansas. We strive to highlight both technical and professional careers--not just field positions but also administrative, accounting, IT, and communications careers that also exist within the Green Sector. Exhibitors are encouraged to be interactive through displaying "tools of the trade" and providing live demonstrations of equipment and machinery.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

PLT, WET, and WILD: One Workshop, Triple the Fun!

Location: Navarro B

Speakers: Kim Morris-Zarneke, Monica Kilpatrick, Chelsea York, Hannah Penn

Discover how the Georgia Projects (WET/WILD/PLT) have partnered together to design and implement a variety of workshops experiences for Georgia educators. The workshops range from one day joint early childhood and climate resilience trainings to a five-day professional development experience that explores forestry and natural resources management and how the two are interconnected. As a result of these efforts, we have reduce overall workload and cost, and increase interest and connectiveness with Georgia's natural resources. During the session we will share agendas, planning tips, challenges, and participants thoughts.

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Closing Dinner

Location: Hidalgo

Friday, May 17

8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Project WET Council Meeting

Location: La Babia

Meeting for Project WET Council Representatives.

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Honey Creek and LBJ State Park Field Experience

Meet in the Lobby

This is open to 40 people and is an add-on with registration. You must sign up to attend this field experience.