Community Calendar

June 9 – August 4, 2025

This course is designed to help you anchor environmental aims within the context of community interests, issues, and capacities. The course focuses on Key Characteristic 1 of the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement. This course should take approximately 10-14 hours to complete. 

PREREQUISITES: 

• Experience working in formal or nonformal education is not required but highly encouraged.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: 

• Access to reliable internet and a desktop computer or laptop.
• NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement – download

GRADING:

• The course journal will be submitted for each module. The submissions will be assessed according to a provided scoring guide and receive feedback from the course moderator.
• Assignments must be completed with a score of 2 as indicated on the scoring guide provided.
• To receive a certificate of completion for 10 hours of work, you must complete all assignments and receive the scores as indicated above.

IMPORTANT DATES:
This course runs for 8 weeks, from June 9 – August 4, 2025.

Three scheduled Zoom meetings are an important part of this course. 
– Intro Zoom meeting: Tuesday, June 10, 7:30 – 8:00 pm (time is tentative)
– Zoom Discussion #1: Date tentatively scheduled for July 8. Date and time to be determined by course participants.
– Zoom Discussion #: Date tentatively scheduled for July 29. Date and time to be determined by course participants.

If you are interested in the course, but have a conflict with the Zoom dates, contact Sophia Stephenson at info@arkansasee.org.

COST:

AEEA members: $65
Nonmembers: $100

REGISTER HERE

July 8, 2025
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
AGFC Arkansas River Valley Nature Center
8300 Wells Lake Rd
Ft. Smith, AR 72916

What is a Green Job?

Green jobs represent one of the fastest growing and changing segments of our global economy. At the same time, today’s youth are seeking rewarding careers that help us move towards more sustainable lifestyles and greener economies. The next generation wants to work with purpose. They want to find a job they can be proud of; they want to feel like they are making a difference in the world.

This workshop will provide you with tools and resources to help youth discover careers in sustainable forestry and conservation!

Each participant will receive PLT’s Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers guide. This guide engages middle- and high-school youth in exploring natural resource careers and includes four hands-on, NGSS aligned, instructional activities to help youth research forestry and natural resource jobs, and practice managing and monitoring forest resources.

It is designed for educators, career and guidance counselors, Scout leaders, FFA advisors, 4-H leaders, foresters, and job training advisors to use with learners aged 12–25 in settings ranging from community youth programs and school classrooms to college and career prep. This workshop also features a private tour of International Paper’s Fort Smith Container Plant where educators will get a firsthand look at the process of how cardboard boxes and containers are manufactured.

Registration & Cost

Registration: Visit https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=547486 for more information.
Workshop qualifies for 6 hours of ADE-approved PD plus provides career readiness experiences for educators, career coaches, and guidance counselors. Questions? Contact Amber Cobb at amber.cobb@wscstarfish.com.

Cost: FREE

Contact: Rob Beadel at rbeadel@arkforests.org.

July 9, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
AGFC Arkansas River Valley Nature Center
8300 Wells Lake Rd
Ft. Smith, AR 72916

Three quarters of the world’s flowering plants and trees depend on pollinators to reproduce. Some scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats, beetles, and other insects.

Join us for this fun, interactive and educational professional development workshop focusing on Arkansas’s pollinators and pollinator habitat. Attendees will participate in Project Learning Tree activities related to the topic of pollinators and also gain background knowledge on Arkansas bees and butterflies and the habitats they need to survive and prosper.

Guest Presenter: Leslie Cooper, Arkansas Monarch and Pollinator Coordinator

Each participant will receive PLT’s Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide containing 50 interdisciplinary activities correlated to state and national education frameworks (retail value $35).

Workshop qualifies for 6 hours of ADE-approved PD.

Question? Contact Amber Cobb at amber.cobb@wscstarfish.com

Registration & Cost

Registration: Space is limited. Visit https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=548492 for more information.

Contact: Rob Beadel at rbeadel@arkforests.org.

July 31, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
AGFC Arkansas River Valley Nature Center
8300 Wells Lake Rd
Ft. Smith, AR 72916

It’s often assumed that we, as educators, possess all the answers. However, there are times when it’s beneficial to acknowledge our limitations and seek expertise from external sources. Project Learning Tree (PLT) offers exceptional, user-friendly lessons on a wide range of environmental subjects and concerns.

Join us for an interactive, hands-on professional development opportunity that will familiarize you with PLT activities from the Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with several local natural resource professionals who can furnish you with valuable content, resources, and ideas for future class field trips and
outreach.

Each participant will receive PLT’s Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide containing 50 interdisciplinary activities correlated to state and national education frameworks (retail value $35).

Workshop qualifies for 6 hours of ADE-approved PD plus provides career readiness experiences for educators & counselors.

Question? Contact Amber Cobb at amber.cobb@wscstarfish.com

Registration & Cost

Registration: Space is limited. Visit https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=551245 for more information.

Contact: Rob Beadel at rbeadel@arkforests.org.

June 9 – August 4, 2025

This course is designed to help you anchor environmental aims within the context of community interests, issues, and capacities. The course focuses on Key Characteristic 1 of the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement. This course should take approximately 10-14 hours to complete. 

PREREQUISITES: 

• Experience working in formal or nonformal education is not required but highly encouraged.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: 

• Access to reliable internet and a desktop computer or laptop.
• NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement – download

GRADING:

• The course journal will be submitted for each module. The submissions will be assessed according to a provided scoring guide and receive feedback from the course moderator.
• Assignments must be completed with a score of 2 as indicated on the scoring guide provided.
• To receive a certificate of completion for 10 hours of work, you must complete all assignments and receive the scores as indicated above.

IMPORTANT DATES:
This course runs for 8 weeks, from June 9 – August 4, 2025.

Three scheduled Zoom meetings are an important part of this course. 
– Intro Zoom meeting: Tuesday, June 10, 7:30 – 8:00 pm (time is tentative)
– Zoom Discussion #1: Date tentatively scheduled for July 8. Date and time to be determined by course participants.
– Zoom Discussion #: Date tentatively scheduled for July 29. Date and time to be determined by course participants.

If you are interested in the course, but have a conflict with the Zoom dates, contact Sophia Stephenson at info@arkansasee.org.

COST:

AEEA members: $65
Nonmembers: $100

REGISTER HERE