Certification

Are you interested in:

  • Building and demonstrating strong foundations in environmental literacy?
  • Positioning yourself for success within the environmental education profession?
  • Helping to build a network of highly qualified environmental educators in Colorado?
  • Personalizing and tailoring your own professional development?

If so, certification is for you! Fill out the general interest form below to get news, updates, and opportunities for professional development.

General Interest Form

Certified Educators in Colorado

Application Process

Next Portfolio Submission Deadline: April 15th and August 19th, 2024


What is Certification?

The certification program sets specific standards of knowledge, skills, and experience that highly qualified environmental educators in Colorado should be able to demonstrate. It is a competency based program - one where the applicant will demonstrate what they know and can do by building a portfolio.  The competencies for Certification are based on the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education and Colorado Guidelines for Environmental Educators.  You can build your portfolio individually, at your own pace, or participate in CAEE's online course (see below).

Whether you are new to the field or have years of experience, the Certification program can help you grow as an environmental educator.  We offer two levels of certification and the portfolio requirement allows you to submit work that is relevant to you.

Want to learn more?  The following recorded webinar describes the process and answers some of the most frequently asked questions.

Watch Now


CAEE's Certification Program is Nationally Accredited

CAEE's Environmental Education Certification Program is accredited by the North American Association for Environmental Education! Colorado is one of only three states to achieve this recognition. The accreditation recognizes the high quality of the program and demonstrates it meets high national standards. For Master Certified Environmental Educators, it allows certification to be recognized nationally.   

Principles and Foundations of EE Online Course

Are you working on Certification?  Our online course is aligned with certification portfolio requirements and assignments can be used to build your certification portfolio.

Participants will explore the history and goals of EE, develop an understanding of the professional roles and instructional methods of environmental educators, and interact with other educators from across the state. For participants interested in CAEE's Environmental Educator Certification program, you can submit your portfolio for review at discounted rates.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COURSE IS NOT REQUIRED TO RECEIVE CERTIFICATION.  Check to see if there is an upcoming course.

Certified Environmental Educators in Colorado

Total Participants in the EE Certification Program to Date: 184     Currently Certified: 173

Boys and Skink

Master Certified

Park Ranger with Kids

Certified

Fishing with Kids

Honorary Master Certified

kids examining bugs

Apprentice Certified

Master Certified Environmental Educators

Wynn Abrahamson 

Nathan Agarwal, The Catamount Center for Environmental Science & Education

Ivan Asin, Center for Art Education and Sustainability

Nina Avila

Debbie Bangs,  University Schools

Consuelo Barton, Colorado College

Denise Benitez, Colorado College

Heather Berry, Highlands Ranch High School

Charlotte Cadow, Colorado College

Greta Cahill, Colorado College

Nicolai Calabria, Colorado College

Chelsea Campbell, Red Rocks Community College

Lara Carlson, Walking Mountains Science Center

Chris Cohen, Walking Mountains Science Center

Ashley Daniels, Walking Mountains Science Center

Betsy Defries, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Barrett Donovan, High Mountain Institute

Howard Drossman, Colorado College Environmental Science Program

Ellen Eiriksson

Anita Evans , Engaged Learning LLC

Michelle Finchum, City of Fort Collins

Laura Fritz, Poudre School District

Riley Gaines, Walking Mountains Science Center

Aidan Goldie, Walking Mountains Science Center

Robin Grathwohl, Colorado College

Ella Hartshorn, Colorado College

Jessica Hebert,  Colorado College

Anne Hennessy, Colorado College

Knox Huang, Colorado College

Tracy Jackson, Catamount Institute

Meg John, Colorado Biosciences Institute

Sarah Johnson, Wild Rose Consulting

Maggie Kehlenbeck, Colorado College

Anna Kiwera, Walking Mountain Science Center

Sarin LoMascolo, Rocky Mountain National Park

Aidan Luter, Colorado College

Hillary Mason, University of Colorado Denver

Ashley Millman

Melissa Mullins, Baylor University

Rani Muthukrishnan, Washington State University

Katie Navin, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education

Natalie Neuwirth, Walking Mountains Science Center

Camille Newsom, Colorado College

Connor Nolan, Colorado College

Steve Noud, City of Boulder/Keep It Clean Partnership

Jennifer Ortega, Humbolt State University

Katie Phillips, Rocky Mountain National Park

Liam Reynolds

Donny Roush, City and County of Denver

Hannah Runyon

Nicholas Scarborough, Walking Mountains Science Center

Maddison Schink, Colorado College

Sarah Schmitt, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Zoë Shark, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas

Remi Shore, Colorado College

Hope Stonner

Gail Smith, Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center

Kirsten Springer, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension

Stephen Taranto, La Paz on Foot

Chris Tobin, Colorado College

Katherine Trudeau, Walking Mountains Science Center 

Jen Visitacion, Guidestone

Leah Weisman, Walking Mountains Science Center

Kelly Williams, Walking Mountains Science Center

Rebecca Williams, Colorado College

Heather Young, Larimer County Department of Natural Resources

Mike Zawaski, The Observant Naturalist/Teacher's Rock Programs

Aiyu Zheng, Colorado College

Certified Environmental Educators

Adriana Aboitiz, Colorado College

Daniel Allen, Colorado College

Koki Atcheson, Colorado College

Beth Austin, Catamount Institute

Alex Banuelos, The Greenway Foundation

Kait Bashford, The Greenway Foundation

Ivan Beck, Colorado College

Jeremy Becker, Colorado College

Autumn Bjugstad, The Greenway Foundation

Michele Bratschun, National Park Service

Madison Brauninger, Catamount Center

Sabrina Brewer, Catamount Center

Natalie Brower-Kirton, Aurora Water

Emily Brown, Walking Mountains Science Center

Genevieve Buzan-Dansereau, Colorado College

Molly Casey, Larimer County Department Natural Resources 

Jerry Cordova, CIty of Colorado Springs

Victoria Crystal, Colorado College

Sian Cuffy-Young, Siel Environmental Services Ltd.

Mary Dawson, Aurora Water

Lydia Delehanty, Walking Mountains Science Center

Aiden Dempsey

Julia Dietz

Barona DiNapoli, Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Erin Dreps

Laura Farrell, Vikan Middle School

Adam Fedyski, The Greenway Foundation

Hannah Jakob, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Mary Joyce Fink, Larimer County Department of Natural Resources

Christian Fowler

Laura Friedli, Colorado College

Julianne Gagnon, The Greenway Foundation

Alicia Goddard, Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Lauren Godfrey, Bluff Lake Nature Center

Alissa Grutze, Greenway Foundation

Hallie Harness, El Paso County Nature Centers

Atiya Harvey, Colorado College

Michael Hazel, Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center

Kelsey Head, Walking Mountains Science Center

Conrad Hedinger, TREE Semester

Samuel Hinkle, Catamount Institute

Corrine Hinton

Audreia Hoffa, Dunstan Middle School 

EmmaKate Holdbrooks, Bluff Lake Nature Center

Nizhooni Hurd, Colorado College

Ian Jensen

Maggie John, Highlands Ranch Backcountry Wilderness Area

Abbey Johnson

Victoria Joseph, Colorado College

Rachel Juritsch, Walking Mountains Science Center

Jonathan Kaufmann, Catamount Center

Lauren Keller, Bluff Lake Nature Center

Vanessah Klaers, Catamount Center

Nick Kramer  

Katharine Kurtz, Bowdoin College

Casey Lay, The Greenway Foundation 

Trisha Lavery, Walking Mountains Science Center

Melanie Lewis, Children's Musuem of Denver

Emma Malin, Larimer County Conservation Corps

Patrick Marti, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

Olivia Martinez, Colorado College

Amy May, The Greenway Foundation

Alison McGarigal, Colorado College

Riley Meese, Colorado College

Sherry Meschko, Aurora Water- Environmental Education and Outreach

Rebecka Miller, Wild Bear Nature Center

Leslie Crawford Mitchell III, TREE Semester

Mike Montgomery, Littleton Public Schools

Kaylyn Murphy, Walking Mountains Science Center

Mackenzie Murphy, Outdoor Wilderness Lab

Feza Ngandu, The Greenway Foundation

Holly Nickel, Rocky Mountain National Park

Chira Noce, Bluff Lake Nature Center

Connor Nolan, The Catamount Center for Environmental Science & Education

Margaret O'Brien, Colorado College

Amy Olsen, Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Andrew Padgett

Tina Person, Wildwood School

Micaela Petrini, The Greenway Foundation

Abigail Philbrick, Colorado College

Leigh Preston

Xixi Qin, Colorado College

Sharon Reuth

Erika Rodriguez, Catamount Center Earth Force, Inc

Gabriela Rodriguez, Catamount Center

Elizabeth Roe, Catamount Center

Anneliese Rohane, Colorado College

Imo Ross, Colorado College

Caroline Sandberg, Colorado College

Alexa Saxton-Bush, Walking Mountains Science Center

Maxwell Schubert

Mark Sharp, Walking Mountains Science Center

Jessie Sheldon

Paige Simenz, Colorado College

Karen Sizelove-Murphy, Explore2LIVE

Eileen Skahill, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs

Alex Spiezio, Colorado College

Amy Stevermer

Laurel Sullivan, Colorado College

Helena Thatcher, Colorado College

Helen Thompson, Walking Mountains

Sydney Vine, Colorado College

Justin Way, City of Aurora Generation Wild

Roxanne Warner, Newlon Elementary

Siqi Wei, Colorado College

Sandra Wilder, Boulder Valley School District

Christie Wilkins, Rocky Mountain National Park

Viviana Zavala, Aurora Water

Honorary Master Certified Environmental Educators

Laura Arndt, Global GreenSTEM

Mike Blakeman, San Luis Valley Env & Conservation

Mary Ann Bonnell, Jefferson County Open Space

Roxanne Brickell-Reardon, Impact Conservation Services

Thomas Cleary, Crestone Charter School

Shawna Crocker, Colorado State Forest Service-Project Learning Tree

Mark DeGregorio, National Park Service - Rocky Mountain National Park

Kathy Fennell, Eaglecrest High School

Leigh Gillette, Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Francesca Giongo

Wendy Hanophy

Kim Langmaid, Teton Science School

Betsy Leonard

Judy Lopez, Rio Grande Watershed Conservation and Education Initiative

Sue Schafer, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas

Dave Sutherland, City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Charlie Warren, University of Northern Colorado

Apprentice Certified Environmental Educators (Pilot)

Tori Auger, The Greenway Foundation

Camila Carbaja, The Greenway Foundation

Julia Dykstra, The Greenway Foundation

Alta Farrell, The Greenway Foundation

Isaiah Garcia, The Greenway Foundation

Lucy Hancock

Sarahy Herrera, The Greenway Foundation

Angelica Jeffrey

Sophia Luna, The Greenway Foundation

Hailey Meraz, The Greenway Foundation

Jimmy Moffett, The Greenway Foundation

Destiny Morales, The Greenway Foundation

Luisa Olvera-Mendoza, The Greenway Foundation

Victoria Ramos Rendon, The Greenway Foundation

Lilia Rankova, The Greenway Foundation

Ashley Mariah Rodriguez, The Greenway Foundation

Alejandra Ruiz-Diosado, The Greenway Foundation

Axyl Shores, The Greenway Foundation

Demintra Theard, The Greenway Foundation

Gavin Thomas Beyer