Pre-Conference Leadership Summit

Advancing Colorado's Environmental Education Plan

  • Are you interested in learning more about Colorado's Environmental Education Plan?
  • Are you interested in learning more about how YOU can advance environmental and outdoor learning in Colorado?

If so, you are invited to join us for a pre-conference summit to generate ideas to advance environmental and outdoor learning in Colorado.  

Each year, we select a strategy from the Colorado Environmental Education Plan to explore together, with the goal of strengthening systems for PreK-12 outdoor and environmental learning in Colorado.  Building on last year's conversations, this year's summit with continue to focus on advocacy, both advocacy for environmental and outdoor learning as a field, and how organizations can thoughtfully engage in advocacy around environmental issues within their own missions and communities

As best practices and conversations around advocacy continue to evolve, we'll explore what effective, values-aligned advocacy can look like in a rapidly changing context.  Participants will hear from experts about current trends impacting our work, reflect on our shared advocacy framework, and collaborate to identify meaningful action steps we can take as individuals, organizations, and as a statewide network to move our field forward together.

When:  September 16th, 2026 from 10am-3pm

Where:  CSU Spur, Denver

Cost:  $44 Members, $54 Nonmembers, Free for EE Regional Leadership Council Members

Please check back for a detailed agenda and speaker list.  

2025 Summit Recap:  

Strengthening Advocacy for Environmental and Outdoor Learning

In 2025, our pre-conference leadership summit focused on advocacy — exploring how we can strengthen advocacy for environmental and outdoor learning across Colorado while building greater confidence, alignment, and collective action within our field. Together, participants examined both the opportunities and challenges facing advocacy efforts in a rapidly changing landscape and reflected on the role individuals, organizations, and statewide networks can play in advancing meaningful change.

Key Strategies Discussed:

  • Building a stronger shared understanding of advocacy, including the differences between individual and organizational advocacy and the range of advocacy approaches available to nonprofits and educators.
  • Exploring policies, practices, and systems changes that could advance environmental and outdoor learning and support broader community wellbeing.
  • Learning from advocacy efforts already happening in Colorado and across the country, including examples connected to mental health, conservation, education, and community engagement.
  • Developing strategies to build public and political will for environmental and outdoor learning, including storytelling, relationship building, op-eds, coalition organizing, and potential collective advocacy opportunities such as a Day at the Capitol.
  • Strengthening regional and statewide collaboration to help move shared advocacy priorities forward over the next several years.

2024 Summit Recap:  

Increasing Awareness of the Benefit of Outdoor and Environmental Learning

In 2024, our pre-conference summit explored how we can increase awareness of the benefits of outdoor and environmental learning to ensure that these types of experiences are not just "nice to have", they are "need to have" experiences for all Coloradans.

Key Strategies Discussed:

  • Focusing messaging to demonstrate how EE makes an impact on 5 big impact areas:  conservation, K-12 education, positive youth development, health and wellness, and social justice.
  • Convening a work group of communications staff from EE organizations to design key messaging and tools that we can share.
  • Continue to build relationships with the Colorado Outdoor Industry and highlight existing partnerships.
  • Work collaboratively to share stories from the field.

2023 Summit Recap:  

Advancing Career Development through Colorado's EE Plan

In 2023, our pre-conference summit explored the intersections between environmental and outdoor learning and state career pathway development. 

Key Strategies Discussed:

  • Supporting the Development of a Student Organization to meet new Environmental Science CTE Pathway Needs

  • Developing a Work-Based Learning Toolkit for Teachers 

  • Advocating for the Creation of a Seal of Climate Literacy Diploma

Progress to Date:

  • Envirothon, through CSU Extension, will be working to put structures in place to serve as the designated student organization for the new Environmental Science CTE Pathway
  • CAEE was awarded a Region 8 EPA Grant to create a toolkit for middle and high school teachers exploring work-based learning opportunities and climate related careers.  Stay tuned for opportunities to support this work.
  • Lyra Colorado championed SB24-014 to create the Seal for Climate Literacy Diploma Endorsement.  The bill passed on May 3, 2023.