Since its founding in 2005, the Walking Mountains Science Center Environmental Education Fellowship has prepared emerging leaders through an immersive model that integrates experiential teaching, graduate coursework, and applied research. In 2016, Walking Mountains partnered with the University of Northern Colorado to establish a fully integrated Master’s program in Science Education, strengthening the fellowship’s academic rigor and professional impact. To date, 79 fellows have completed the program, many of whom now work as educators, coordinators, and leaders in environmental education across Colorado and beyond.

Fellows serve as full-time environmental educators while completing graduate coursework, allowing them to apply theory directly within authentic teaching environments. The impact of this work is significant. In 2025, fellows helped deliver K–12 science programming to 6,263 students, along with 480 youth participating in summer science camps, providing thousands of learners with inquiry-driven, place-based environmental education experiences.

The fellowship also emphasizes reflective practice and professional development. Fellows participate in extensive training opportunities including Youth Mental Health First Aid certification, Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist education training, youth development workshops, snow science and avalanche awareness courses, site visits to other environmental education organizations, and professional presentations and attendance at the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) conference. Fellows also complete the CAEE Environmental Education Certification portfolio, further strengthening professional standards and reflective practice.

The program also expands how environmental education is understood by incorporating diverse intellectual and cultural perspectives. Through mentorship and professional seminars, fellows engage with frameworks such as Indigenous philosophies, Afrofuturism, and other critical perspectives that broaden how relationships between people, land, and community are explored within environmental education. This work encourages fellows to critically examine the historical roots and power dynamics that have shaped environmental education while exploring ways to build a more inclusive and culturally responsive field.

The fellowship also strengthens community partnerships by providing highly trained environmental educators who bring new curriculum, research insights, and innovative teaching practices to the organization. Fellows continuously improve programming through evaluation and reflection while contributing creative approaches to environmental education.

Perhaps most importantly, the program cultivates future leaders in environmental education. Fellows leave with extensive teaching experience, graduate-level research training, and a deep commitment to inclusive, community-centered environmental learning. As alumni move into roles across schools, nonprofits, and environmental organizations, the fellowship’s influence extends far beyond Eagle County, helping shape the future of environmental education across Colorado and beyond.

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