Join us as we gather online to share best practices in Prek12 education, learn new Environmental activities, explore professional development opportunities, honor changemakers in our field, and discover exciting new research!   Registration includes a chance to win exciting door prizes from our sponsors.

The Virtual Spring Conference on Saturday April 1 includes 17 presentations in 3 focus areas:

• Prek-12 Curriculum and Activities
• Local and National Conservation Efforts
• Professional Development and Research

Our regional field trips on Sunday April 2 provide a chance to get to know other Environmental Educators in your area!  Click the links below to register:

• South:  Snack, Slog and Sawsedge - a walking tour in the Florida Everglades, Weston, FL
• Central:  Lake Kayak Tour - Crooked River, Clermont FL
• North:  Meet & Greet With Dolphins and a Tour at Marineland - St. Augustine, FL

Registration:

$10 - LEEF Members

$35 - Non-member

$45 - Conference registration + 1 year annual LEEF membership

Ripple Scholarships are available to assist with registration costs.  If interested in applying, please email treasurer@leef-florida.org to request more information.

Once you have registered here,  you'll be invited to log in to the Sched website/app.  You'll be able to create your schedule, read speaker bios, and view the sessions via Zoom. Please allow 3 days to receive your Sched invitation. 

**Note:  for Apple iphone users, don't download the Sched app (it won't work with Zoom on iphones).  Instead, use Safari or your web browser to find and log in to the Sched website...Zoom will work there. 

For technical assistance or questions, please email trina@leef-florida.org.

The conference schedule is subject to change.

Conference Schedule Overview

8:30 am:  Welcome and Keynote Address

Keynote information provided soon.

preK-12 Curriculum and Activities

9:00 - 9:40 am:  Monika Moorman, Central Park Elementary School, Broward County.  Never too young for activism! (Ways to amplify students' voice and agency as environmental stewards). 

10:00 - 10:40 am:  Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes, The Climate Initiative, Miami.   Learn with The Climate Initiative: Free Community-Based Climate Modules.   

11:00 - 11:40 am:  Lauren Butcher, Grassy Waters Preserve, West Palm Beach.  Engaging Students (and Teachers) through Native Gardening 

1:00 - 1:40 pm:  Kati Morris, Canterbury School, Ft. Myers.  Using the Ecocolumn and Campus Pond to Model Multiyear Water Quality Management and Remediation. 

2:00 - 2:40 pm:  Melissa Parks, Associate Professor of Education, Stetson University.  Thinking About the Big Picture:  Considering the Role of Picture Books in Developing Connections to Nature

3:00 - 3:40 pm:  Regina Bale, Coordinator for the Center of Environment and Society, Florida Gulf Coast University.  Schoolyard Science with GIS

Local and National Conservation Efforts

9:00 - 9:40 am:  Ellie Schultz, former Middle School Educator.  The Hope for Florida Project   

10:00 - 10:40 am:  Shea Dunifon, Education Coordinator Pinellas County Utilities and Phil Kane, PhD, FL Department of Environmental Protection.   From Flush to Fertilizer:  Recycling "Wastes" in Florida

11:00 - 11:40 am:  Bianca Cassouto, Everglades Foundation, Palmetto Bay.  Everglades Restoration Fights Climate Change

1:00 - 1:40 pm:  Katrina Bayliss, FL Dept of Ag and Consumer Services.  Aquaculture in the Classroom:  Expanding Aquaculture Education in Florida

2:00 - 2:40 pm:  Sarah Davis, 4H Youth Development University of Florida/IFAS Extension Sarasota County.  Youth Service Learning Promotes Active Engagement with Community Leaders 

3:00 - 3:40 pm:  Lara Milligan, UF/IFAS Pinellas County.  Piloting an Adopt-a-Drain Program

Professional Development and Research 

9:00 - 9:40 am:  Yash Bhagwanji, Associate Professor, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, Florida Atlantic University, Professional Development in Early Childhood Education:  A Model Integrating NAAEE Recommendations and Opportunities for Study

10:00 - 10:40 am:  Hannah Purcell, Air Base K-8 Center.   Think Green, Do Green, Be Green

11:00 - 11:40 am:  Rebecca Johns, Associate Professor of Geography, University of South Florida  Experiential Learning for Climate Awareness:  Analyzing the Impact of the Film Dear Tampa Bay

1:00 - 1:40 pm:  Jason Evans, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Studies, Stetson University  Citizen Science and Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Central Florida

2:00 - 2:40 pm:  Shannon Gowans, Professor of Biology and Marine Science, Amy Siuda, Associate Professor of Marine Science, and Chloe McKenna, Eckerd College.  Generating Data on Single-Use Plastic and Refusal Through a Mobile Phone App.

3:00 - 3:40 pm:  Megan Ennes, Assistant Curator of Museum Education, and Natalie Triana, University of Florida.  Long Term Impacts of a Climate Change Train the Trainer Program

4 pm:  Door Prize and LEEF Award Winners Announced + LEEF Board Meeting

Step 1:  Conference Registration

Step 2: Wait for your Confirmation Email from Sched 

Create your schedule, read presenter bios, and more!

Sponsors and Partners