OUR MISSION AEOE strengthens environmental education in California by connecting providers, building professional expertise, and championing environmental literacy and outdoor learning.

OUR VISION We envision a world where every young person lives in a healthy community with access to meaningful learning experiences outdoors.

Read about how we're working towards making our vision a reality in our strategic plan

OUR VALUES

GROWTH: AEOE embodies a culture of dynamic learning, striving to be our best with a willingness to adapt and change as needed, and address new challenges and opportunities to best serve our community of providers and practitioners across the state. As a leader in professional development, we promote innovative and research-backed best practices for our field.

APPRECIATION: We recognize and acknowledge the value in all living beings, perspectives, and the natural world. We foster an environment where gratitude is practiced regularly and members of our community are acknowledged for their contributions of time, resources, and knowledge.

INCLUSIVITY: We strive to build community and a sense of belonging within our organization, our membership, and in the field of environmental education by celebrating, honoring, and amplifying diverse perspectives, voices, values, and needs, especially from those who experience systemic barriers or disadvantages based on their identities.

ACCOUNTABILITY: We strive to conduct our business transparently and with integrity, demonstrating responsibility through our actions. We are accountable to ourselves, each other, the practitioners and providers in our state, and the larger field of environmental and outdoor education.

Inclusivity Statement

We work to center equity for a just and sustainable future for all

Just like environmental and outdoor educators have a responsibility to establish learning environments that are inclusive and welcoming for all learners, at AEOE we strive to create a community of environmental champions where everyone belongs. This work is critical to our mission and vision. If we truly believe that our planet needs environmental education (EE), and that every young person has the right to meaningful learning experiences outdoors, it will take ALL of us working in partnership to make that happen. As an organization, if we want to grow in our reach and capacity, we must be self-critical and thoughtful about ways we can do better to represent and serve the field of EE in our state. This includes the recognition of harmful practices and narratives perpetuated by white-led organizations and upheld by many of the early leaders of the modern conservation and environmental education movement. In order to achieve our mission and vision we must address systemic barriers across our field, promote cultural relevancy as a necessary component of high-quality EE, and acknowledge the interconnectedness of lived experiences of the members of our community and the participants they serve.

We believe that everyone has the right to the physical, social, emotional, and academic benefits of learning outdoors. Access to nature and EE must not be a matter of privilege, and yet many communities experience barriers to environmental and outdoor learning. EE can and should help to break down these barriers and ensure that everyone feels comfortable, safe, and welcome outside. We believe that EE is most effective when delivered in a culturally relevant manner that provides memorable lived experiences and promotes environmental literacy. Through connection and understanding of the natural world, individuals are more inclined to address challenging environmental issues. Cultural responsiveness and environmental literacy are intimately connected and more diverse voices and perspectives lead to greater ideas and solutions for the challenges of our times. 

AEOE is listening, learning, and taking action to become more equitable and inclusive in order to support the transformation of the EE field in our state and beyond. We respect the individuality of each member of our community, and we are committed to establishing working and learning environments that are free of any kind of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sexuality, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, national or ethnic origin, politics, veteran status, or any other aspect of identity. We are working to increase the diversity of our staff, board, volunteers, members, and supporters, and fostering an inclusive network of EE providers across the state. We aim to provide learning opportunities and resources that will support our members and partners on their journeys toward becoming more equitable, inclusive, just, and diverse. 

Inclusivity Statement Approved by AEOE Board March 2022

We recognize that this vital work is never finished. Our efforts will continue to evolve as we engage in dialogue and reflection. If you have feedback or would like to join us in centering equity within our organization, please reach out to aeoe@aeoe.org.

In an effort to promote transparency about our commitment to centering equity and inclusion, please see some of the actions taken by our organization below. 

Actions undertaken by AEOE in 2022 to advance equity and inclusion within our work: 

• Developed a resource bank of articles, videos, podcasts, consultants, etc. 

• Committed more than 20 hours of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism training for AEOE’s Executive Director and offered opportunities for additional training for board members 

• Continued convening of Equity & Inclusion Committee; brought new members and volunteers onto committee for additional perspectives and expertise

• Implementation of a staff and board equity primer, developed by Candice Dickens-Russell, formerly with DoGoodery

• Question added on statewide conference workshop application form that explicitly asks how the workshop supports equity and inclusion

• Established collection of member demographics in the following areas: race/ethnicity, gender pronouns, EE experience and associated role, geographic location 

• Provided twelve scholarships for Environmental Educator Certification Program participants (out of 50 total enrolled), with a minimum of 50% set aside for those who identify as members of communities that have historically been marginalized within the field of EE (BIPOC and LGBTQIA+)

• Hosted listening sessions with EE providers across the state, the aims of which included an assessment of the degree organizations were centering equity in their work

• Program Leader retreat included professional development session titled “Envisioning and Creating Inclusive Teams and Advancing Equity within your Organization” - facilitated by Blanca Hernández, Director of Programs & Partnerships at YES Nature to Neighborhoods

Actions undertaken by AEOE in 2021 to advance equity and inclusion within our work:

• Focused Board and volunteer recruitment to celebrate all forms of identity – including, but not limited to, race and ethnicity – with the explicit goal of our leadership team being more representative of the state of California

• Provided scholarships for Environmental Educator Certification Program participants, with a minimum of 50% set aside for those who identify as members of communities that have historically been marginalized within the field of EE

• Amplification of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations and the intersectionality of EE, climate justice, and racial justice through our social media platforms

• Committed more than 40 hours of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism training for AEOE’s Executive Director and offered opportunities for additional training for board members

• Established new membership tiers to support organizations with varying capacity and for individuals who need financial support to be a part of our network

• Established annual collection of board member demographics in the following areas: race/ethnicity, gender pronouns, LGBTQIA+ affinity, EE experience, geographic location

• Sought and secured funding directed towards consultants skilled in equity and inclusion to help us advance this work internally

• Utilized virtual workshops for greater convenience to attendees, and selected topics of interest for more diverse audiences (e.g. work settings, roles).

• Established common language for how AEOE commits to advancing this work:

• • Equity – Redistributing access and opportunity by disrupting systemic barriers and privileges that create disparities. 
  • Inclusion – Creating a sense of belonging through celebrating, honoring, and amplifying diverse perspectives, voices, values, and needs, especially from those who experience systemic barriers or disadvantages based on their identities.
  • Diversity – Valuing the differences among us, upon which we experience systemic advantages or encounter systemic barriers in access to opportunities and resources.