MEEA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Annual Conference is the most visible and important MEEA event, effectively promoting the mission by bringing together educators, agencies, tribes, businesses, and organizations.  Each person leaves the conference with renewed enthusiasm, new knowledge, relevant and useful contacts and resources.  Participants gain a greater awareness of issues, discover fresh approaches to environmental education and build relationships with colleagues across the state.

 

Save the Date for the 20th Annual Conference 2011:

Celebrating 20 Years of Connecting Nature, Children, and Community
Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, 2011
Holiday Inn, Downtown at the Park • Missoula, Montana

Come celebrate 20 years of Montana Environmental Education Association!

What to Expect:

- Dynamic professional development workshops
- Learning-based field trips
- Morning guided river walk
- Networking with colleagues and meeting new environmental professionals
- Educator's Expo featuring great resources
- Top-notch presentations
- Engaging keynote speaker
- Social event at Montana Natural History Center
- An opportunity to win some great goodies at our silent auction
- 20 years of MEEA trivia game...Who knows (or rather, remembers) the most about MEEA?

Further details regarding the conference and registration coming soon!
Check back right here for all registration information.

2010 MEEA Award Winners (from left to right): Carolyn Sevier (Sense of Wonder), Kathleen Kennedy (Teacher of the Year), Lisa Bickell (Board, Chair), Gabe Kirkley (Student of the Year), Paula Fisher (accepting for Missoula Parks & Recreation, Business of the Year), Tom Pedersen (Board, Vice-Chair)

2010 Award Winners

Educator of the Year: Kathleen Kennedy, Big Sky High School (Missoula)
Sense of Wonder: Carolyn Sevier, Rim Country Land Institute
Business of the Year: Missoula Parks & Recreation
Service to MEEA: Steve Kratville, USFS
Student of the Year: Gabe Kirkley, Gabe's Owl Pellets (Dillon)

Water Teacher of the Year, awarded by Montana Watercourse:
Chris Ruffatto, Whitefish High School

2009 Award Winners

Educator of the Year: Jennifer Titus, Clark Fork Watershed Education Program
Sense of Wonder: Brian Williams, Montana Natural History Center
Business of the Year: Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center

MEEA honored John Miller, Billings West High School, with a MEEA Lifetime Achievement Award.

"I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation for your selecting me to receive the 2009 Environmental Educator Lifetime Achievement Award.  Personally it is very special to receive this kind of recognition from a group of peers of which I have a great deal of respect.  The knowledge and ideas I've gained from presenters at the annual conference and the passion for educating kids about the environment as is demonstrated by MEEA have always been an inspiration to me.  It is through our (MEEA) collective effort that we have and will continue to provide quality environmental education for Montana youth. Thank you."
- John Miller, 2009 MEEA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Quotes from 2009 Conference Attendees:

"First of all, many thanks for putting the effort into crafting an excellent conference. I'm amazed by the quality of the MEEA conferences."

"The pre-social proved critical. I met other Environmental Educators from the Billings area at this time. Since the conference we have met once with a second meeting planned. The MEEA Conference will prove to be the critical point where EE became more collaborative in Eastern MT."

"[The keynote panel] was very engaging, entertaining and inspirational."

"Really, it's one of the most valuable conferences I have attended on a regular basis."

"I can tell you that my experience at MEEA was very beneficial to my professional development as an educator. As someone who is on the ground, working directly with the kids on a daily basis, it was so refreshing to be amongst others working toward like goals in the field. The daily grind can take its toll on my inspiration, which is why conferences like these are so valuable. Not only do they energize our passion to reach children in new ways, but they encourage us to keep moving forward in our pursuits. It is also so great to hear from those who have been teaching for years, and learn from their earned experience."

 

Thank you to all participants, as well as Silent Auction donors
and our 2010 sponsors:

US Forest Service
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Montana Natural History Center