News
EPA's President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) The EPA seeks to recognize the students and teachers whose work will have a lasting impact on their communities. In this video, Maanit Goel of Sammamish, Washington, and the 2023 PEYA recipient, shares how PEYA is a great opportunity for young leaders. Applications for both awards are due no later than Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Application and eligibility information is available on EPA’s PEYA page and EPA’s PIAEE page.
Clean Energy. Bright Futures Clean Energy. Bright Futures organization works with schools and educators to build a clean energy future by encouraging students from all backgrounds to participate in Career Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) clubs, internships, or apprenticeship programs and is partnered with the University of Idaho. They are currently looking for educators in Idaho interested in a professional development opportunity. Participants will be learning about climate change and its impact on forest fires in the Western United States. Educators will receive a stipend and hands on learning and materials that can be easily localized and utilized in their classrooms. If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete this brief form.
Bogus Basin Snowshoe Tours Snowshoe tours are great outings for school groups and Bogus Basin is expanding their snowshoe opportunities to include FREE tours with trained guides who understand the ecology of the area and are ready to help individuals of all abilities and interests get out on the trails and have fun in the snow. Private snowshoe tours are available to reserve on Saturday afternoons, Sunday mornings, and weekday afternoons. All of these tours are free. If guests need snowshoe rentals or trail passes, these are discounted to $10 each for tour participant. If someone has their own snowshoes and has a Bogus Basin pass with Nordic access, or has a Nordic season pass, then they can attend without these extra costs. Reservations can be made by emailing Josie Meyer, the Environmental Education Coordinator at Bogus. Reservations are first come first serve.
Wild Child, Kid-Centered Wild and Scenic Film Festival On Saturday, January 18 at 2pm Boise State will be hosting the return of this Idaho Sierra Club event. Come enjoy an afternoon of incredible stories meant to inspire curiosity and cultivate appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Tickets for Wild Child are on sale here, with special discounts for groups. Funds raised by the event will benefit the Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club and our ongoing efforts for youth activism, clean energy advocacy, wildlife recovery, and climate justice. Wild Child is a matinee screening before our all-ages Wild & Scenic Film Festival at 7pm-- if you're interested in the full festival, you can find tickets for that here.
Community Action Plan Templates for Children’s Environmental Health This resource is rich with information on everything from air quality and asthma to climate related health impacts. The toolkit is a cooperative outcome of the CDC and EPA.
Professional Workshops
Outdoor Learning Partners Winter Outdoor Learning Virtual Workshops featuring over 20 partners & presenters!
Current IdEEA members are eligible for a 20% discount on these Outdoor Learning classes!
Braiding Sweetgrass Course for Educators This January The Outdoor Learning School and Store has confirmed a new 4-session 'Braiding Sweetgrass for Educators' course with award-winning and best-selling Indigenous author, Monique Gray Smith, who adapted Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults! Monique will take educators on a learning journey, exploring the 6 sections of Braiding Sweetgrass for Youth Adults and the chapters within each of them, including key content for students. See link for details and registration.
ICYMI: Top stories from the IdEEA blog
Resources
Climate Curriculum Place-based units for grades 5-12 based on the Idaho Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment and tied to the Idaho Science Standards, highlighting climate variability relevant to Idaho’s students. Full list of lessons at Idaho Climate Curriculum.
Upcoming Events
The Idaho Envirothon April 28-29, 2025 near Challis, Idaho. This high school Science competition is for teams of 5 students who will address topics of Forestry, Soils, Aquatics, and Wildlife through the theme “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change”. Details at Idaho Envirothon.
The Idaho State Forestry Contest introduces students in grades 5 through 12 to basic forestry and resource management. The contest is typically held the second Thursday in May and is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands, Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). More than 250 volunteers donate their time to run the contest and a record 700 students participated in 2019. More details at Idaho State Forestry Contest.
The University of Idaho Natural Resources Camp location near Ketchum, Idaho typically runs in June each year. More details at Natural Resources Camp.
IdEEA Updates
IdEEA Membership Support EE in Idaho by becoming an IdEEA member today! Our membership rates have increased to $25 in 2025 with increased member benefits. Stay current with all our updates: subscribe to this newsletter and follow our blog at idahoee.org. If you have an interest in supporting our mission more fully but don’t have the capacity to be on the board, join one of our committees. Any active members are eligible to meet with a committee to help with specific events and projects. Let us know you’re interested by emailing communications@idahoee.org under the subject “Committees” and we’ll connect you to the correct Committee Chair.
About this newsletter - We bring you the latest Environmental Education resources, events, and opportunities from around Idaho four times per year. You can be a part of this process by sharing resources, events, jobs, etc. with communications@idahoee.org under the subject “Newsletter.”
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