The New York State Outdoor Education Association will be holding its 50th annual conference on September 20-23 at the Greenkill Outdoor Education and Retreat Center in Hugenot, New York. The theme is Learn It, Live It and Pay It Forward.

 There will be workshops, speakers, exhibits, an auction and other activities.

There are three strands to the workshops. Learn it are workshops to learn and appreciate more about the natural world and help educators strengthen their own sense of wonder. Live it are workshops that will give participants opportunities to consider new ways to experience or educate in the outdoors that will make them more effective. Pay it Forward workshops are for making the field of outdoor education stronger for the future so that the work continues.

The keynote speakers are Judy Braus and Bill Hammond, PhD. In keeping with the theme of the conference, Dr. Hammond will share his wisdom on the history of outdoor education and what we can learn from our past. Dr. Hammond has worked in outdoor environmental education for over 50 years. 

Ms. Braus’s presentation will focus on a vision for the future of outdoor environmental education and where the field is headed. Ms. Braus is currently the Executive Director of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing environmental literacy and civic engagement.