How Do I Provide Workshops for Environmental Education Certification?

Criteria II and Criteria III workshops do not require pre-approval by the program and are usually not evaluated for credit until after a program enrollee submits the EE Form for documentation. As long as the workshop is in alignment with NAAEE environmental education guidelines and meets the definition of Criteria II or Criteria III, it will most likely be accepted. Criteria III is flexible and broad in scope and thus relatively easy for participants to find, but Criteria II, outdoor instructional workshops, are always in demand. Criteria I workshops do have an approval process. This should not imply a that a Criteria I has more importance or credibility than other workshops--the review is done to ensure a Criteria I is a true "train-the-trainer" workshop, meets NAAEE guidelines and the time (at least 6 hours) and curriculum requirements. Criteria II and III are equally important parts of the program. 

About Criteria I Instructional Workshops

Criteria I Workshops should provide educators with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities needed to deliver high-quality environmental education programs to children and adults and should be a true "train-the-trainer" workshop. These workshops are designed for the professional development of environmental educators who work in both non-formal and formal educational settings and who offer a wide range of programming for all grade levels and for adults. Criteria I workshops should go beyond the instruction of nature or science content knowledge and provide participants with teaching skills, methods and resources for educating children and/or adults in the classroom, in the outdoors and in nonformal settings such as nature centers, parks and museums.

Workshop sponsors must be affiliated with an established environmental education facility, organization or agency. Facilitators of Criteria I Workshops should model professional standards in the field of environmental education as defined by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

The workshop should be a minimum of six contact hours and can be up to 20 contact hours. If the workshop is less than 10 hours and a 10-hour workshop is desired by participants, (to equal one CEU for teachers), then a homework component may be included to make up the difference. Criteria I workshops must be offered on a recurring basis of at least one workshop a year. Face-to-face workshops are encouraged, but Criteria I workshops can also be hybrid or online. 

The workshop should provide also resources such as lesson plans, activity guides or curriculum guides.

Submitting A Criteria I Workshop for Review

Sponsors who would like their workshops or courses should first review the current list North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program Criteria I: Approved Workshops and Courses
If you feel your workshop would meet the requirements, contact the Office of Environmental Education for more information.