Elective Criteria I Workshops

The additional 50 hours of Criteria I credit can be earned by taking any of the workshops from this list. Remember that Criteria I workshops must be at least 6 hours long. Shorter or "sampler" versions of these workshops do not count as Criteria I, but may be used in other criteria. 

Can facilitator trainings count for Criteria I workshop credit? A program enrollee may count the facilitator trainings for approved Criteria I electives (workshops that train educators to teach Project WET, PLT, FLP, LEP, etc. to other adults) for Criteria I Instructional Workshop credit. However, if an enrollee counts a facilitator workshop credit, the corresponding Criteria I elective cannot be used by the same enrollee as a Criteria I. Facilitator workshops can also be used as continuing education credit for those already certified. 

How do I find these workshops? 

Enrollees are strongly encouraged to join the NC-EE email list for upcoming Criteria I workshop announcements and updates. Also, check our events calendar often. The links below are provided for more information on workshop content and providers, not upcoming workshop announcements. 

Air Quality Workshop for Teachers and Educators
United States Environmental Protection Agency, RTP and
N.C. Division of Air Quality
Keith Bamberger (828) 296-4500
Jonathan Navarro (919) 707-8494 

Aquatic WILD 
Division of Conservation Education 
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Tanya Poole (828) 329-3472

CATCH
Division of Conservation Education
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Tanya Poole (828) 329-3472

Certified Interpretive Guide Training
National Association for Interpretation's 
Visit NAI's website to see who is certified near you http://www.interpnet.com/NAI/nai/CertPortal/See_Whos_Certified/Certified_Interpretive_Trainers.aspx
(Please check with individual trainers about possible workshop fees)
This workshop qualifies for 20 hours of Criteria I credit. State Parks Basic Interpretive Training is accepted as an equivalent to CIG training.

Coastal Explorations for the Class and Field
N.C. Coastal Reserve/N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve
Lori Davis (252) 838-0885

Don't Waste It
Chatham County Solid Waste and Recycling
Shannon Culpepper
Shannon.Culpepper@chathamcountync.gov 

State Park EELEs are not currently scheduled on a regular basis, but these and possibly others can be used for Criteria I when offered. Contact the EE Certification managers before registering to confirm. 

EELE: Alpine Forest (Environmental Education Learning Experience) Mount Mitchell State Park
N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation

EELE: Living Waters (Environmental Education Learning Experience) Eno River State Park
N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation

EELE: One of a Kind (Environmental Education Learning Experience) Lake Waccamaw State Park
N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation

EELE: Sea Turtle Treks (Environmental Education Learning Experience) 
Hammocks Beach State Park
N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation 

Feed the Bin
Wake County Solid Waste

Flying Wild
Division of Conservation Education
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Tanya Poole (828) 329-3472

Ground Level Ozone - Advanced Air Quality
Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center
National Park Service
Susan Sachs (828) 926-6251

Growing Up WILD
Division of Conservation Education
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Tanya Poole (828) 329-3472 

Investigating Your Environment
N.C. Forest Service 
Kevin Pittman (919) 553-5651

It's Our Air
N.C. Division of Air Quality, Department of Environmental Quality
air.awareness@ncdenr.gov

It's Our Water
N.C. Division of Water Resources, Department of Environmental Quality 
Lauren Daniel 
(919) 707-9009

Inquiry-Based Outdoor Learning: Using BEETLES in North Carolina
Environmental Educators of North Carolina
Michelle Pearce
programs@eenc.org

Justice, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in Environmental Education Online Workshop
Environmental Educators of North Carolina
Lauren Pyle, Executive Director 
director@eenc.org

Leopold Education Project
Rob Hawk 
Area Specialized Extension Agent, Community Development and Natural Resources
Haywood County Coop Ext.
Waynesville, NC 
(828) 456-3575, robert_hawk@ncsu.edu

Mastering En-ROADS Training
Climate Interactive  
*This is an online, self-paced training that is eligible for 20 hours of Criteria I credits upon completion. 
Janet Chikofsky, Climate & Energy Program Coordinator
jchikofsky@climateinteractive.org

NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence Workshops
These workshops are offered by our partners at the Environmental Educators of North Carolina. Note that you may
 make take multiple Guidelines workshops for credit, so long as each workshop focuses on a different Guidelines publication.
Michelle Pearce
programs@eenc.org

Project Food, Land and People
N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation
Sandra Weitzel (919) 715-6680

Project GLOBE: Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment 
Alisa Wickliff (704) 687-8818

Project Learning Tree
Enrollees may take more than one of the following versions of PLT for Criteria I credits. For example, it would be
allowable for an enrollee to take a PLT K-8, a PLT High School, and a PLT Early Childhood, all for Criteria I credit. However, note the specifications*
An enrollee may take:
A PLT K-8 OR a PLT K-12 (*but not both, due to overlap in curriculum covered)
A PLT High School (note that High School workshops may be based on one or more topic modules, but only one PLT High School may be used toward Criteria I*.)
A PLT Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood OR a PLT Early Childhood (*but not both, due to overlap in curriculum covered)
The online versions of PLT workshops cannot be used for Criteria I credit, but may be used for Criteria III or Continuing Education Credits for those already certified. 

Renee Strnad (919) 515-5518 
NC State University - Extension Forestry
NC Project Learning Tree Coordinator 
*Note: The online versions of PLT workshops cannot be used for Criteria I credit.

Project OWL
North Carolina Arboretum|
Michelle Pearce (828) 665-2492

Project WET
N.C. Division of Water Resources
Lauren Daniel (919) 707-9009

Project WILD
Division of Conservation Education 
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Tanya Poole (828) 329-3472

Rare Plants of North Carolina
Herbarium, Department of Plant Biology, N.C. State University
Dr. Alexander Krings 
(Note that only the 6 or more hour version of this workshop is a Criteria I)

Skills for Sharing Nature
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709

Sea Turtle Exploration Curriculum Workshop
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Gail Lemiec, (910) 772-0546
gail.lemiec@ncaquariums.com 

NOTE: Shorter versions of Sea Turtle Exploration are sometimes offered offered, but 
the Criteria I credit workshop must be at least 6 hours long.
Please confirm with the facilitator before registering that the 
version offered is the full Criteria I. 

Southern Appalachian Skills for Sharing Nature Workshop
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709 

Southern Appalachian Naturalist Skills Workshop
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709 

Southern Appalachian Aquatic Natural History Workshop
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709 

Southern Appalachian Birds
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709

Southern Appalachian Ecology
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont 
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709

Southern Appalachian Mammals
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont 
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709

Southern Appalachian Plants 
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont 
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709

Southern Appalachian Reptiles and Amphibians 
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
John DiDiego (865) 448-6709

Program providers may submit workshops and courses for Criteria I Elective approval to the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs.

Find out how to become a Criteria I Program Provider