Talking with Green Teachers

With Estrella Risinger of the Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education in California

Children have the opportunity to develop self-awareness and emotional growth while staying overnight at Residential Outdoor Learning Centers (RELCs) like NatureBridge. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a big part of this, and RELCs now have access to a comprehensive and research-backed new tool, Grow-outside.org. Hear the story of how it came to be and the many ways it can enhance nature-based learning at both the individual and organizational levels.

Guest: 

Estrella Risinger is the Executive Director of the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE) where she works to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California. Recently serving as the National Education Manager at NatureBridge, the largest education partner of the National Park Service, Estrella helped to launch the website, Grow-outside.org, a Social and Emotional Learning Toolkit for Residential Environmental Learning Centers. A former classroom teacher and camp counsellor, Estrella has a background in both formal and informal educational settings.

With Trevor Dunlap and Matthew Broda of the Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning in Ohio

In our first full episode, hear the remarkable story of how, in the span of 8 days, an experiential outdoor learning center made a 180-degree shift from in-person to digital teaching without abandoning their organizational goals. We also discuss the role of digital live experiences in environmental ed. now and in the future, the key to maintaining focus amid turmoil, and how llamas and alpacas can ease “Zoom fatigue”!

Guests:

Matthew Broda is a pre-service teacher, experiential facilitator, and environmental educator based in Wooster, Ohio. As an associate professor of education with The College of Wooster, he focuses on the integration of innovative pedagogies (i.e., experiential methodologies, immersive technologies, ecological sensibilities, etc.) into pre-service teacher curricula. As a former middle school science teacher, Matthew holds an MA in Educational Administration from Ashland University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kent State University. When not teaching his students, Matthew and his wife Kristin can usually be found somewhere outside smiling.

Trevor Dunlap is the Executive Director of The Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning, an Ohio-based non-profit that focuses on environmental and outdoor experiential education and serving children with special needs through residential camping experiences. Trevor is passionate about hands-on learning and loves fostering creative environments where people can succeed through engagement in the natural world. Trevor holds a BA in Elementary Education and Special Education from Wittenberg University. When not managing Nuhop, Trevor and his wife Sarah enjoy taking their three children on adventures, and can often be found trail-running, hiking, and working the soil in their family garden.

Here's what you can expect from Talking with Green Teachers. Previews of the first three episodes are also included. Welcome to our community!