One thousand educators, nonprofit representatives, elected officials, government agency employees, and business leaders from across the state gather biennially at the Research Triangle Park to share environmental education resources and build quality programs through professional development. The Conference has been the primary forum for developing North Carolina's environmental education policies - due largely to the diversity of interaction taking place at each conference. "The North Carolina Environmental Education Plan," presented to the Governor in 1995, was a direct product of sessions at the 1994 Environmental Education Conference.

The next Conference will be a key forum for updating the Environmental Education Plan and furthering the Advanced Environmental Education Certification Program. Advancing the number of degree programs in environmental education at the state's colleges and universities and otherwise charting and adjusting the direction of North Carolina's leadership in environmental education initiatives in the nation will also be important topics.

North Carolina is the state to be emulated in environmental education leadership and now has the infrastructure in place and the will of an extensive constituency to grow in stature, resources, and professionalism. The great success of the Environmental Education Conferences over the years is the equal participation and interaction among teachers K-12, faculty at colleges and universities, business and industry leaders, non-profit organizations, and environmental education program providers.

Detailed Description of Program