Welcome to

CBEEN!

Columbia Basin

Environmental

Education Network

Our mission is to encourage

environmental stewardship and

sustainability in the Canadian

Columbia Basin by supporting

environmental education initiatives

CBEEN coordinates and

promotes environmental

education programs,

events, and resources

CBEEN facilitates

collaboration amongst

schools, community

groups, and

environmental

education professionals

CBEEN builds capacity

through professional

development,

information sharing and

networking opportunities

Formed in 2001 as a non-profit network for environmental education professionals,

CBEEN now has more than 220 members from both the formal and informal

education fields, NGOs and the public and private sectors of the Basin.

A bit about what

we do:

+ Our members provide programs predominantly to

children and youth, because at this key

developmental stage, they can be inspired to

become lifelong stewards of the environment.

+ CBEEN envisions that each of the 20,000 students in

the Basin’s 6 school districts receive some form of

environmental education each school year.

+ Experiential learning involves direct

experience with a concept, followed by

observation, reflection, and negotiation,

leading to further inquiry.

+ CBEEN supports programs that get kids outside,

connecting with the natural world.

The Ministry of

Environment’s

Environmental Learning

and Experience

framework employs the

Experiential Learning

Cycle.

Environmental Learning and Experience (ELE): An Interdisciplinary Guide for Teachers

Designed to help integrate environmental

concepts into diverse subjects like science,

social studies and language arts.

Supports implementation of many curriculum

packages.

Promotes the use of CARE: Complexity;

Aesthetics; Responsibility; and Ethics to

deepen environmental learning.

Students gain an understanding of the

complexities of economic, ethical,

political, and social issues relating to the

environment.

Uses the environment as an organizing

theme for teachers who want to affect

change from within the education system.

The Environmental Learning and

Experience Framework helps teachers

meet PLOs while engaging students in

rich, environment-based learning.

Wild Voices

for Kids

CBEEN’s flagship place-based

environmental and heritage

education program, providing free

presentations and field-trips for

students in grades K-12.

Connecting the Land and its People

WVFK is an environmental and heritage education

program that connects students to the natural

and cultural history of the Columbia Basin

How the program works:

+ School district representatives promote WVFK program to teachers

+ Online database lists available presentations and programs

+ Program Coordinator recruits qualified Community Educators (CEs)

+ Teachers select a program and liaise with CBEEN to arrange

presentations or field trips

+ WVFK provides honoraria and travel costs to presenters, and pays for

bussing to field trips

+ Teachers and students provide written feedback on presentations

Why Wild Voices for Kids ?

WVFK Program Goals:

+ Create informed, decision-making youth engaged in stewardship

+ Provide at least one program per student per year

+ Connect students and teachers with local experts

+ Assist teachers by linking presentations to Ministry of Education’s

prescribed learning outcomes

+ Build strong ties between communities

and schools

Benefits

and

Outcomes

of the

WVFK

program , , ,

CBEEN envisions a bright future for

environmental and heritage education

throughout the Columbia Basin

+ Continued development of the Community Liaison program

+ Regular capacity building workshops and networking opportunities

+ Promotion of, and support for, implementation of the ELE framework

+ Ongoing recruitment of members and Community Educators

+ Annual regional conferences and events

For more information

visit us at

www.cbeen.org