What is EEAI?

Picture
Mission: to maintain a vital network that supports and advances environmental education throughout the state. 

The Environmental Education Association of Illinois (EEAI) is a group of concerned citizens who are interested in educating people of all ages to the importance of understanding and protecting the environment.

Since its  inception, EEAI has provided leadership at the local, state and national level within the environmental education community by providing and supporting professional development services to the formal and non-formal educator. As host to national, state-based and independent professional development events and curriculums such as Growing Up WILD, Project Learning Tree, and the Midwest Environmental Education Consortium, EEAI has set the professional standard to which educators have learned to depend on.

EEAI is governed by a board of directors. The state is divided into five regions, each of which is served by two representatives (three in the northeast region). The membership elects the regional directors and officers (president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer).

Also, EEAI serves as the Illinois affiliate of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). NAAEE is the world's largest association of environmental educators, with members in North America and 55 countries worldwide. For NAAEE membership information, visit http://www.naaee.net/. 

What Does EEAI Do?
  • Sponsors exciting and informative environmental education conferences in conjunction with EEAI's spring membership meeting. The EEAI Annual Meeting & Conference is held at scenic locations throughout the state of Illinois.
  • Once every eight years, EEAI sponsors the Midwest Environmental Education Conference, which draws participants from throughout the nation.
  • Sponsors Project Learning Tree and Growing Up WILD  in the state of Illinois. 
  • Publishes the Illinois Environmental Education UPDATE newsletter; the only periodical in Illinois devoted to current information and ideas about environmental education.
  • Reviews and makes recommendations regarding environmental education materials, trains workshop facilitators and locates funding sources to implement high quality environmental education programs.

Advancing Environmental Literacy Equitably

In order to increase environmental literacy for all people of Illinois, the EEAI network and services will be accessible to all educators in Illinois. EEAI staff and board members will work to identify and remove barriers to access, implementation and success that historically and currently exist for many educators.    
    EEAI will…
  • Ensure all board members are trained in justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility so that the organization can be led by informed individuals. 
  • Lift up the voices of people in the fields of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. 
  • Provide a space to open a discourse on difficult issues such as environmental justice, representation in environmental science and outdoor recreation and environmental racism. 
  • Acknowledge the traditions, land rights and perspectives of indigenous people of Illinois. 
  • Not conduct business with any individual or organization that discriminates against any individual based on their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, age and/or physical abilities.

How EEAI Began


The concept for EEAI was formed at the Lorado Taft Invitational Environmental Education Conference in December of 1971. The conference was attended by about 35 people known to its sponsors as being interested in environmental education. At the close of the meeting, George Travers of Commonwealth Edison made a chance remark that it was a good conference, but that after everyone leaves they will probably never meet again.

That comment set some wheels in motion. Malcolm Swan from NIU's Lorado Taft  Field Campus, subsequently sent out a questionnaire to 50-60 people asking their opinions concerning the feasibility of forming a statewide environmental education organization. Malcolm received many favorable responses and he then asked Noel McInnis, Center for Curriculum Design in Evanston, to call a meeting of a dozen people at the Morton Arboretum to discuss the matter. About 30 people showed up and decided that there was interest and a need for an organization. The group decided to hold an organizational meeting on April 14 and 15, 1972 in Springfield. Several committees were formed and Malcolm Swan agreed to pull together a mailing list and to help get the word out to those who might attend.
 
Nearly 100 people attended the organizational meeting. Debate and discussion were spirited, and it was soon evident that some of those present wanted and environmental education organization and others an environmental action organization. After an eloquent plea from A.B. Villaneuva from Western Illinois University that the group not leave without naming someone to call the next meeting, a constitutional committee was formed which included Villanueva, Andy Clifton, Helen McClain, and Malcolm Swan. They worked through the night and came up with a constitution that was presented to the total group the next morning. It was substantially modified, amended and adopted.

​The first Governing Council elected consisted of:
Noel McInnis, Center for Curriculum Design
George Travers, Commonwealth Edison
Lydia Bosley, Dett Elementary School
R.C Porteaus, of Winnetka
Hillard Morris, of Mason
Paul Nowak, of Carbondale
Virginia Stehney, Downers Grove Schools.

Additional Council Members in the first few years included:
Jack Toll, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge
Sarah Segal, Open Lands Project
Betty Guyer, Bureau County Extension Advisor
Maurice Kellogg, Science Education Center/Western IL University
Bette Bork, Elmwood Park Junior High School
David Monk, Educational Resources in Environmental Science
Tim Allwardt, Enrico Fermi Elementary School
Steve Baima, University of IL
Steve Tuthill, Assistant Superintendent of Education Service Region Winnebago County


​The organization was named “The Environmental Association of Illinois”.

EEAI History Video

Strategic Plan

Download EEAI's strategic plan:

Constitution

Download EEAI's constitution:
​EEAI is committed to being environmentally aware of current issues and actively supports programs that reduce environmental impact and are socially and environmentally sustainable. 

EE is ESSENTIAL
​in Illinois

Making the case for the impact that environmental education has on students, families and communities is not always easy. But telling a compelling story about the work we do is so important. Check out EEAI's EE is Essential in Illinois document to see how we are making the case to our funders and stakeholders. 

Interested in utilizing this document for your own organization? An editable copy can be shared with you, simply contact EEAI Executive Director, Abbie Enlund - executivedirectoreeai@gmail.com