The West Virginia Environmental Education Association works to connect and unite environmental professionals, teachers, informal educators, professors, and interested others in order to collaborate on projects, discuss and disperse information, share research, and strengthen the environmental community in West Virginia. In addition to building strong networks within West Virginia’s boundaries, WVEEA connects West Virginia educators to the global community of environmental education through affiliation with the North American Association for Environmental Education.

.Environmental education is humanity’s oldest way of learning: gaining knowledge of natural, social, and economic systems through observation and collaboration in order to live successfully in the world.

Why is environmental education important? Environmental education (EE) increases public awareness and knowledge of environmental issues and challenges. EE enables people to gain an understanding of how their individual actions affect the environment on local and global scales, acquire skills that they can use to weigh different sides of issues, and become better prepared to make informed decisions about their actions and lifestyles. EE also gives individuals a deeper understanding of the environment, inspiring them to take personal responsibility for its preservation and restoration.

Students in schools using environmental education consistently score higher on standardized tests than students in schools without EE

-2004 State Report Card on Environmental Education, Washington State

 Vision

 The West Virginia Environmental Education Association conserves West Virginia’s natural and cultural heritage by fostering an environmentally literate and responsible public.  This is accomplished through connecting, training and supporting a community of stewards through education in order to promote an environmentally aware and responsible citizenry.

Mission

 The West Virginia Environmental Education Association promotes awareness, knowledge, and responsible action towards the natural world through a statewide network of support for environmental education professionals.

To become involved with the West Virginia Environmental Education Association contact Eriks Janelsins at Oglebay Institute’s Schrader Environmental Education Center; (304) 242-6855 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it OR Georgia Jeppesen at the National Conservation Training Center at (304) 876-7388 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

West Virginia Environmental Education Association

By-laws (Updated March 28, 2009)

Board of Directors

Eriks Janelsins - Schrader Environmental Education Center - Chair

Frank Rodgers - Director of Education, Cacapon Institute - Vice Chair

Tim Craddock  - West Virginia DEP Save Our Streams Coordinator - Treasurer

Katrina Fauss - Alice Ferguson Foundation - Secretary

Georgia Jeppeson - US Fish & Wildlife Service - Member at Large

Shannon Dey - WVU Environmental Research Center - Member at Large