Event – Environmental Education Conference (EECOM)

EECOM 2018 Environmental Education Conference will take place October 18 – 21, 2018 in Ktunaxa Nation, BC’s Kootenay Rockies (5 minutes from the Canadian Rockies International Airport) at St. Eugene Mission Resort, Ktunaxa Nation in BC’s Kootenay Rockies. From coast to coast to coast, over 300 educators will have the opportunity to gather to learn, share and connect at this made-in-Canada environmental education conference.

St. Eugene was selected as the location for this event because of its retreat style setting, beautiful natural environment, ownership by the Ktunaxa Nation and commitment to environmental sustainability. St. Eugene Mission Resort is owned by several Ktunaxa communities: Tobacco Plains), Lower Kootenay and Kyaknuq the Shuswap Indian Band.

This is the site of a former residential school that is now owned and operated by the Ktunaxa Nation as a vehicle for education and economic development. As Elder Mary Paul said, “It is said that, since it was within the St. Eugene Mission that the culture of the Kootenay Indian was taken away, it should be within that building that it is returned”. Read more about the local Land and Language.

PURPOSE

The theme for the 2018 Conference is Classrooms to Communities (C2C) which envisions learners and educators being deeply connected to place, community and planet, able to effectively communicate their stories of connectedness, and taking responsibility to do so.

The purpose of Classrooms to Communities is:

• To promote leadership and mentorship capacity for place-based education and environmental literacy;
• To effectively communicate success stories of place-based education as teaching and learning;
• To support the ongoing and evolving work of educators and community partners to integrate place-based education as best practice;
• To build greater capacity and collaboration as a network of place-based education leaders/mentors, including teachers, schools, school districts, community organizations, associations of teachers and other place-based partners.

PRINCIPLES

1) Sustainability
We will model sustainability following the EECOM Green Conference Guidelines.

2) Best Learning Practices
We will model best learning practices by using best practice learning methodology including outdoor, experiential, place-based and inquiry-based learning.

3) First Nations
St. Eugene Mission Resort is owned by the Ktunaxa Nation. Making intentional and meaningful connections with the First Nation community is foundational to this conference.

The 2018 conference is sold out but you can click here register your interest in attending the EECOM 2019 Conference – May 10-12, 2019. Those who register their interest will be given one week’s advance notice of the conference so they can secure their spot before general registration opens.