Research and Evaluation
Census for Community Based Environmental Learning
MEEA is a lead partner working with the Maine Math and Science Alliance and the Nature Based Education Consortium to gather long term longitudinal data of the field of environmental education and outdoor learning in Maine through our Census for Community Based Environmental Learning project. Through this project we track trends in the field, offer data to decision makers and practitioners to inform program design and best practice, and measure equitable access to environmental education and outdoor learning in Maine.
2023 Research Symposium
Watch the virtual presentation about the 2022 Census for Community Based Environmental Learning
The 2023 Research Symposium will have an interactive design where participants experience shared learning, time for reflection, and discussion.
Our first presentation will be diving into the results of the 2022 Census for Community Based Environmental Learning with researchers from the Maine Math and Science Alliance. This is the first time data from the 2022 survey will be shared publicly. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss how the findings from the census can inform their work.
In our second session we will explore the impacts of outdoor learning at the district level with Superintendent of MSAD #17 Heather Manchester. Heather is currently an EdD candidate at the University of Maine at Orono, studying the impact of outdoor learning on teacher practice.
The research symposium offers a space for networking and dialogue with peers and thinking about how, as practitioners, we can apply data and findings from research to inform our work to advance environmental education and outdoor learning in Maine.
Maine EE Evaluation Collaborative
As part of the Teach ME Outside Project we are convening a diverse group of stakeholders to advance Environmental Education Evaluation in Maine.
As part of Teach ME Outside, the program is offering to Evaluate Your Progress. On this page, there are tools to support continued learning and skill development for how to evaluate and assess the impacts of CBEL projects in Maine as well as how to incorporate that feedback into revising project design to supported continued project growth and improvement.
Here are some links to Environmental Education Evaluation Resources that the collaborative has shared:
MEERA: "My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant" (MEERA) is an online "evaluation consultant" created to assist you with your evaluation needs. It will point you to resources that will be helpful in evaluating your environmental education program.