Annual Conference

The MAEOE Annual Conference, Maryland’s largest environmental education event, attracts over 500 educators each February for a dynamic mix of workshops, discussions, networking, exhibits, and resource sharing.

February 19-22, 2026 at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson, MD

Plans are still underway! Check back soon for more details as they become available.

Contact Conference Coordinators

2026 Theme: Rooted in Nature: Using the Outdoors to Empower Action and Understanding.

Join educators, environmental professionals, and community leaders for a weekend of learning, collaboration, and inspiration. The MAEOE Conference begins Friday evening and continues with a full day of workshops, presentations, and networking on Saturday, February 21. Sessions focus on environmental education, sustainability, and equity, and are designed for both formal and non-formal educators, with alignment to NGSS and environmental literacy standards. The weekend concludes with hands-on field experiences on Sunday, offering opportunities to explore outdoor learning in action. Celebrate, connect, and grow with Maryland’s environmental education community.

Attendees:

District-level professionals (including, administrators, principals, curriculum specialists, and environmental literacy liaisons, facilities directors, energy, sustainability, transportation, food management leaders)
Environmental, Educational and Sustainability, Service Providers
Maryland Middle and High School Students

Seeking Participants: Share your Expertise

Requests for Proposals are open!

If you are an environmental professional with expertise in environmental education, sustainability, and community engagement, we want to hear from you! This is a valuable opportunity to share your knowledge with others, connect with peers, and support environmental literacy efforts across Maryland.

Review the guidelines to Submitting an RFP for more information.
Submit your RFP here.

Conference Schedule

Pre-Conference Workshops:

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Join us for a day of learning, sharing, and collaboration as we move towards a more sustainable future for our schools and communities! Thursday will feature presentations on high-impact sustainability topics that can significantly reduce environmental footprints and improve ecological health. Be a part of driving large-scale environmental change and ensuring a sustainable future.

Friday, February 20, 2025

Time: 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM

Join us for Green School Friday, where we’ll look ahead to the next 25 years of sustainability in education. The day will feature inspiring sessions on climate action, green careers, youth leadership, stewardship, and high-quality professional development.

Conference Sessions

Saturday, February 21, 2025

Connect with fellow educators, professionals, students, higher education faculty dedicated to environmental education and sustainability. Engage in workshops and presentations from diverse environmental leaders across the state from varying disciplines.

Field Experiences

Sunday, February 22, 2025

Attendees will engage in an off-site excursion that highlights environmental education or sustainability in action. Sunday field experiences offer immersive, place-based learning that focuses on exploration and connection rather than formal instruction.

Support MAEOE's Annual Conference

Contribute Financially

Donations up to $499 are appreciated and helps us continue to provide this landmark event, year after year. Contact Laura Collard at director@maeoe.org. or go to our Donations page.

Donate to the Silent Auction

Your donated gifts or gift cards provide scholarships for first-time attendees. Last year, thanks to contributions like yours, we were able to award scholarships to 20 applicants! For questions or more information, contact us at conference@maeoe.org.

Robert Finton Outdoor Educator of the Year Award

The MAEOE Robert Finton Outdoor Educator of the Year Award is presented annually at the MAEOE Conference and recognizes an individual who demonstrates leadership and innovation in environmental and outdoor education. The award honors Bob Finton, an innovator who personified enthusiasm, innovation and excellence in the field of environmental education.

Criteria

Recognition should be given to an individual who is a non-formal practitioner of outdoor education and works “in the trenches” as Bob did.

The nominee can be a representative, either paid or unpaid, of a Maryland outdoor education center, non-profit organization, service organization, resource agency, education-related business, or other organization whose mission is environmental education. (Classroom teachers are not eligible for this award.)

The nominee should demonstrate innovation and excellence in environmental education programming. Examples could include:

Development of a program that reaches new audiences or underserved populations

Work in a program that promotes or increases conservation practices

Programming that develops and supports a positive stewardship ethic

The nominee may not be a sitting member of the MAEOE Board of Trustees

A highly successful ground-breaking environmental education effort

Innovation in developing new interpretive or instructional methods

Teaching Resources

Environmental Education Certification

The MAEOE Environmental Education Certification Program is a portfolio-based certification initiative designed to enhance the training and resources available to professional environmental educators, whether they work in formal or non-formal education settings. Participants can earn up to three MSDE CPD units, and applications are accepted year-round.

Certification Information

Our certification program is built upon the standards established by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

Requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of two years of field experience and are required to demonstrate competence in the following areas:

Environmental literacy
Foundations of environmental education
Professional responsibilities
Planning and implementing environmental education
Fostering learning
Assessment and evaluation

Scholarship Information

Scholarships are available based on financial need, and veterans may qualify under the Veterans Education Assistance Act.

Certification Types

The MAEOE certification program offers two tracks: Advanced Certification and Basic Certification

Advanced EE Certification Basic Certification Notre Dame of MD University Course Advanced EE Certification

This track is intended for individuals with a minimum of five years of experience. Both formal and non-formal educators are encouraged to apply. Please note that this certification is not issued by MSDE and does not qualify you to teach in public schools. It is a self-paced, self-guided online program.

Basic Certification

This option is suitable for those who are new to the environmental education field. It provides professional certification that signifies your understanding of the fundamental principles of environmental education and environmental literacy.

For more details, please contact us at eecert@maeoe.org.

Notre Dame of MD University Course

Join us for a series of online workshops focused on interdisciplinary, hands-on learning. Each day focuses on engaging projects using guides from and presentations by the Department of Natural Resources, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. Participants will gain an in depth understanding of biodiversity studies and Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences (MWEEs) that they can apply to their education sites.

Earn Your Environmental Educator Certification in 8 Online Sessions

March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6 l :00 pm – 9:00 pm l Location: Virtual Online

WHY BECOME CERTIFIED?

Most professions have a certification program.
There is no environmental education degree program in Maryland.
Environmental education is interdisciplinary. Educators need solid training in science, social studies, economics, education, etc.
High quality EE supports education reform goals and can positively impact school performance as seen by State Environment and Education Roundtable’s (SEER) “Environment as an Integrating Context” research and other studies.
Helps to support Green School status and initiatives.

COURSE FEE
$325 a credit, 1 credit and 3 credit graduate and undergraduate options

MAEOE EE Certification Fee

Member $125
Non-member $175
Membership is $40/year

Express Interest

Young couple planting the tree while Watering a tree working in the garden as save world concept, nature, environment and ecology.

Schoolyard Forests

Schoolyards encompass around 140,000 acres in Maryland. Planting trees in schoolyards will support efforts to counter extreme heat, provide environmental and economic impact, and can increase social benefits at schools and in the communities where tree canopy is increased. The purpose is to increase the state’s tree canopy with schoolyards planting 30% of the property with trees. Start Getting Involved! Check out our resources for getting the school year started.