MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 2026 CONFERENCE
NAVIGATION
May 7 - 8, 2026
Wabanaki homelands in West Gardiner, Maine
Call for workshop proposals is open until March 15th!
Registration opens in March!
About the MEEA 2026 Conference
The MEEA 2026 Conference is a two-day event to celebrate all the contributions from our community around the topics of environmental education, outdoor learning, Wabanaki studies and community organizing. We welcome anyone who is curious about these topics to attend, especially individuals new to environmental education.
This year’s event is hosted at a rejuvenating and accessible retreat center along Lake Cobbosseecontee, the Pilgrim Lodge in West Gardiner. At MEEA, we recognize this work can be hard and demanding, so we offer workshops that both celebrate our successes and support one another in our challenges.
Want to support Maine’s environmental education community?
Sponsor the 2026 MEEA Conference!
The deadline to submit workshop proposals is Sunday, March 15th at 11:59pm ET and we will be reviewing submissions on a rolling basis up until this date. Everyone who submits a proposal will be contacted by Friday, March 20th.
We are now accepting proposals for workshops to facilitate at this year’s conference!
Workshops offered at the MEEA conference are intended to create opportunities for joy, nature exploration, grow new skills, connect with peers, and care for our community. We encourage people who may not identify with the traditional definition of “educator” to submit a proposal. Anyone with a passion for our environment has skills, knowledge, and experience to offer.
There will be 1-hour and 2-hour workshop blocks, as well as time for community building and enjoying the outdoors at the venue. We are aiming to go beyond providing lecture-style presentations about past projects and moving towards providing engaging, immersive experiences for attendees.
Who is my workshop audience?
Your audience could include classroom educators, community educators, students, early career professionals, school administrators, nonprofit professionals, and community organizers. Some participants have been in this field for years, while others are newly interested. Please be mindful of your use of industry jargon and acronyms in your workshop.
Workshop Strands
Climate Education
In what ways are you teaching climate change in your classroom or community? How does climate education inspire the next generation to take climate action? These workshops explore best practices or the overall approach on teaching and learning about climate change in all learning environments, grade levels, and subject areas. We welcome proposals from anyone passionate about climate change, from school teachers to community leaders to students and more. You do not need to be a working educator to enter your proposal in this strand.
Outdoor Learning
These workshops immerse attendees in activities about nature exploration and place-based outdoor learning. We welcome proposals that are joyful and remind us why we love the outdoors! What lessons, skills or methods are you using in your classroom or community group? What outdoor infrastructure does your school or community have that others can be inspired by? Workshops should be able to take place outdoors (with an alternate indoor weather option). You do not need to be a working educator to enter your proposal in this strand.
Wabanaki Studies
These workshops engage attendees with Wabanaki studies lessons and place-based activities that attendees can bring back to their schools and communities. Workshops aim to celebrate and honor the first peoples of our land through structural integration into environmental education, with the goal of expanding access to Wabanaki studies in schools and communities in what is now called Maine. It is not required that you are a Wabanaki citizen in order to lead a workshop in this strand, but your learning journey should have intersected with Wabanaki advisors at a fundamental level.
Skills for Action
These workshops share skills for community organizing, policy and advocacy, organizational structure, network building, and beyond. Workshops create opportunities for dialogue around questions like, What does caring for our communities and one another look like in this current moment? How can we increase accessibility to the outdoors and environmental education? What are creative solutions to challenges we face in the environmental sector? How can we create thriving workplaces?
Submit your proposal by March 15th.
Nominate someone for the MEEA Annual Awards
Nominations are open!
Celebrating outstanding achievement in environmental education throughout Maine. Honor the students, teachers, schools, and programs that make EE possible.
Every year, MEEA recognizes the excellent environmental educators, programs, schools, students, and environmental education partners in Maine. Nominations open every spring and awards are presented during a ceremony at the MEEA Annual Conference every May. Winners receive an honorarium and commemorative plaque at the ceremony. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at the MEEA Annual Conference in West Gardiner, Maine.
Registration fees are sliding scale.
We do not want cost to be a barrier to participation, so we’re offering a range of registration fees determined by financial mobility. Please choose the option that best fits your situation. If you are able to pay more than $150 (see sponsorship link here), these funds will go towards putting on the event and to ensure accessibility for all.
How do I choose my registration payment amount?
Choose a lower price if you are an individual not affiliated with an organization and have less financial resources
Choose a mid range price if you are an individual with financial resources who is not affiliated with an organization
Choose a higher range price if you are an individual with more financial resources and/or are participating via an organization or school
Workshop & Annual Awards
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Free
$15
$35
$50
Annual Conference
Friday, May 8, 2026
Free
$25
$50
$75
$125
$150
Exhibitor Tabling Fees
$50 for nonprofit organizations
$75 for for-profit business
Only one person from your organization needs to pay the exhibitor registration fee.
Each individual tabling for your organization needs to register for the conference individually. Link will be available March 14.
Individuals exhibiting will be asked to pay $35 for lunch if they choose to eat at the event.
Our Director of Operations will collect payment in-person on May 8th.