Since 2016, NAAEE's EE 30 Under 30 program has recognized 271 individuals from 53 countries who are making a difference through environmental education. To address today’s complex challenges, we need a diversity of perspectives, skills, and experiences. EE 30 Under 30 celebrates the unique and passionate leadership of talented young leaders around the world and gives them a professional boost to increase their impact. Each year our awardees join a growing alumni network of inspiring environmental education leaders and receive ongoing opportunities to network, grow professionally, and promote their work.

eePRO is the global online community for everyone who cares about education and creating a more just and sustainable future. Connect with other EE professionals, participate in discussions in eePRO groups, and find and share resources, events, and opportunities! https://eepro.naaee.org/

The Natural Start Alliance is a specialized national network dedicated to ensuring environmental education begins with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. By connecting a vast community of parents, educators, and organizations, the scheme promotes "nature-based early learning" where the outdoors becomes a living classroom. This approach moves away from structured indoor lessons and focuses on play, wonder, and hands-on discovery, which research shows is critical for healthy cognitive and physical development in a child’s formative years.

Beyond advocacy, the Alliance serves as a professional backbone for nature-based preschools and forest kindergartens. It provides the Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook and hosts an annual conference that brings together practitioners to share safety standards, inclusive curriculum ideas, and pedagogical strategies. For a sustainability professional, this scheme is a goldmine for understanding how early connections to nature translate into long-term environmental stewardship and "environmental literacy" in future citizens.

Read more here: https://naturalstart.org/

eeWORKS is a rigorous research initiative designed to substantiate powerful anecdotes with hard empirical evidence. In partnership with top universities like Stanford and UC Davis, NAAEE conducts systematic literature reviews to prove the tangible impacts of environmental education. The scheme identifies key outcome areas—such as K–12 student success, conservation outcomes, and civic engagement—and analyzes hundreds of peer-reviewed studies to produce "Evidence Briefs" that demonstrate how environmental programs lead to measurable improvements in behavior and environmental quality.

For professionals working on ESG reports or Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), eeWORKS provides the scientific "proof" needed to validate the social and environmental benefits of educational initiatives. Instead of vague claims about "raising awareness," you can use eeWORKS data to show that environmental education specifically builds the skills and intentions required for people to adopt pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing energy consumption or improving waste management at home.

Read more - https://naaee.org/programs/eeworks