People

Lauren Gibson has served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) since June 2026.

Lauren began her journey with environmental education through Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program. Working with Roots & Shoots, Lauren created a small youth environmental grant program in her Indiana hometown, solidifying her dedication to helping young people find their power through environmental action.

Lauren holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Earth systems from Stanford University as well as a Ph.D. in environmental education from North Carolina State University. She built her career at NOAA, where she held roles in the Office of Education and on the agency’s leadership team. During the Biden Administration, Lauren served as NOAA’s first Policy Advisor on Youth Engagement, working to bring youth voice into federal decision-making.

In 2025, Lauren joined Colorado State University Extension, leading volunteer development for Colorado 4-H.

Rachel Arbor is a Presidential Award winner whose work has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the EPA, and the White House. She is the CEO and Founder of Gaia Scholastic and the NY State Lead for SubjectToClimate. For both of these roles, her mission is to cultivate a generation of environmentally-literate global citizens by integrating nature and environmental concepts into the learning experiences of students of all ages and abilities. With a Masters in Education, she builds interdisciplinary content in a way that challenges students to make connections: with themselves, with each other, and with nature, across content areas. She trains teachers across the country on how to re-shape their curriculum through an environmental lens, coaches students on how to turn their climate anxiety into climate action, and fosters environmental connection in and out of the classroom.

I am an administrator in a K-8 Episcopal School. We have a 70-acre natural campus with a lake, waterfall, and woodlands that we leverage for learning, athletics, mindfulness lessons, and discovery with our students.

Environmental activist with a focus on community engagement, communication and social justice. Experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working with government, non-profits and business. Oregon Forestry Award Recipient. Elected Board Chair of Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District. Endorsed by the Sierra Club and Our Revolution.

I am an education biologist with Ducks Unlimited. Part of my position involves outreach presentations to young people about wetlands and waterfowl. I incorporate discussions about the importance of wetlands to clean water and protecting communities from flooding.

Christy has worked in environmental education for over twenty-five years, helping international nonprofits, government agencies, private companies, and small nonprofits develop education and communication programs to engage a wide variety of audiences. In 2013, she joined the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) to launch the Natural Start Alliance, a project of NAAEE promoting outdoor, nature-based early learning. Natural Start has grown into a vibrant national network of over 1,000 organizations, hosts a national conference, publishes education and policy resources, including the International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, supports advocates and policymakers in outdoor, nature-based education policy, and more. Christy is the editor of the Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook, among other resources. She holds a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida and a master's degree in Environmental Management from Yale University, and is a Switzer Fellow.

Environmental educator, outdoor enthusiast, primitive skills practitioner, social justice warrior, musician, science teacher.  Currently Program Director for a nonprofit.

I have been based on the Eastern Shore of Virginia since 2010 providing public interpretation and environmental education programs to tourists and local community members. I love working among our pristine barrier islands and salt marshes and taking people out in these areas to learn more about the plants and animals that call them home. Our education program currently focuses on providing Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences for 5th, 7th, and 10th grade students as well as professional development for all teachers from Accomack and Northampton Counties.