People

I am an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Houston-Downtown. Along with teaching special education courses, I work in the field with pre-service teachers as a clinical coach. My research explores the advancements of increased accessibility, program inclusion, and equitable practices within EE educational opportunities for historically marginalized communities.

I am an educator with Audubon Rockies working towards getting youth and families outdoors since 2006. I operate a bird banding station near my home at Keyhole State Park in northeast Wyoming and create teacher resources for use in and out of the classroom.

I speak for the trees. 

I work at Prince George's County Public Schools as an Environmental Literacy Outreach Teacher! I coordinate Green Schools and environmental education programs throughout the school system!

Promoter in the “Formación para la Sustentabilidad” program at Centro de Información y Comunicación Ambiental de Norte América (CICEANA). Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sustainability from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, with experience in both academic and civil society settings across different regions of the country. Particularly interested in environmental education, community development, conservation, and environmental governance.

Laura Downey, Executive Director, Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education--From an early age, being outdoors in every season was an important part of Laura's time growing up. The woods, ponds and sand dunes of Michigan were where she spent time exploring and observing the world around her. As important to her as time spent outdoors was playing "teacher" and that interest carried into her professional life. Laura holds a B.S. in elementary education, an M.S. in Administration and Supervision and PhD in Curriculum and Instruction (Math, Science and Technology). Laura's career has centered around a deep belief in the power of education to change the world. She began her career teaching in the Chicago Public Schools system and early on recognized the power of working collaboratively to do more better. She is one of the founders of a nonprofit focused on engaging teachers in school reform, has had the privledge of working side by side with social disruptors and become a voice for school change in Chicago. She moved to Kansas and continued to teach at the elementary, middle and preservice level and it was here that she found the field of environmental educaiton and recognized that EE was an ideal match for her passions, interests and values. Laura joined KACEE in 1998 and gravitated toward the affiliate network as an opportunity to amplify the work we are doing. Laura has also been engaged in the leadership for Project Learning Tree's Education Operating Committee and served on the boards of the American Forest Foundation, the Sustainable Forestry Intiative, the Council for Elementary Science International and several local boards including serving as the co-chair for Kansans for Conservation. She brings 25 years of experience in affiliate nonprofit management.