People

Jimena Cuenca supports NAAEE's digital presence, helping maintain and improve our websites like eePRO so that it serves as a welcoming and useful space for environmental educators. Jimena brings a deep curiosity about how online communities grow, connect, and collaborate. She enjoys learning new digital tools and is always looking to make our web spaces more engaging. When not at work, she's walking her huskies and birding.

I am a teacher looking to expand beyond the typical classroom and get outdoors! My dream is to create an outdoor school or to work at one, so that everyday teaching is more hand on and creative. My favorite subject to teach is math and science, so I am excited to learn more about environmental education to incorperate into my curriculum. 

Stacie joined the NAAEE team in April 2020. She has worked in or alongside the education field for over two decades and in communications for more than 15 years. She started her career teaching at a public charter high school in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining NAAEE, she managed communications for Annenberg Learner, a leading national nonprofit that connects K–12 and college educators with classroom content and professional development to support and strengthen their practice. She holds an M.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from American University, and a B.A. in Modern Languages and Linguistics and Certificate in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She also completed a Certificate in Social Impact Storytelling at Georgetown University. Throughout her career, she has been committed to bringing exceptional educational opportunities to underserved areas and educating to promote civic engagement.

I am a 4th grade teacher in Berkeley County, WV and I have students that work with the Watershed group here. 

I am a documentary filmmaker and home gardener who has been volunteering at the North Carolina Botanical Garden for more than ten years.

Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness instructors are professionals who develop a wide variety of skills: outdoor living, motivational interviewing, risk management, group facilitation, and mindfulness– to name a few. We emphasize a relational approach that provides students with the support, awareness, and skills needed to achieve their goals. Simply put: Field Instructors are role-models for a healthier way of life.

https://blueridgewilderness.com/careers/field-instructors-2

Environmental Education has always been a passion of my life. I am trying to be environmentally responsible myself and want to teach others. I take my students on field trips into the woods for science lessons. I use my school backyard as part of my classroom. You will often see my students outside with their science journals making observations and hypotheses, conducting research, making discoveries and exploring the world around them. Together we tend to our small garden and this year we incubated some chicks.

I am trying to bring outdoors to my classroom as well. We have a special place in class where we collect things found in nature. Students often use a magnifying glass to explore objects in every detail. It peaks their curiosity, makes them ask questions and together we look for answers.

I like to challenge my students by presenting real life problems. I want to see what they would do to cure world hunger, to fight droughts, to find new sources of energy. We just recently had a debate on AI and the kids discovered many environmental issues that it causes they were not aware of. They surprised themselves!

I would like to continue my environmental education to become a better teacher and human being.

My name is Jennifer Queen.  I have been a teacher for 18.5 years.  I have taught kindergarten, first, third and fifth grades.  I find that there is something special about the students in each of the grades I've taught that makes learning with them fun.  

In my free time I enjoy spending time outdoors engaging in activities with my family, but I also appreciate being in the outside space going for walks by myself.  My family owns one dog, one guinea pig and one leopard gecko.