After two years of renovations the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery reopened with their newest exhibit WONDER this fall. These supersized art installations definitely not only live up to the promised WONDER of their name, but also impart a flare of nature’s wonder. Through the use of natural materials, stated and unstated themes, the gallery left me WONDERing more about the connections between nature and art.

Chiefs of Education from each jurisdiction as well as representation from the U.S. Department of Education gathered to discuss the importance of creating and sustaining high-quality environmental literacy programming as part of their ongoing education reforms across subject areas.

NEEF’s 12th annual National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), taking place April 17-23, 2016, and sponsored by Samsung, is the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education (EE). We invite environmental educators of all kinds, teaching any age, to take part in the celebration by registering their existing or new events, field trips or projects as EE Week events at NEEFusa.org/eeweek. Registrants receive discounts on EE publications and eligibility for certain NEEF grants, contests, and more! Follow NEEF on Twitter (link is external) and Facebook (link is external) for the latest updates and engage with the community through the hashtag ‘#EEWeek.’ Free materials and educator toolkits are always available on the NEEF Greening STEM Learning Center. We hope you’ll join in celebrating a simple equation: Environmental Education + Everyone = A Brighter Future for All.

The Youth Ocean Conservation Summit (for high school students) is happening on April 17, 2016 at the National Aquarium-Baltimore. This Youth Summit is “for youth by youth” ! The Youth Ocean Conservation Summit (YOCS) was created to provide youth participants the opportunity to learn from marine scientists and conservationists about the current threats facing marine ecosystems, both locally and globally. This event also teaches participants about the ways other youth are currently working to protect marine ecosystems, and then allows them to work with their peers to develop action plans for their own ocean conservation projects. Workshops offered at the summit allow participants to gain the skills necessary to successfully implement conservation projects, teach participants about career opportunities in marine conservation, and expose them to opportunities they can take part in to help protect our planet’s oceans and their inhabitants.

EarthEcho is proud to present, in conjunction with Elgin High School (Elgin, Illinois), an ocean-themed day for the 2016 National Biodiversity Teach-In. We are bringing together speakers and scientists from across the globe for a day of free webinars for your classroom. Each speaker is working to protect our Water Planet and preserve the biodiversity found in our oceans and beyond.

Chincoteague Bay Field Station is now accepting applications for their competitive Sea S.T.A.R. (Students Teaching and Researching) summer internship. This position is for rising high school seniors (students who are currently juniors age 16 and older). This internship includes three main components: programs, a summer research project, and enrichment. For two months students will live, work, and play at Chincoteague Bay Field Station as they are immersed in the culture of a residential environmental education center. Students will work alongside program staff to provide environmental education programs and summer camp activities; periodically attend college courses; develop their own research project or legacy project; and explore marine habitats of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

We are excited to announce that the Visualize Your Water Challenge is launching today, January 13! Challenge details are included below with links to useful information. Join the conversation on Twitter at #VizUrWater

Your project - or one you are sponsoring - could be an award winner. Apply or encourage a student you know to apply for PEYA and see what a difference they can make for the environment with an award-winning project. Applicants from all 50 states and U.S. territories are eligible to compete for a regional certificate of special recognition and a national Presidential award.

Every year the Chesapeake Bay Trust runs an awards program to recognize teachers and students who are going above and beyond the call of duty for our local environment. With individuals in our school systems being pulled in so many different directions each day, it is important to recognize talented people who volunteer for projects and programs that clean up communities and improve water quality. That’s why the Trust launched its awards program, and since 1998, has been thanking teachers and students (with cash!) every year since for all their hard work to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Interested in learning about Sustainable Schools in Maryland? Are you applying to be a green school? Interested in strengthening environmental education in your local community? The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) is hosting their FREE Fall Green Leader/Green School Training