2012 Cenovus Energy Environmental Education Leadership Clinic

Optimizing your Environmental Education Program, and Moving Learners to Action

November 5-8, 2012 at the Sanctum Retreat Centre

THANKS to Cenovus Energy, who is the sole corporate sponsor of this event.

We are currently accepting applications from teams interested in attending our 2012 Clinic; please click here to download the form. If you have questions or are interested in applying for 2012, please contact Kathy Worobec, ACEE Education Director, who can also receive your completed application form.

 Application deadline is Friday 8 June, 2012

This will be our fifth annual Clinic! Find out the answers to your questions using these links:

• What is the leadership clinic?
• Who sets the agenda?
• What are the desired outcomes?
• Who should apply?
• Who should be on your team?
• What do teams receive?
• What is the commitment?
• How will the teams be selected?
• What was accomplished in past Leadership Clinics?
• What about lodging and meals?
• Meet the 2012 Clinic Planning Team
• 2012 Application form

What is the leadership clinic?

The Leadership Clinic is a transformative learning opportunity open to all groups that deliver environmental education in Alberta! This leadership clinic is so named because it provides teams the skills and plans they need to become leaders in their field. The goal of the leadership clinic is to assist each team in improving their performance in the area of responsible environmental behaviour. We want to see more action by more engaged learners as a result of this clinic. It has the following characteristics:

Who sets the agenda?

You do. This event is participant-driven: team members help design the agenda to ensure it meets their needs. Here are a few examples of professional development sessions that might appear, depending on your stated needs:

To give you an idea of how these events are structured here is a link to a sample agenda.

What are the desired outcomes?

The Clinic Planning Team has identified the following desired outcomes for this clinic:

1. Help teams identify and implement an action plan that delivers on their goal
2. Enable teams to deliver programs that more effectively engage learners in responsible environmental behaviour
3. Provide organizations and individuals with relevant training
4. Provide a growing network of leaders in environmental education with opportunities to exchange information and ideas
5. Measure the success of the clinic through participant feedback and programs evaluations conducted by each organization

Who should apply?

The planning team will consider applications from all groups that deliver environmental education in Alberta to formal, non-formal, and informal audiences. An incomplete list of examples:

• A school board striving to implement more environmental education in its schools and classrooms
• A government agency with an education branch dedicated to helping citizens practice some kind of environmental citizenship
• A provincial non-governmental group that delivers conservation education programs in a protected area
• A national group with a significant staff and programs in Alberta
• A high-potential regional or topical network of environmental education players

Please note that groups who have attended previous clinics may re-apply but the Planning Team’s emphasis will be on encouraging new teams to attend the clinic.

Who should be on your team?

Your 4-person team should be as broad-based as possible, and include key players.  For example:

• decision-makers within – and/or external to – your organization
• staff involved in program delivery
• representative from your target audience

What do teams receive?

Each 4 person team will receive the following, free of charge:

• Registration and clinic attendance
• Three nights board and lodge at Sanctum Retreat Centre in Caroline, Alberta
• The opportunity to set a goal to optimize part of their program, create an action plan, and document their success in delivering on their action plan
• Access to pre-clinic training during Fall 2012, and post-clinic support in 2012-2013

What is the commitment?

Each team must….

• Obtain a commitment from ALL of its team members to attend the entire clinic
• Establish a goal as the focus for their work in the clinic
• Support all travel costs to attend the clinic
• Create an action plan to accomplish its pre-identified goal
• Commit to implementing the action plan post-clinic
• Evaluate the effectiveness of their action plan

How will the teams be selected?

The applications will be reviewed by the Clinic Planning Team and teams will be selected based on how well they meet the following criteria:
have a clear, measurable, and realistic goal(s)

• Have a clear, measurable and realistic goal(s)
• Show how accomplishing this goal will improve their ability to engage learners in responsible environmental behaviour
• Explain how their team‘s diversity (cultural, professional, geographic, etc) positions the team for success in their planning and implementation
• Demonstrate that their organization is well positioned to make the most of the clinic
• The organization is a high-potential group that can create significant impact with its work

Team selection will be announced by mid-summer.

What was accomplished at past leadership clinics?

See what has happened at past leadership clinics:

• 2011: team goals, photos, testimonials and resources
• 2010: team goals, photos, resources and testimonials
• 2009: photos and testimonials
• 2008: team goals, photos, testimonials and resources

What about lodging and meals?

Each Leadership Clinic Team participant:

• Will have their own room
• Have access to one of the two hot tubs!
• Will enjoy hearty meals made in house
• Will have the chance for some time to explore the natural beauty of the retreat centre landscape

Please visit the Sanctum Retreat Site for more information

If you have questions or are interested in applying for 2012, please contact Kathy Worobec, the Cenovus Energy Environmental Education Leadership Clinic Coordinator.