Early Childhood
Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
JEDI
LEARNING
JEDI Community of Practice (CoP)
The JEDI CoP is a learning community of individuals working to foster and support practices of racial justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity in the outdoors and environmental work. Every other month, we come together on Zoom to learn, dive into different topics of interest, hear from guest speakers, and grow as a community. This is a place to learn from and with each other, to grapple with the inequities that exist in our field, and to practice dialogue around these topics with honesty and empathy. Stay in the loop by signing up for the JEDI CoP listserv to keep the conversation going between meetings, and to receive reminders of upcoming events.
The CoP meets bi-monthly on the third Thursday, 12 pm - 1 pm ET. There are no prerequisites for joining a session, but preregistration is required. Register for each event below to save your spot and receive the Zoom link for joining.
To learn more about the JEDI CoP, take a look at the 2023 JEDI CoP Report. Check out the 2024 JEDI CoP Meeting recordings on our YouTube Channel.
Register for the Next Meeting
January 16 Guest Speaker
Wren Smith
Interpretive Programs Manager
Bernheim Forest and Arboretum
Join us for a discussion about the overlap between environmental interpretation (EI) and environmental education (EE). What can EE learn from EI to make programs more accessible and inclusive? Learn more about Wren in her KAEE Member Feature.
Questions? Contact the CoP Co-Facilitators.
Roberta Burnes, roberta.burnes@ky.gov | Jackie Lomore, jlomore@sayreschool.org | Brittany Wray, brittany@kaee.org
JEDI Book Club
Stay tuned for our next read and meeting time!
Questions? Contact the Book Club Co-Facilitators.
Jennifer Beach, jennifer.beach@kentonlibrary.org | Perry Thomas, perry@kaee.org
eeCourse | JEDI101
This course is designed to provide a strong foundation in the language, concepts and principles of equity work. It is meant to be an introductory course and spark interest in further learning around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. This course was developed through a partnership between the Center for Diversity and the Environment, EcoInclusive, Environmental Educators of North Carolina, Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, Kentucky Association for Environmental Education, and Youth Outside.
This is an eight-week, mostly asynchronous course offered each spring and fall. Participants will complete coursework on their own time with scheduled submission due dates and Zoom discussions. Please see the syllabus for details.
RESOURCES
A significant part of our work at KAEE centers around cultivating collective impact and bringing people together to create a stronger and more inclusive movement. With this in mind, and looking to our fellow NAAEE Affiliate friends for best practices in information dissemination, we share here a collection of equity and inclusion resources—from articles to videos to recommended books to podcasts to experts—with our members, donors, and the wider community.
ACTION
JEDI Action Team
KAEE wants to ensure that everyone in Kentucky, inclusive of race or ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, background, disability, economic status, or any other aspect of identity, has the opportunity to experience and lead environmental and outdoor learning in ways that are relevant to them. Just as diversity is necessary for strong natural communities, we are stronger because of our differences as humans.
Action Team Members
Jennifer Beach, Kenton Co. Public Library
Tina Brouwer, Red Oaks Forest School
Roberta Burnes, Kentucky Division for Air Quality
Ginny Delaney, Jefferson Memorial Forest
Sagan Goodpaster, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
Meg Gravil, Eastern Kentucky University
Alice Hilton, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
Hannah Harris, Red Oaks Forest School
Maddy Heredia, Kentucky Division of Forestry
Jeri Howell, Josephine Sculpture Park
Beverly James, Floracliff Nature Sanctuary
Rae McEntyre, Retired Kentucky Department of Education
Pattie Stivender, Bluegrass Greensource
Perry Thomas, Oldham County Conservation District
Wendy Warren, Berea College Forestry Outreach Center
Carolyn Waters, Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands
Leadership Team
Co-Chair: David Logsdon, Pathfinders of Perry County
Co-Chair: Pony Meyer, Raven Run Nature Sanctuary
Ashley Hoffman, KAEE Executive Director
Brittany Wray, KAEE Deputy Director
KAEE, as part of the NAAEE Affiliate Network, practices the lifelong learning that is required for effective diversity and inclusion work. We are refocusing our efforts toward safe, equal access to the outdoors for all. Read more about this work that centers social and environmental justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility on a national level.