Naturalist Josh Arrants leads a nature walk at Belser Arboretum.
While K-12 students may be out of school for summer vacation, their teachers head back to the classroom for additional coursework, to attend conferences, present workshops, monitor the school garden, attend professional development, collaborate with colleagues to revise curriculum, work on strategic plan revisions, or teach summer school.
One of the largest summer gatherings for formal and informal educators in this state is the Environmental Education Association of SC (EEASC) annual conference. This year’s conference, entitled Making Waves: Innovation and Creativity in Environmental Education, takes place June 19-21 at the Francis Marion University Freshwater Ecology Complex in Florence. Speakers and activities will introduce educators and science communicators to innovative water education research and programs while gaining content knowledge in aquatic ecosystems.
Dr. Jeffrey Steinmetz, director of the Freshwater Ecology Center and professor of biology at Francis Marion University, will open the conference with welcoming remarks.
Josh Arrants, Palmetto State native, environmental consultant, and naturalist, will give the conference keynote address. Arrants will also lead several nature walks during the conference.
Researchers from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services will present their work on PFAS found in fish and surface water across the state.
Jaime Thom, assistant director of education at the S.C. Aquarium who is in charge of the new Boeing Learning Lab at the Maritime Center, will present an education activity. Columbia teacher Dr. Val Hoyt-Parrish of Cutler Jewish Day School will discuss her classes’ journey on a polluted creek and how her students inspired a community to take action. John Ratteree, operations director of the Watershed Ecology Center at USC-Upstate, will present a program on The Wonders of Water Chemistry for Kids.
Pre-conference workshops on June 18 include Adopt-a-Stream and ProjectWet. Pre-conference workshops on the morning of June 19 include Green Steps Schools or a guided tour of Lynches River County Park.
EEASC president and conference committee member Sarah Whitmire said, “The annual EEASC conference is always an excellent time for professional educators to get together and learn from each other. We hope attendees will walk away feeling inspired and equipped with new tools and ideas to take back to their classrooms or organizations.”
By participating in summer conferences, teachers can prepare for a successful upcoming school year and contribute to a more enriching learning environment for their students.
For the complete conference agenda and registration, visit eeasc.org/conference-2025.
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