For BVSD students, teachers, guidance counselors, and schools as well as environmental educators in Boulder County, CO
Win significant cash prizes and recognition in Boulder County!
Can young people envision taking an active role in creating a “green economy no matter what their career interests?” Here’s a contest to help advance this idea! Students, educators, and entire schools are invited to submit lessons, activities, and/or materials they develop to connect environmental knowledge and concern with a wide range of careers and jobs. The purpose of this contest is to encourage careful thought about these questions and then to inspire projects – quite simple to more involved – to advance an “ALL Careers approach” to education. There will be lots of recognition and thanks for all entries, and some significant prize money!
How to proceed: 1) Peruse the materials under the white tabs, above (the examples/ideas page, in particular, may spark ideas for possible entries); 2) fill in this short “intent form" to get started; 3) carry out a project and submit it as directed in the “Description and Details.”
“Intent form" due by Feb. 1, 2023
Entries are due by March 23, 2023
Entries and/or questions should be submitted to Martin Ogle at
Complete contest description and details, just below
CONTEST DESCRIPTION AND DETAILS
Through monetary prizes and recognition, this contest is a catalyst for the implementation of the ALL Careers approach to education in our community. You are invited to submit creative lessons, activities, etc., to demonstrate or advance the idea of how environmental knowledge and concern can be explicitly connected to ALL careers, not just those few usually thought of as “environmental careers.” See PDF, below, for contest components, criteria, deadlines, etc. And see more info as well as ideas for projects elsewhere on this contest website.
Due Date:
A short intent form is due Feb. 1, 2023.
Deadline for contest entry is March 23, 2023
Winners announced by April 28, 2023:
Contest entries and questions can be sent to:
“When people begin to consider the career possibilities of human restoration through nature, their eyes light up: here is a positive, hopeful view of the human relationship with the Earth, a way to make a living and a life.” – Richard Louv
What is the “ALL Careers” approach to education? It is an effort to make explicit connections between environmental knowledge/concern and ALL careers -- not just "environmental careers” as presently understood. To create a sustainable “green” economy, everything we do needs to be guided by an understanding of how living systems work and how human systems fit in.
How does an “ALL Careers” approach help you think about your future? If you are concerned about environmental trends and how they will affect our world, know that you can be part of the solution! An “ALL Careers” approach can empower and inspire you with a solid sense of how you can contribute to the creation of a sustainable economy no matter what your skills or aptitudes, and therefore career direction. This approach can then lead to specific knowledge and training on how you can put environmental principles and concerns into practical use in whatever career direction you choose.
More Information on ALL Careers Approach
Examples and Ideas for Contest Entries
Students (individuals, classes or clubs) might: develop case studies of careers/businesses in a wide variety of fields that are “going green” and provide to fellow students, teachers, and career counselors as a learning resource; develop a website with information and resources on ALL Careers approach and disseminate it to a wide audience; present a program to their school on the ALL Careers approach.
Teachers or Guidance Counselors: a business teacher incorporates environmental principles as part of class and has students research business case studies of a variety of businesses “going green”; a guidance counselor researches colleges (and other programs) in the U.S. that are starting to combine environment/sustainability and business classes/programs as a new resource to share with students; an environmental studies teacher works with a business teacher or club to have students consider business and environment together; a teacher assigns writing and/or research on how environmental principles can be applied in a wide variety of businesses/careers and share that research with other students, teachers, career counselors, etc.
Schools: a school might make the ALL Careers approach a theme for the school year, their career fair, etc.; a school might hold an assembly to establish the ALL Careers approach in a school; a school could hold a training session on the ALL Careers approach for teachers, counselors
ALL Careers in Action
Louisville Middle School’s 2020 Virtual Career Fair, Louisville, CO – 2020
This innovative event used the ALL Careers approach as the theme for an online career fair during the first year of COVID. After a short presentation on the ALL Careers approach, a number of business owners from Louisville gave short presentations on how they are applying environmental knowledge to “green” their businesses. Business owners then met in breakout rooms with small groups of students who were able to ask questions and learn more about the businesses represented. The event was a big success – well received by students, businesses, and teachers, alike.
Annual Environmental Leadership Summits at Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins, CO – 2017 - 2019
Students at Fossil Ridge High School organized conferences entitled ”Environmental Leadership Summits” for fellow students along the Front Range of Colorado. All three Summits offered a great mix of presentations on the problems/challenges we face along with ideas, examples, and discussions about how to create a new, sustainable economy. Students incorporated the ALL Careers approach into their mission statement in 2018 and 2019.
Testimonial: Martin Ogle was a founding presenter for the Environmental Leadership Summit- designed by high school students to address the needs of high school students interested in STEM, entrepreneurship, leadership, and environmental sustainability. From our first contact with Martin, he engaged deeply with our student and staff sponsors to add depth, mission, and targeted purpose to the Environmental Leadership Summit. He was also a presenter and keynote speaker. His session on “Making Every Career and Environmental Career” was highly rated by our students every year Martin presented. Martin is great to work with and helped us take our event to the next level in nearly every way. We owe him a great deal of thanks. – Nick Peterson, Fossil Ridge High School, Environmental Leadership Summit
“How Can we Link Youth, Environment and the Economy?” A public event at The Alliance Center, Denver, Colorado – October 23, 2018
This event advocated for an “ALL Careers approach” of empowering young people to connect environmental principles with All Careers to create a sustainable world. This event was attended by professionals in sustainability, education, business, non-profits, and others. The event concluded with discussion of ideas that were added to an initial list of specific steps to advance an “ALL Careers approach” in schools and other venues.
Testimonial: “What a thoughtful and idea-provoking conversation about how connections can be made between environmental education (EE) and any career a student might pursue! Coming from a focus on helping youth pursue a natural resource career, I learned a lot from the perspectives of Shelly Mahon from the Parent Engagement Network and Megan Jorgensen, sustainability coordinator from Snooze Eatery, in particular, about how environmental principles and practices are being applied across a wide variety of avocations. I’m excited to continue the connections and ideas generated by this event to highlight case studies and develop new methods in which we can connect EE with all careers.” – Lisa Eadens, Program
Coordinator, Careers in Natural Resources Initiative, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
“Making a Living and a Life” A new view of “environmental careers” – a program at Lyons Middle / High School, Lyons, Colorado. September 13, 2018
This presentation, like many presentations for high school (and other) students posited that environmental knowledge and concern can be the basis for just about any career a young person is drawn to and suited for.
Testimonial: “The All Careers approach is an exciting and thoughtful way of introducing students to the idea that any career can utilize environmentally conscious ideas. From manufacturing, architecture, or city management, any aspect of careers can be focused on changing and helping the environment. Environmental principals and knowledge shouldn’t just be useful for students going into “environmental careers,” they should be important for students in ALL careers!” – Shannon Carheden, Science Teacher, Lyons Middle Senior High School, Lyons, CO