​
Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) provide tools, training, and support for engaging adults and students in meaningful, productive discussions about sticky issues that affect the environment and communities.  -NAAEE, 2016
 
Beginning in November 2015, three members of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) worked with fellow environmental educators across the country, the Kettering Foundation, and the North American Association for Environmental Education to create a framework for deliberation on national and state-specific water issues. The team included Sarah Johnson of Wild Rose Consulting, Kellie Gorman of Yampatika, and Hillary Mason of CAEE.  In May 2016, the Colorado team tested their draft Colorado framework with two test forums where high school and college-level stakeholders engaged in deliberative decision-making processes focused around water availability across the state. A comprehensive test forum report was produced to contribute to further developing the Colorado Water Issues Deliberation Framework. The team's work culminated in September 2016 with the completion of a deliberative forum guide for navigating Colorado water quantity issues in high school and post-secondary learning environments. 
 
The Colorado team is presenting the new deliberation framework at the October 2016 Western Slope Environmental Education Conference in Ridgway, Colorado. They will also be part of a panel presentation at the North American Association for Environmental Education's annual conference in Madison, Wisconsin in mid October 2016 where they will share the results of the test forums and the final published deliberation framework. 

Download a free pdf of the Colorado Water Availability Deliberative Forum Guide to use with high school and post-secondary learning environments, and click here for  more information about Environmental Issues Forums. 

Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) are a North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) initiative designed to promote meaningful, productive deliberation about difficult issues that affect the environment and communities.
Environmental Issues Forums in the Classroom - In April 2016, the White House announced the inclusion of NAAEE and Kettering Foundation's Environmental Issues Forums (EIF) in the President's Climate Education and Literacy Initiative. NAAEE is committed to supporting teachers’ use of the Climate Choices issue guide in their classrooms. During the summer of 2016, Sarah Johnson was part of a team who created and drafted the new middle school level teacher's guide. The guide provides an introduction to the EIF issue guide Climate Choices: How should we meet the challenges of a warming planet? Using Climate Choices offers an opportunity for teachers and students to use a deliberative process to consider climate change choices. This resource provides background information on deliberation, how to use Climate Choices in the classroom, and material to help teachers moderate a forum with students. Ito also includes resources on teaching about climate change. Read more about EIF and NAAEE.