Coalition for Education in the Outdoors

Coalition for Education in the Outdoors Biennial Research Symposium

Make Plans for CEO's 16th Biennial Research Symposium in 2024! 

• January 12-14, 2024 at YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, NC, USA.
• Abstracts due September 1, 2023. See Call for Abstracts for more details.
  • Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full manuscripts to a CEO Special Issue of the refereed journal, Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education and Leadership (JOREL),to be published in late 2024.
• Registration, lodging, and travel details are available on the 2nd Nature TREC website.
• Preliminary schedule (PDF) now available.
  • Special opportunity: Pre-Symposium Session on “Integrating Outdoor Education and Formal Schooling” facilitated by Dr. Jim Sibthorp, University of Utah, and Dr. Laurie Browne, American Camp Association
• List of Accepted Presentations (PDF) now available.

If you care about outdoor education-related research, you won’t want to miss it!

Recap: CEO's 15th Biennial Research Symposium 

CEO's 15th Biennial Research Symposium was held February 11-13, 2022, at YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, NC, USA. Highlights included the following:

• Keynote Address by Dr. Corliss Outley, Professor, Clemson University and Founder and Director of the Race, Ethnicity, Youth and Social Equity (REYSE) Collaboratory 
  • “Stand Up! Race, Freedom Calls and Outdoor Education”: Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience quality environmental and outdoor learning. Yet, for many the right to live, work, learn and play in the outdoors has been limited. The inclusion of all cannot be the work of one person or even one organization–individuals must work together to intentionally change policies, pedagogy, curriculum, culture, and systems.
  • Now available: View a recording of Dr. Outley's Keynote Address. 

• Fireside Chat with Founders of CEO Panel  
  • A fascinating discussion among the following eight individuals, considered by many to be the influential founding members of the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors Research Committee:
    • Panel Members: Deb Bialeschki, Camille Bunting, Chris Cashel, Alan Ewert, Mike Gass, Karla Henderson, Leo McAvoy, Anderson Young
    • Facilitators: Tim O'Connell (Brock University) and Dan McCole (Michigan State University)
  • Now available: View a recording of the Fireside Chat.

• A total of 22 oral presentations
  • Now available: View the Book of Abstracts (PDF) for more details.

Statement of Purpose

The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors is an international non-profit network of outdoor education scholars who share a mission – the support and furtherance of critically examined research that serves the goals (education “in, for and about” the outdoors) of outdoor education. The Coalition conducts a biennial research symposium and publishes a peer-reviewed book of abstracts to encourage and communicate research, theory and critical thought in all endeavors that address outdoor education including conservation, environmental, experiential, adventure and sustainability education, organized camping, and environmental interpretation. 

Coalition History

The Coalition was established in 1987 at the State University of New York at Cortland by a group of outdoor educators from around the country. Founders believed the Coalition would fill a need in the outdoor education community for an organization that "would unite outdoor associations, institutions, businesses, and agencies to better serve both professionals and consumers in the outdoors."

Taproot Journal

Research in Outdoor Education