2017 Environmental Literature Institute at Phillips Exeter Academy

From Sunday, June 25 to Friday, June 30, 2017, Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire will host the second annual Exeter Environmental Literature Institute—the only institute of its kind dedicated solely to secondary school environmental humanities teachers. The week-long conference, offered in collaboration with ASLE, is designed to build and sustain a community of secondary teachers working in the environmental humanities.

The event is an extraordinary opportunity for teachers to deepen students’ experience in their courses in ways that will nurture the next generation of environmentally attentive and literate students. The Environmental Literature Institute (ELI) offers ideas and materials for participants to build and refine their courses and networking tools that will foster professional development. A small group setting provides participants with the time and space to create and refine—through conversation, presentations, and experiences—a course and the resources that support it. We hope that you will consider joining us in June, whether you are seeking the opportunity to build a new course from the ground up, to connect with other teachers of environmental humanities courses, or to refine curriculum for an existing course.

This summer’s Institute will feature a keynote address by Robin Wall Kimmerer, author and Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The venue for the Keynote Address, ALNOBA, is a local environmental learning facility that features net-zero GOLogic architecture and site work by John Lopez and Andy Goldsworthy.

In the field with Clare Walker Leslie at Colby Farm (2016)

The 2017 ELI leadership team is ELI Director and Exeter English Faculty Member, Jason BreMiller; co-leader and Master Teacher in Residence, Mark C. Long, from Keene State College; and co-leader Stephen Siperstein, from Choate Rosemary Hall. The workshop leaders are Master Teacher in Residence Rochelle Johnson, from the College of Idaho; Sasha Matthewman, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Auckland; Master Artist Clare Walker Leslie; and Managing Editor of Milkweed Editions, Patrick Thomas.

To learn more or to register for the conference please visit the ELI web site.  We are in the process of establishing a financial aid program for qualified teachers and there may be limited financial assistance available. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jason BreMiller, Director, jbremiller@exeter.edu, 845-705-4453