During the NAAEE 2025 conference, the NAAEE Podcast Stage showcased a series of enlightening conversations with leaders in environmental education. This platform was designed to highlight educators' innovative work and provide listeners with insights into their missions and initiatives. One of the sessions featured our Walking Softer Education team, who were invited to share more about the program and how high school students can be empowered by environmental education lessons to create real-world change in their communities. Our Program Coordinator, Andrea, shared the following reflection on the experience:

“Being invited onto the Podcast Stage was both an honor and an inspiring experience. I’m deeply grateful to Bruce Young and Jack Baker for creating such a warm, thoughtful space for conversation. They made it easy to speak about our work and mission. It was also especially meaningful to talk alongside our Education Manager, Jackson Ray, who has spent nearly five years building and expanding the Walking Softer Education program and has been a huge source of encouragement in my own EE journey. Sharing how we support high school students in leading meaningful, community-rooted environmental projects reminded me why this field feels so full of possibility. My hope is that our conversation inspires other educators, partners, and emerging leaders to imagine what environmental education can spark in their own communities.

We’re incredibly fortunate that Carrie, Jack, and the entire NAAEE team reached out and welcomed us into this year’s conference. Their support and the broader sense of community woven throughout the event left me feeling inspired, connected, and hopeful for what we can all accomplish together. Thank you to everyone involved for making our first NAAEE Conference experience so memorable!”