Delaware Association for Environmental Education

Awards for Excellence

Nominate A Person or Group for the 2025 Awards for Excellence!

Deadline: January 23, 2026

Nominations should highlight projects and work done in 2025. Deadline for submissions is January 23, 2026. Winners will be announced at the 16th Annual Environmental Education Conference. Submit your nominations at this Google Link.  Self-nominations are welcome and nominees do not need to be DAEE members. 

Nominations/Submissions will be reviewed by a Committee comprised of members of DAEE’s Board of Directors. The Committee will review applications and select award winners for each category. Nominees may be considered for multiple categories, including categories they may not have been nominated for, but will only be eligible to receive one Award.

Award Winners will be notified by email and will be recognized at the Annual Conference. Individual award winners will receive 1 free ticket to the annual conference. Organization or group winners will receive 2 free tickets.

Four Awards for Excellence are presented each year at the Annual Conference.

The Awards for Excellence in Environmental Education are presented annually to recognize and celebrate individuals or groups in Delaware who represent the very best of what environmental education can be and do, ensuring Delaware citizens develop an understanding of the natural world that inspires them to act responsibly moving us toward a more sustainable future. The Awards for Excellence were established in 2017 by the Delaware Children in Nature Coalition (DCIN – now DAEE’s Communities in Nature Initiative) in partnership with DAEE. 

Awards for Excellence categories and descriptions.

  • Exemplary Partnership Award: This award is presented to a group working in Delaware that demonstrate an outstanding partnership in the environmental field that serves as a model and inspiration to others. Delaware Communities in Nature partners, DAEE members and other community groups working together to connect families with meaningful experiences outdoors and healthy lifestyles can amplify their positive effects.
  • Meaningful Impact Award: This award recognizes accomplishments toward facilitating positive community impacts on conservation, sustainability, and / or career advancement in the environmental field in Delaware.
  • Healthy Innovation Award: This award recognizes new approaches to connecting children, individuals, and/or families with the outdoors and healthy lifestyles in Delaware.
  • Outstanding Field Educator: This award is presented to an individual and/or organization working in Delaware who demonstrates outstanding environmental education efforts at the local, regional level and/or global level.
  • Occasionally, DAEE also includes special Exemplary Achievement in Environmental Education awards. 

2024 Award Winners

Congratulations to these great individuals and organizations that are advancing Environmental Education and Communities In Nature in Delaware! These awards were given at 2025 Annual Business Meeting (virtual).