Course Overview

Welcome to the Collective Outcomes Evaluation eeCourse developed by CAEE and Point b(e) Strategies. This eeCourse will support you in eeProgram evaluation, from planning to communicating the results. This eeCourse is part of the Collective Outcomes Colorado Project supported by the Pisces Foundation (click here for additional information). This eeCourse will focus on supporting you in evaluating outcomes that fall under the impact areas of conservation, PreK-12 Education, Positive Youth Development, social justice, and health and wellness.

As part of the eeCourse, participants will have access to a suite of national and peer-reviewed evaluation tools measuring conservation, education, positive youth development outcomes, social justice, and health and wellness.

Objectives and Expectations

By the end of this course, you will be able to: 

• Align your environmental education programs to Colorado’s Collective Outcomes for EE.
• Develop a theory of change and logic model for your eePrograms.
• Create an evaluation plan.
• Select and use a variety of evaluation tools.
• Effectively analyze and communicate your evaluation results.

As a participant in this course, it is expected that you:

• Commit the time required to complete all readings and assignments.
• Input appropriate answers and responses in the Course Journal.
• Complete Modules 1-5 and their associated assignments, as well as submit the final course assessment.  You will have 8 weeks to complete the course.
  
  

Completing Tasks and Assignments

Throughout the course, documents will be provided in the form of Google Docs.  You can either download as a Word document or "Make a Copy" under the File menu to edit it was your own. Assignments can be submitted as Google Docs by using the link-sharing feature. Assignments can also be submitted by attaching Word documents.  If you have questions or would prefer another option, please contact the course moderator.

Prerequisites

• Experience working in education is not required but highly encouraged.

Required Materials

• You will need to provide an environmental education learning experience to evaluate.
• Collective Outcomes Toolkit

Grading

• Periodic assessments throughout each module must be completed with at least 80% accuracy or a score of 2 as indicated on the scoring guide provided.
• To receive a certificate of completion, you must complete all assignments and receive the scores as indicated above.

Important Dates

This course runs for 8 weeks, from June 1 - July 24, 2026. Although you can complete the course at your own pace, below is a recommended schedule for completing each module:

• Module 1 – Complete by June 10
• Module 2 – Complete by June 22
• Module 3 – Complete by July 1
• Module 4 – Complete by July 13
• Module 5 – Complete by July 24

Additionally, you will be required to attend a 1-hour online discussion with fellow eeCourse participants to share ideas, reflections on course materials, and/or final course project materials. A Doodle Poll will be sent to all participants when the course begins to schedule a time for the Online Discussion.

Meet Your Course Moderator

Your Course Moderator is Katie Navin. Katie will be reviewing your assignments, providing scores and feedback throughout the course. Read more about Katie below!

Katie is the Executive Director at the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education.  She has been active in the field of environmental education for over 20 years.  Katie has served as an educator and developed curriculum at organizations ranging from museums to residential outdoor facilities in seven different states.  She joined CAEE in May of 2008 and is active in the environmental and outdoor learning community both in the state and nationally. will have one moderator for this course.  

Throughout the course, you will be using the Colorado Collective Outcomes Toolkit.  Meet the Toolkit Developers:

Nancy Zuercher has served as evaluator, partner and trainer for dozens of nonprofits, schools and government agencies in Colorado and across the United States. Nancy has extensive evaluation experience working with environmental organizations seeking to understand their outcomes with youth, families and educators. Nancy is excited when organizations can see and document the work they do in the community. With significant experience designing and implementing effective community engagement initiatives, Nancy brings a thoughtful and critical lens to her evaluation and community assessment work. Nancy has a master’s degree in international development from the University of Denver, with specializations in nonprofit management and statistical analysis, and a bachelor’s degree in international trade and relations from the University of Northern Colorado.

Ellie Cantor spent the past twelve years working in nonprofits focused on collaborating with communities and families to build more equitable educational outcomes for youth. Prior to embarking on consulting for nonprofits, she worked for Girls Who Code as their Regional Partnership Coordinator for Colorado where she expanded access to coding curricula by 290% across the State. She previously spent seven years working with D.C. Public Schools on family engagement and promoting authentic community - school partnerships through her leadership roles at Communities In Schools and Turning the Page. Ellie graduated with a Master’s in Education Policy and Leadership Studies from the University of Washington’s College of Education and a Bachelor’s in English and French Literature from the University of Virginia. Ellie lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and their two-year-old son who keeps them busy and entertained by his exploration of the world.

The first two years of the Colorado Collective Outcomes Project was spearheaded by CAEE and Blue Lotus Evaluation and Consulting.  It would not have been possible without the contributions of:

Corrie Colvin Williams, PhD is at her core, a geographer.  It's how she fell in love with this whole human-nature connection thing in the first place; a serendipitous find as an undergraduate pre-med transfer.   Corrie is now a qualitative researcher by training and came to be so through great collaborations and mentoring, primarily during her tenure as a graduate research assistant in the Children, Youth & Environments Center at CU Boulder.  Prior to that, she plunked around as an environmental scientist in the Texas hill country.

Kelly Keena, PhD currently serves as the Director of Education and Outreach for Underwriters Laboratories where she works on educational strategies and interventions including the creation of high-quality resources for educators based on the science and engineering at UL. Prior to joining the UL team, Kelly was co-founder and Principal Consultant for Blue Lotus Consulting & Evaluation. In addition to more than ten years as a non-formal educator and ten years of classroom work as a science teacher and instructional coach, she served as the Chair of the National Environmental Education Advisory Council for the Environmental Protection Agency where she worked on national environmental education priorities and partnerships, including evaluation, for six years. She has a BA in International Environmental Geography, an MA in Curriculum & Instruction, and a PhD in Educational Leadership and Innovation. Kelly was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education.

The toolkit also benefited from the expertise and feedback from an Advisory Council of funders, eePractitioners, and evaluators.

Get to Know the Course