Environmental Education Collaborative (EECO)

Founded in April 2019, the Environmental Education Collaborative (EECO) stands as Yale’s pioneering student organization committed to fostering environmental consciousness among K-12 students in New Haven. Our mission revolves around cultivating strong connections with local schools and community organizations. EECO achieves this by crafting and delivering place-based curricula, leading educational field trips within New Haven, and executing sustained environmental education projects that enhance and broaden students’ classroom learning experiences.

Our Mission:

At the core of our mission is the dedication to inspire a generation of environmentally-conscious individuals. Through hands-on teaching in New Haven schools, we aim to instill a passion for environmental science and environmental humanities in K-12 students. By developing meaningful relationships with local educational institutions and community organizations, EECO strives to contribute to the collective effort of creating a more environmentally-aware society.

Our Activities:

EECO’s direct service approach involves our teachers engaging with middle school students multiple times each week. Through carefully designed spiral curricula and place-based pedagogies, our lessons are interactive and foster interdisciplinary learning. The hands-on, experiential nature of our activities aims to make environmental education engaging and memorable for students.

In addition to in-class interactions, EECO takes students on field trips throughout New Haven, creating opportunities for immersive learning experiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. Our sustained environmental education projects further reinforce and expand the scope of students’ understanding, emphasizing the practical application of environmental concepts.

Student Leaders: Meet our dedicated student leaders:

• Sarah Shapiro: Co-Coordinator/Co-President
• Norbu Dorji: Co-Coordinator/Co-President