Third Sun
Resources in the Field
Administration & Nonprofit
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"Get To Know You" Form (PDF)
A form to get to know employees and to ask how to show appreciation — from the Leslie Science & Nature Center.
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ANCA Business Partners
Businesses that support professional development for leaders in the nature and environmental learning center field through ANCA!
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ANCA Reciprocal Program
Increase visitation at your center, or just enhance benefits to your members through this program that offers ANCA member centers the chance to choose from benefits you will offer and receive from other participating centers.
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Avoiding the Glass Cliff: Advice to Boards on Preparing for and Supporting New Leaders of Color
Recent reports, research, books, and anecdotal stories have identified concerning trends in the way that nonprofit leaders of color experience their leadership roles, particularly when following an outgoing White leader. This phenomenon is described as a “glass cliff.” BoardSource partnered with the Building Movement Project to develop this resource to assist boards as they prepare for every stage in leadership transition.
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Board Source
An expensive, but good resource for funders, partners, and nonprofit leaders who want to magnify their impact within their community through exceptional governance practices.
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BoardSource LinkedIn Group
A free LinkedIn group for those interested in board matters.
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National Council of Nonprofits
A national voice for nonprofits with a mission to advance the vital role, capacity, and voice of charitable nonprofit organizations through our state and national networks.
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OF/BY/FOR ALL's Framework for Action in Response to Moments of Outrage & Crisis
OF/BY/FOR ALL's framework for how your organization can take action in times of crisis.
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Techsoup
TechSoup offers a range of services to help your nonprofit better implement and manage your technology. From emergency tech support to strategic planning to fully managed IT services, our offerings are designed to meet the needs of all types of organizations.
Advocacy & Civic Engagement
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Bolder Advocacy
A program of the Alliance for Justice, Bolder Advocacy equips nonprofits with the knowledge and resources they need to be confident and powerful advocates.
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eeAdvocate: An Advocacy Guide
A guide designed to help you become a better and more confident advocate for environmental education and to bring more support and funding to the field.
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Everyday Advocacy Resources
The National Council of Nonprofits' collection of resources on advocacy.
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National Caucus of Environmental Legislators: Bill Tracking
An extensive collection of environmental legislation across the country, so that you can stay up to date on progress being made in your state.
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Stand For Your Mission
An organization "designed to unleash the power of the nonprofit sector through advocacy."
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UNA Public Policy and Advocacy Strategy
Utah Nonprofit Association's organization plan that guides efforts to be a voice for all nonprofits in the state. ANCA also encourages you to look into your own state associations for help and resources, as well as local issues to be aware of.
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Youth Outdoor Policy Playbook
A resource that helps legislators and community leaders advance state policies that bring the benefits of time spent outdoors to more young people.
Branding & Marketing
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A Guide to Social Media Activism
Maryville University's blog post about social media strategies for activism and nonprofits.
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Branded Out Loud
Recommended by several ANCA Members as a great resource!
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Canva
Canva allows you to easily bring together basic designs.
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How to Succeed at Digital Marketing as a Nonprofit
Mailchimp's tools and resources to grow your nonprofit’s online presence and increase its impact.
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Nonprofit Marketing Guide
Or choose from other great blogs recommended on the Nonprofit Marketing Guide.
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Pixler
Need to create a photo collage for your newsletter, website, or an annual appeal?
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The Nonprofit Marketing Blog
Recommended by several ANCA Members as a great resource!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
A 21-day plan to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.
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A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
Native Governance Center’s guide, including tips for creating a land acknowledgement.
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ANCA Statement: Black Lives Matter
ANCA's public statement in support of racial justice in 2020, with a list of similar statements made by ANCA members.
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Anti-Racism Resource Collection
A list of resources by the Resource Sharing Project, an effort "to help state sexual assault coalitions across the country access the resources they need in order to develop and thrive as they work to support survivors and end sexual assault."
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BEETLES & Youth Outside: Racial Equity in Outdoor Science and Environmental Education
An article about establishing an environmental education field that is centered in racial equity and inclusion, especially within the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
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BEETLES: Examining Equitable and Inclusive Work Environments in EE
A nine-page document that examines "how environmental education organizations think about and operationalize equity and inclusion in the work environment," with emphasis on the perspectives of environmental educators of color.
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Building Diverse, Inclusive Teams
From Intention to Action: Building Diverse, Inclusive Teams to Deepen Impact
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Center for Diversity and the Environment
The Center for Diversity & the Environment harnesses the power of racial and ethnic diversity to transform the U.S. environmental movement by developing leaders, catalyzing change within institutions & building alliances.
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Dismantling Racism
A Resource Book.
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eeGuidance for Equitable Pay and Hiring
There are several key areas that employers must change to make environmental education careers more accessible to a broader population, including pay and benefits, position design, recruitment, processes, and practices. The eeGuidance for Equitable Pay and Hiring provides researched explanations of why these areas matter and it outlines specific minimum standards for employers to enact immediately and identifies the target standards that we all must work toward to transform employment in our field.
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Environmental Professionals of Color (EPOC) Network
EPOC is a project of the Center for Diversity & the Environment, "working to build coalitions that address the diversity crisis at the heart of the environmental movement." The network has chapters throughout the US.
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Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive
Five takeaways from a brainstorm session of prominent outdoors experts and advocates.
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Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement
The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture’s page about land acknowledgement.
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IslandWood Hiring Practices
IslandWood's list of current norms for a more equitable hiring process.
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Justice Outside
Justice Outside is an organization that advances racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement.
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Leaking Talent: How People of Color Are Pushed Out of Environmental Organizations
A report that focuses on the retention and promotion of people of color in the environmental movement.
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Native Land
A website run by Native Land Digital, including a map of territories, languages, and treaties.
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OF/BY/FOR ALL Self-Assessment
A quick self-assessment to evaluate how your institution connects to your community and audiences.
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Outdoor Afro
Outdoor Afro has become the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires African American connections and leadership in nature.
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Racial Equity Tools
1900+ resources that can help you create change in your community.
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Seeing White
Podcast.
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SURJ
Join your local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice or SURJ.
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The Avarna Group
Empowering organizations to make change, and not just talk about it. Many great resources for making change!
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The Joy Trip Project's Anti-Racism Resource Guide
A resource guide for faculty, staff, students, extension educators, outdoor advocates, volunteers and community leaders as allies of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the outdoors.
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Ubuntu Research and Evaluation
Fostering research-based accountability to create an equitable world.
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Webinar Recording: Voices of National Leadership in Anti-Racism in the Outdoors
Join us for a conversation with those leading the nation’s effort to address racism in the outdoors. In this webinar, we explore ways we can increase diversity and equity in regard to outdoor accessibility and engagement. Leaders also showcase a recently developed Anti-Racism in the Outdoors Resource Guide.
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Whose Land
A website that maps Indigenous Nations, territories, and Indigenous communities.
Environmental Education
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9 resources
9 Resources for environmental education lessons.
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BEETLES Guide for Program Leaders in Outdoor Science
A comprehensive guide for anyone leading programs in environmental education.
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BEETLES Project
A collection of passionate science and environmental educators devoted to improving the quality of outdoor science education.
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Children & Nature Network's News Center
C&NN's center for international news and blogs with commentary from C&NN staff and partners.
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Children & Nature Network's Research Library
C&NN's curated and summarized peer-reviewed scientific literature to help build the evidence base for advancing the children and nature movement.
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Christmas Bird Count for Kids
The Christmas Bird Count for Kids provides kids with the experience of being outdoors and learning about the joys of bird watching.
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Climate Interpreter
The Climate Interpreter Community provides networking opportunities and resources for educators who want to discuss climate change with their communities.
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Earth Day Network
A collective that works to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.
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EPA resources for teachers
EPA resources for teachers on hot topics, and for students.
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Grow Outside
A social and emotional learning toolkit for residential environmental learning centers.
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Museum 2.0
A blog that provides readers with ideas and research on the participatory museum experience.
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National Association for Interpretation (NAI)
A national organization dedicated to advancing the profession of heritage interpretation.
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Nature Learning Initiative
Nature Learning Initiative is another great resource for enhancing environments for early learners.
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Nature Net
Nature Net An environmental learning network with environmental educational resources.
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Nature Play & Learning Places
National guidelines to bring nature play and learning to every community.
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North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
A network that brings the brightest minds together to accelerate environmental literacy and civic engagement through the power of education.
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Taylor Studios' "The Field Journal" Blog
A blog by Taylor Studios, a business that plans, designs and fabricates exhibits.
Finances
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Marshall+Sterling Insurance
Offering a variety of insurances to protect your organization.
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Nonprofit Resources from Vanguard
This Vanguard site discusses fiduciary fundamentals and includes a toolkit of resources, including links to other relevant organizations.
Graduate Programs & Trainings
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Antioch University New England
AUNE’s Department of Environmental Studies which educates in a collaborative interdisciplinary setting, is founded on the principles of environmental justice and sustainability. The oldest environmental studies program in the country, AUNE offers environmental education opportunities for Master of Science (MS) and doctoral candidates in an engaged learning community. Through course offerings, professional internships, and graduate capstones, students are grounded in environmental education theory as they gain hands-on experience in environmental science, civic ecology and stewardship practices, cultural competency, social justice, community resilience, positive youth and community development and understanding cities as socio-ecological systems and dynamic “classrooms” for all ages.
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IslandWood
The IslandWood Graduate Program in Education for Environment and Community is a 10-month immersive residency in justice-oriented environmental education; experiential, student-centered learning; and culturally-responsive teaching and curriculum development. Our program is offered in partnership with top-ranked University of Washington College of Education, whose mission is to transform inequitable systems of education to create just, sustainable, and culturally-thriving democracies. The IslandWood Graduate Certificate completes the first year of a UW Master’s in Education and fulfills the prerequisites for application to the Master’s in Teaching in Elementary Education.
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McCall Outdoor Science School — University of Idaho
Located on Payette Lake in the Rocky Mountains of central Idaho, the MOSS Graduate Residency prepares professionals to shape our future generations of citizens. Graduates may serve in the classroom, in the field, as formal educators, or as resource professionals and will have the skills to effectively educate a diversity of learners through experiential methods, using the outdoors as an integrating context for learning about science, place and community. Through blended coursework and teaching practice, students will learn and grow as educators, scientists and leaders. Students earn a Master of Natural Resources in 12 months.
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Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center — Goshen College
This holistic program will invigorate, expand and develop your teaching and leadership skills on our 1,200 acre preserve. Over the 33-credit, 11-month long program, courses are delivered in class and in the field with February in the Bahamas. Our extensive teaching practicum combines seminars with a wide range of teaching experiences and audiences. Conferences and cross-disciplinary field trips explore nature centers, parks, city programs, and green schools. A capstone project investigates a topic you choose, and applies it to regional needs through curriculum.
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Pacific University's Master of Nonprofit Leadership
Our society needs extraordinary nonprofit organizations with talented leaders to make significant and positive changes in our community. The Pacific University Master of Nonprofit Leadership (MNL) prepares leaders to meet that challenge. The MNL program is 100% online, with courses offered online asynchronously or on Fridays, weekends or evenings. Students also participate in a virtual residency for an opportunity to connect with nonprofit leaders on in-depth topics through colloquia.
The Environmental Leadership concentration provides specific experiences for those in the nature-based education, sustainability and advocacy roles. Share experiences, connections and gain mentoring with seasoned and emerging nonprofit leaders, experts, faculty and practitioners, and grow your professional skills with a cohort of colleagues.
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Southern Oregon University
The Master of Science in Environmental Education at Southern Oregon University equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills to become effective educators and leaders in the environmental education field. This student led program is cohort based and provides opportunities for graduate students to create and implement all aspects of place-based environmental education field programs. The field element, called Fall in the Field, delivered at several sites around Southern Oregon, includes non-residential and residential environmental education experiences designed for K-12 learners. Participants develop critical thinking skills through hands-on standards-aligned lessons incorporating Citizen Science, service learning, and other place-based curriculum.
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Walking Mountains Science Center
Come work, learn and play in our beautiful mountain community! Walking Mountains Science Center is now accepting applications for our multi-faceted graduate fellowship. This is a unique 2 year and 3 month commitment through which Natural Science Educators will teach summer science camps and school field science programs while they simultaneously participate in a Master of Arts graduate program through the University of Norther Colorado and earn an M.A. in Science Education.
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Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center
Wolf Ridge alumni continue to teach and lead the field of environmental education all over the world in formal classrooms, at state and national parks, in nature centers, zoos, museums, organic farms, and as artists and adventurers. Since 1974, the program has served almost 1000 adult students with diverse backgrounds who come to this learning community to sharpen their skills in environmental education. Employers seek these graduates for their commitment to excellence and demonstrated knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead to success in the education of and for the outdoors. You will leave as an independent, competent, and confident educator.
Contact ANCA
For any questions about membership, services, or publications, please contact us directly.
Association of Nature Center Administrators
P.O. Box 464
Logan, Utah 84323
Or you can complete the form below or reach out to individual staff members.
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Photo Credits
We are grateful to member organizations that shared some of their photos for use in this website.
Home Page
- Hero image courtesy of Warner Park Nature Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Behind quotes photo courtesy of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Members Get Benefits photo courtesy of the Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon, Colorado.
- Support ANCA photo courtesy of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes in Cleveland, Ohio.
Services
- Hero Image courtesy of Warner Park Nature Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Support
- Photo courtesy of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes in Cleveland, Ohio.