AEE Awards
About The AEE Awards
The Association for Experiential Education honors members each year at the International Conference. We continue this tradition to celebrate the outstanding professional accomplishments of individuals and organizations whose passion for experiential education is exemplified through their efforts and their ability to inspire others.
We hope that recipients of awards feel embraced by a community with shared values and a belief in the power of experiential education. May these awards launch recipients to new, higher levels of purposeful engagement with community organizations and inspire others to dream and to act.
JUMP TO:
Dr. Betty van der Smissen Distinguished Researcher Award
Organizational Member of the Year Award
Michael Stratton Practitioner Award
Dr. Nina S. Roberts Social Justice Award
How to Nominate Your Peers
Each award has a link that will bring you to a form in which we collect information about you, the nominator, as well as information about the nominee. Please fill in as much as you are able. PLEASE review the award criteria and address it with examples in your nominations. If you would like to submit a nomination via video you can do that with the form also. If you would prefer a Zoom conversation or phone call please contact awards@aee.org to set up a time with a representative from the Awards Committee.
The form also asks for a Support File(s) demonstrating the criteria you indicated. This could be a letter, video, story or article from a different person or source other than yourself.
Award Nomination Reviews: Annually on May 1, the Awards Committee begins reviewing nominations and may reach out to you for further information. After submission of the form, the Awards Committee may reach out to you for further information. We hope to contact the nominee also, so they can provide additional information in support of the criteria. This could include a resume, CV, artifacts, sample of work, marketing materials, curriculum, etc. The nominee will not be told who nominated them for this award.
Once the Awards Committee has collected any supporting materials and confirmed eligibility, the nomination is reviewed by a group of impartial AEE member Reviewers. Reviewers are not part of the AEE staff or Board of Directors. Reviewers compare the information provided against the criteria for the award and complete a rubric for each nominee. The Reviewers will make their selections and send their selection back to the committee.
Award Recipients: When the selection is received by the Committee it will tally up the selections and identify the recipients. Recipients are notified by the Awards Committee. Awards are given out during the Annual International Conference. Recipients do not have to be in-person to receive an award.
Award FAQs
How can I submit the best nomination possible for the person/organization I believe is worthy of recognition? There are a few things you can do to submit a high-quality nomination. First, make sure you are nominating someone or an organization for an award they are well qualified for. Second, make sure to make it clear why this person or organization is a great fit for an AEE award - how long have they been involved with AEE? What has their involvement looked like? Try to draw a clear connection between work the person or organization has done, and the Association. Third, draw connections between this nominee and the AEE values and mission.
What if I nominate someone who does not qualify? If you are not certain if someone qualifies for an award, consider reaching out to the potential nominee, a colleague of the potential nominee, or the awards committee chair at awards@aee.org for further clarification. If you gain clarification and feel like they could qualify, you may nominate them despite uncertainty. However, If a support file or the nominee are unable to establish they meet the criteria, they will be removed from consideration for the award.
Awards Committee Email awards@aee.org to learn more or ask a question!
Does the Awards Committee tell nominees who nominated them? No. We encourage you to talk with your nominee and let them know.
Can I submit a nomination if I don't have all the information? Yes. Do the best you can. All things being equal, a narrative that clearly addresses all the criteria is stronger than one that does not. The solution? Talk to the nominee directly and/or get another person (who has the missing information) to submit a nomination with you.
How long will my nomination remain in consideration? Two years, provided that, in the second year, the criteria are still being met. The Awards Committee urges you to submit new or additional information or supporting nominations in the second year as a way of keeping the nomination fresh.
Can I nominate someone for more than one award? Yes. However, as each award is different, you need to submit a nomination or group of nominations that address each award's criteria.
Can I nominate myself? No.
Can I get help with my nomination? Yes. We can answer questions and help you with your submission. Contact the Awards Committee at awards@aee.org
Research in experiential education holds a significant and growing level of importance in both the academic and applied contexts. This award provides a declaration of the value of that enterprise and recognizes the role that long-term and productive research efforts provide the multiple fields in which experiential education principles are utilized. Additionally, it recognizes the person or people producing this exemplary research and their efforts to make it visible to a wide audience.
The award was established in 2010 originating within AEE's volunteer committee, the Council on Research and Evaluation (CORE).
In August of 2022, AEE's Board of Directors voted to add Dr. Betty van der Smissen's name to the Distinguished Researcher Award. For over 50 years Dr. van der Smissen conducted research in the outdoor fields of camping, adventure, environmental and conservation education, and recreation. She was one of the earliest and most prolific researchers in the professional outdoor fields.
Patrick T. Maher, Ph.D. has spent more than 30 years in outdoor and experiential education. First as a practitioner, instructing programs at summer camps and outdoor centres before working with the Canadian Outward Bound Wilderness School, and Students on Ice. His doctoral research at Lincoln University (Christchurch, New Zealand) examined how visitors to the Antarctic process their experiences and make meaningful action following their time there.
Since 2005, Pat has been an active researcher and educator at three Canadian universities, gaining promotion to Full Professor in the School of Physical and Health Education at Nipissing University (North Bay, Ontario). Pat has published widely in a variety of fields and has been honoured in the past with the 2012 AEE-NW Region’s Willi Unsoeld Award, a 2014 3M National Teaching Fellowship, and a 2020 Fellowship from the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Pat has been active in his service to the AEE, beginning with attendance at many conferences and SEER Symposiums since 1997. He was also the editor of the Journal of Experiential Education (2010-2016) and continues to assist from the Editorial Board. Pat is currently Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning.
Criteria & Past Recipients
Criteria:
-
Has completed a minimum of ten years of research not including graduate work.
- Has shown exemplary research productivity and visibility in the fields that use experiential education.
- Has a diversity of publication and presentation outlets particularly those that are refereed.
- Has numerous research contributions of significant importance.
- Exhibited continuity of research involvement.
- Has citations and author impact factor (e.g., H index) commensurate with their field of research and at least comparable to other researchers with 10 years of research.
- Has had creative and innovative impacts to research within the experiential education community.
- Has received awards, keynotes, grants, etc. that speak to a research presence.
- Exemplifies high ethical standards.
- Is actively involved with and committed to the values and mission of AEE.
- Is a current member of AEE.
Award Winner Receives: One year individual membership in AEE, plaque/award
Past Recipients:
2017 - Christine Norton and Jim Sibthorp
2016 - Anita Tucker
2015 - Denise Mitten
2014 - no award given
2013 - Alan Ewert
2012 - H. "Lee" Gillis
2011 - Mike Gass
2010 - Keith Russell
This award is presented to an organization that maintains innovative and outstanding programming at continuously high standards and demonstrates consistent commitment to and support for the work of AEE.
The award was established in 1997 when many of AEE's awards first originated.
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, PIVOTPoint WNC is an accredited therapeutic adventure program that uses intentional outdoor experiences and experiential mentoring to promote connection, compassion, and character. PIVOTPoint works with teens and adults facing challenges related to mental and behavioral health, substance use, and finding direction,helping participants build confidence, emotional resilience, social skills, and healthier life Patterns.PIVOTPoint’s approach brings together nature-based learning, adventure, trauma-responsive care, and facilitated small-group experiences. Through activities such as hiking, rafting,climbing, mountain biking, and paddle boarding, participants engage in real-world challenges designed to foster self-awareness, personal agency, resilience, and healthy interpersonal skills. PIVOTPoint emphasizes transferring these experiences beyond the outdoors, helping participants apply what they learn to everyday life and their broader communities.
PIVOTPoint’s mission is to provide accessible, community-integrated experiential work that promotes connection, compassion, and character for individuals navigating mental and behavioral health and substance use challenges. Its vision centers on helping people develop healthy communication, emotional awareness, self-confidence, purpose, and the practical skills needed to navigate life’s challenges.
Criteria:
-
Maintained innovative and outstanding programming at continuously high standards for at least five years.
-
Demonstrated consistent commitment to and support for the work of AEE.
-
Exemplifies high ethical standards.
-
Is actively involved with and committed to the values and mission of AEE.
-
Is a current member of AEE.
Award Winner Receives: One year organizational membership in AEE, plaque/award
Past Recipients:
2017 - Enviros
2016 - Thompson Island Outward Bound
2015 - Brevard College
2014 - Camp Mary Orton
2013 - The Mosaic Project
2012 - Prescott College
2011 - High 5 Adventure Learning Center
2009 - College of DuPage
2008 - Santa Fe Mountain Center
2007 - Sterling College
2006 - Georgia College and State University,Outdoor Education Academic Program
2005 - Omni Youth Service
2004 - Project Use
2003 - The University of New Hampshire's Outdoor Education Program
2002 - The Challenge Course Advisory
2001 - Learning Unlimited Corporation
2000 - Washington State University 4-H Bonney Lake Challenge
1998 - Joseph Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp
1997 - Project Adventure
This award recognizes individuals for their active, excellent servant leadership to the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) and its members.
Servant leadership is a timeless concept and has been around for centuries. The phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead." And “A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible."
The award originated in 1997.
Christy Brock, LISW-S, CCAT, grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio, and began working with children and families as a social worker in 2004, where she also found her way into the world of adventure therapy. In 2016, she attended her first AEE conference and found far more than a professional community. AEE and TAPG have shaped her career, while also giving her some of her closest friendships, greatest adventures, and most treasured memories.
Christy founded New Adventures Counseling in 2018, where she provides community-based adventure therapy and works to make experiential therapy more accessible. She is equally passionate about mentoring emerging professionals and welcoming them into the community that has given her so much.
Christy has served TAPG as Member-at-Large, Pre-Conference Convener, Vice Chair, Chair, and Outgoing Chair, alongside conference planning, certification work, professional training, and helping create the TAPG Roots & Wings Fund. She has presented nationally and internationally and currently serves as a United States National Representative for the International Association for Adventure and Nature Based Therapies.
Christy believes leadership is less about authority and more about creating spaces where people can grow, belong, and eventually lead alongside us.
Criteria:
-
Has demonstrated active, excellent servant leadership to AEE at a regional or international level for at least five years.
-
Focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the AEE communities to which they belong.
-
Demonstrates a passionate commitment to furthering experiential education principles.
-
Exemplifies high ethical standards.
-
Is actively involved with and committed to the values and mission of AEE.
- Is a current member of AEE.
Award Winner Receives: One year individual membership in AEE, plaque/award
Past Recipients:
2017 - Maurie Lung
2016 - Elizabeth Speelman
2015 - John Regentin
2014 - Christine Norton
2013 - Andrew Bobilya
2012 - Anita Tucker
2011 - Terry Nail-Williams
2010 - Joel Cryer, Aleta Meyer, Deb Sugerman
2009 - Steve Pace, Scott Robertshaw
2008 - Jude Hirsch, Sandy Newes, Dennis Call
2007 - Bobbi Beale, MB Buckner
2006 - Brenda Porter, Jeanine Stocks
2005 - Scott Banderoff, Katrina Guerkink, Marianne Scippa
2004 - Al Rock, Jennifer Payne, Christian Itin
2003 - Mark Rowland, Sam Tower
2002 - Charles "Reb" Gregg
2001 - Anna Kay Vorsteg, Mark Guidry
2000 - Sylvia Dresser, Margaret Lechner, Zeke Zeliff
1999 - Rob Rubendall
1998 - Michael Terrien, Chris Lupton, Tex Texeira
1997 - Rick Curtis, Bill Proudman, Nina Roberts
This award is presented to an individual whose outstanding commitment to experiential education principles are evidenced through the design, creation and/or production of experiential education resources.
The award originated in 1997 and was named after Karl Rohnke. Karl was an innovative teacher and program developer. His creative and experiential facilitation style laid the foundations for adventure program development for individual and team growth in schools, colleges, corporations, camps, therapy, and elder education. Play, challenge, fun, and laughter were tools he used to enhance learning experiences whether in indoor and in outdoor settings.
For over two decades, Rochester dedicated her career to bringing passion for the wilderness, movement, and experiential learning into the classroom and beyond. Joining Colorado State University Pueblo as a professor in 2000, she taught and mentored both undergraduate and graduate students in health and physical education. Her research focused on youth development through physical activity—with a special emphasis on creating opportunities for high-risk youth—and driving meaningful curriculum reform.
Rochester firmly believed that learning should extend far past traditional walls. An avid hiker, kayaker, and biker, she integrated outdoor adventure into her professional focus, proving the transformative possibilities that emerge when physical activity and education come together with purpose. Her influence reached broadly across the field through her leadership in the Association for Experiential Education (AEE), where she facilitated numerous workshops at both the regional and international levels.
Rochester's legacy lives on through the generations of students, educators, and young people whose lives she shaped. Most recently, her profound impact on the community was commemorated by colleagues at the Rocky Mountain Regional AEE conference through the workshop "The Living Canopy: Weaving Legacy, Nature, and Collective Healing."
Criteria:
-
Has designed, created, and/or produced one or more of the following experiential education resources and/or events: video, book, workshop/seminar, newsletter, artwork, article, play, electronic-media resource, program, product or educational materials.
- Utilizes play, challenge, fun, and laughter in their work.
- Demonstrates an outstanding commitment to experiential education principles.
- Lives and works with a passion for experiential education.
- Exemplifies high ethical standards.
- Is actively involved with and committed to the values and mission of AEE.
- Is a current member of AEE.
Award Winner Receives: One year individual membership in AEE, plaque/award
Past Recipients:
2017 - Michelle Cummings
2016 - Amy Climer
2015 - Gary Stauffer
2014 - Madhu Sudan
2013 - no award given
2012 - Marilyn Levin
2011 - Maurie Lung
2010 - Kim Wasserburger
2009 - Brent Bell
2008 - Chris Cavert
2007 - TA Loeffler
2006 - Clifford Knapp
2005 - Tom Smith
2004 - no award given
2003 - Thomas A. Shearer
2002 - no award given
2001 - Rufus Collinson
2000 - Sam Sikes
1999 - Jim Cain
1998 - Mobile Team Challenge
1997 - Sandy Carlson
This award honors an experiential practitioner who has exhibited consistently high levels of performance in working directly with students, participants, clients, etc. This person's work demonstrates that a practitioner can bring about significant change and impact in the lives of people in their program.
The award was established in 1986. In 1989, the name of the award was changed to the Michael Stratton Practitioner Award in honor of the first recipient. Mike Stratton was involved with Outward Bound since its initial course in the mid-sixties in Colorado. He later worked at the Carroll School in Massachusetts where he created a special program for children with dyslexia. Mike’s accomplishments, high energy and perseverance are a great model for practitioners everywhere.
Natalia Rakar-Szabo is a Central European Psychologist, LMSW, LCPC, LMFT, and Nature-Adventure Therapy practitioner. Across her 30-year career, including 18 years in experiential practice, she has focused on people facing adversity and exclusion. She combines individual, family, and group therapeutic work with professional education, research, and evaluation.
A co-founder of the European GATE and Ukrainian Association of N-AT, she is affiliated with AEE, and has been active in IATC-IAANT since 2010, currently co-chairing two working groups.
Driven by her Ukrainian roots, Natalia has devoted much of her work since 2022 to war-affected communities in Ukraine. Living there for extended periods and returning frequently, she continues to work with displaced people, veterans, and military families while pioneering nationwide Nature-Adventure Therapy training and supervision for Ukrainian psychologists and psychotherapists.
Dr. Lia Naor is a nature-based psychotherapist, social worker, researcher, and educator whose work advances Experiential Education and Nature-Based Therapy in Israel. She founded Ways of Knowing, a center for nature therapy that provides professional training and nature based experiential processes for personal development. She also supports a thriving community of professionals committed to ethical, research-informed practice. Lia brings nature-based and experiential approaches into academic programs, healthcare organizations, and community settings, translating rigorous research into innovative, accessible models of care. Within hours of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, she established Healing Space, an integrative, community-based response to trauma in nature. The initiative supported more than 6,000 survivors of the music festivals and their families, mobilized hundreds of volunteers, and inspired the development of experiential and integrative evidence-based interventions for trauma in Israel and internationally. Across her roles as practitioner, researcher, educator, and mother, Lia combines professional excellence with creativity, and compassion. She is especially committed to creating innovative therapeutic opportunities for populations - so we do not only survive these times, but flourish by creating the conditions for post-traumatic growth, renewed connection, and the flourishing of people, communities, and the living world in times of profound disruption.
Criteria:
-
Demonstrates that a practitioner can bring about significant change and impact in the lives of people in their program.
-
Exemplifies consistently high levels of performance as a practitioner of experiential education.
- Possesses a solid knowledge of quality standards and exhibits this knowledge throughout their practicing career.
- Works on program delivery directly with clients, students, participants, etc. on a frequent basis.
- Is ideally a full-time experiential educator.
- Lives and works with a passion for experiential education.
- Is a practitioner more than a theorist.
- Exemplifies high ethical standards.
- Is actively involved with and committed to the values and mission of AEE.
- Is a current member of AEE.
Award Winner Receives: $250 from the Michael Stratton Practitioner Award Permanently Restricted Fund, one year individual membership in AEE, plaque/award
Past Recipients:
2017 - Jeff Wilson
2016 - Chih-Mou Hsieh
2015 - Kim Sacksteder
2014 - Tony Alvarez
2013- Ken Kalisch
2012 - Sandy Kohn
2011 - Rick Medrick
2010 - Pam McPhee
2009 - David W. Lovejoy
2008 - Gary Stauffer
2007 - Denise Mitten
2006 - Bob Henderson
2005 - Jim Schoel
2004 - no award given
2003 - Marty Knuth
2002 - Thomas Leahy
2001 - Jean Berube
2000 - H. "Lee" Gillis
1999 - Richard Rutschman
1998 - Karen Warren
1997 - Laurie Frank
1996 - Dan Creely & Angel Russek
1995 - JoAnna Woo Allen
1994 - Craig Dobkin
1993 - Betsy Caldwell Dalgliesh
1992 - Deborah Eads
1991 - Sanford Tollette
1990 - Karl Rohnke
1989 - Reno Taini
1988 - Ava Heinrichsdorff
1987 - Keith King
1986 - Michael Stratton
The Dr. Nina S. Roberts Social Justice Award recognizes people who have actively engaged in social justice and advocacy aimed at making the lives of others and/or communities better through empowerment, environmental justice, research, community organizing, civic engagement, social and/or systems change related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging initiatives.
This award was created in honor of Dr. Nina S. Roberts, who was a bold visionary, social justice leader, researcher, trainer and practitioner. Dr. Roberts was internationally recognized for her work on urban youth, women, and girls in outdoor environments, highlighting the vital connection between nature and the development of healthy lifestyles. Dr. Roberts spent over twenty years working in the field with the National Park Service. She was a Fullbright scholar, a prolific writer and always wove advocacy, social justice, inclusion, empowerment, anti-oppression, anti-racism, power dynamics, and critical analysis into her published works and training. She was a force of nature and a brilliant activist, always willing to take the lead and challenge the status quo. You can learn more about Dr. Roberts and her work at her website.
Sky Gray is the Program Manager for the Valley of the Moon Children’s Center within the Sonoma County Human Services Department. She is a dedicated advocate for children and youth and a strong proponent for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Sky is a master trainer in Adverse Childhood Experiences(ACEs) and a lead trainer in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC). She advances transformative organizational culture work, including the implementation of our strong peer support program.
Sky in conjunction with other county leaders, was appointed to work on the countywide expansion of a shared racial equity framework with the Sonoma County Office of Equity. Sky and the CORE team are currently working on a training team roll out of the recently developed equity-based competencies for all managers across 21 County departments. Sky has held a variety of leadership roles throughout their career, including serving as Executive Director of the Mountain Center for 16 years, and served as Director of Accreditation for AEE and served on the Accreditation Council.Criteria
The award recognizes a person (or persons) engaged in social justice and advocacy, with a minimum of at least 3 of the following components related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work:
- Actively engaged in demonstrated social justice action aimed at making the lives of others and /or communities better.
- Engaged in empowerment of marginalized individuals and/or communities.
- Engaged in community organizing and systems change that promote human rights and social justice action.
Youth advocacy in communities. - Advocacy for BIPOC and marginalized communities across the life span.
- Demonstrated evidence of ongoing inclusive change within their community/communities, programs, organizations or groups.
- Is actively involved with and committed to the values and mission of AEE.
- Is a current member of AEE.
- Nominator and/or nominee should work, volunteer and/or be a student in experiential education, therapeutic adventure or a related field, or a social justice advocate within a community.
Award Winner Receives: One year individual membership in AEE, plaque/award
Past Recipients:
2025 - Rita Yerkes
2024 - Bobbi Beale
2023 - Sanford Tollette and Binky Martin-Tollette