Our History
Inside Education has over 38 years of environmental and natural resource education under our belts. Check out some key points along the way.
Historical Timeline
Incorporated as FEESA
Friends Of Environmental Education Society Of Alberta
Our First Learning Resource Developed
The two-volume Northern Alberta Environmental Education Program
Jim Martin, Founder of FEESA Becomes Its First Employee
Our First Professional Development Program
A 14 Day Forestry Education Institute in Grande Prairie and a Water Education Institute in Lethbridge
Alberta’s First Climate Change Teacher Professional Development
Atmospheric Change Education Summer Institute
Our First In-School Program
Our First Multimedia Classroom Program
"The Boreal Forest" - Three 1-hour videos featuring Nathan Fillion…
Yes, that Nathan Fillion!
Established an Office in Calgary
with partnership from the University of Calgary
Our First Forest Field Site
Opened our first Forest Field site at Jumpingpound Demonstration in Kananaskis
Our Presentation at NAAEE Conference
Invited to present at North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Conference in South Padre Island, Texas
Opened Des Crossley Demonstration Forest
Located in Rocky Mountain House
Rebrand To Inside Education Society of Alberta
Inaugural ForestEDWest Conference
Western Canada’s first ever conference dedicated to forest education
Steve McIsaac Becomes Executive Director
Launch of Wetlands Programming
In partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada
Second ForestEDWest Conference
Celebrated 25 Years!
First Provincial Youth Summit
Generate: Youth Energy Literacy Summit
Purchased our Edmonton Office
We purchased a downtown house for our Edmonton office
Hosted Navigate: Youth Water Education and Leadership Summit
Won ECO Canada’s Award for Canadian Environmental Employer of the Year
Established two new Forest Field Trip Sites
Huestis in Whitecourt and Evergreen in Grande Prairie
Awarded Best Workplace for Working Parents by Alberta Venture Magazine
First Experiential Careers Education Program, Alberta Boreal Careers Summit
Held Our First Edmonton Based Junior High School Summit
Edmonton Energy Efficiency
Created Water Innovation and Stewardship Education Kits and Solar Lantern Projects For Electricity Education
Celebrated 30 Years!
Citizen Science Program Begins
With Clean Air Responsible Schools (C.A.R.S) and PlantWatch programs
Creation of Jim Martin Legacy Fund
Established Our Wood Buffalo Forest Site and RMWB Regional Sustainability Summit
Jumpingpound Demonstration Forest Program Celebrates 20 Years
Our Programming Reaches 111 Alberta Communities in One School Year
Inside Education adopts the A+ for Energy Program from BP Canada
Celebrate a Decade of Youth Education Summits
With our first agriculture summit: Cultivate
Emerald Award for Public Education and Outreach
Introduction of Virtual Classroom Presentations
Launched Energy Education Tool Kit project
Reaching 79 schools and more than 4,000 students
Added a new province-wide wetlands program
Hosted two virtual Youth Summits for over 1,000 students
With Generate and Cultivate
ForestEDWest returns for the first time since 2006
Emerald Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive Director Steve McIsaac
30 years of supporting teachers and inspiring students in environmental education
A+ for Energy Program celebrates 15 years
With 22 grants awarded to 23 schools in 2022
In-person Youth Summits Return - Cultivate 2022
Second Youth Agriculture Leadership Summit
Hosted Generate/Navigate Youth Environmental Leadership Summit
With 160 students and teachers from 20 high schools across Alberta and northeast BC
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal awarded to Executive Director Steve McIsaac
Hosted Energy Futures National Summer Teacher’s Institute
24 teachers from 8 provinces on a 5-day adventure