Kelly Keena has dedicated 25 years of her life to the education sector, both locally and internationally. Her contributions to environmental and STEM education have been significant.
She currently holds the position of senior director at the Office of Research Experiences and Education for UL Research Institutes, a global non-profit organization that focuses on safety science.
Kelly is the researcher behind the Colorado Collective Outcomes for Environmental Education project, which was created in conjunction with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education.
The project's aim is to build capacity for collective evaluation by bringing together practitioners, funders, and evaluators.
With over ten years of experience as a public-school non-formal educator and science teacher leader, Kelly is well-versed in the field.
Kelly's research interests revolve around the quality of the learning experience, rather than the number of hours spent on it.
She has worked in various capacities, including teacher professional development, resource and curriculum development, and as an EE advisor.
Madeline Bachner Lane, program director of Cottonwood Institute, commends Kelly's impact on the field. She describes her as a thoughtful leader who continuously seeks new knowledge and provides insightful critiques.
Kelly's goal as an educator is to create a safer world that promotes environmental and human well-being.
She is also a faculty member of the Educator Academy in the Amazon, which supports teacher professional development through science and place-based education in Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
Previously, she co-founded Blue Lotus Consulting & Evaluation to assist organizations in better understanding their impact on environmental education.
She has also volunteered on various nonprofit boards and has worked with over 1500 educators in five countries.
Christa Dillabaugh, director of Amazon Rainforest Workshops, praises Kelly's contagious passion for the environment and environmental education.
