One of Camp Agapé's 7 major goals is Creation Stewardship: "We experience the wonders and teach appreciation for creation." Every day, campers discover God's creation through creek explorations, woodland hikes, wildlife encounters, and hands-on learning that inspires a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.
That same mission continues year-round through the Agapé Center for Environmental Education (ACE Ed). ACE Ed welcomes students from schools across North Carolina for immersive, hands-on learning experiences that explore water quality, ecosystems, animal adaptations, tree identification, and many other environmental topics. Through these programs, students discover the wonder of God's creation while developing an appreciation for the natural world and their role in caring for it.
Our commitment to excellence in environmental education was recently recognized as Krista Roa, Director of ACE Ed, completed North Carolina's Environmental Education Certification Program, administered by the N.C. Office of Environmental Education.
Through the certification program, Krista expanded her knowledge, collaborated with educators across the state, and even completed a community partnership project that improved our own campus. Working alongside her son's Scout troop, she built new pond sampling platforms that now allow more students to safely collect water samples and study aquatic life during ACE Ed field trips.
Krista says the certification also changed the way she teaches.
"Giving people the best information I'm able to give so that they can make decisions that are beneficial to them and to others has become one of my central goals."
Today, the N.C. Office of Environmental Education—which administers this nationally respected certification program—is facing the possibility of being eliminated through the state budget process.
This office provides educator training, professional certification, environmental literacy resources, and statewide leadership that benefit schools, camps, parks, and nonprofits like Agapé. Eliminating it would remove an important resource that helps educators inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
If you believe experiences in God's creation help shape young lives, we encourage you to respectfully contact your state legislative leaders and ask them to continue supporting the N.C. Office of Environmental Education.
At Agapé, we believe caring for creation is part of caring for our neighbors. Thank you for supporting ministries like ACE Ed that help young people experience, understand, and steward God's world.