About Salem Environmental Education
Our Partners
Our Partners
Our Partners
From the beginning, SEE’s mission has been rooted in partnership with community agencies and organizations—providing programs and resources that build awareness, foster curiosity, and strengthen the connection between people and the environment.
Our Team
Our Partners
Our Partners
Salem Environmental Education has become a trusted environmental resource, delivering high-quality programs led by a team of expert educators and dedicated board members.
Our History
Our Partners
Our History
In December 2016, a group of passionate
teachers and local scientists, led by Jon Yoder, came together to form Salem Environmental
Education to address the growing need for environmental education in the Salem area. Their goal was to provide educational opportunities that inspire environmental stewardship and equip people with practical skills to take action within their communities.
Our Partners
Marion Soil & Water Conservation District protects soil, water, and natural resources through conservation and education. Locally, MSWCD helps support environmental education by providing grants for learning experiences that connect community members to the natural world.
SEE has been a recipient of the MSWCD CLEAR Grant.
The City of Salem's partnership with SEE plays
a role in teaching community members how to care for the environment.
The City safeguards local natural resources through education and stewardship as part of its Clean Streams Initiative. The Clean Streams Team works to inspire environmental responsibility across all generations.
The City of Keizer supports environmental education through hands‑on outdoor learning, community stewardship, and partnerships that help students and residents build a relationship with the natural world.
CastawayWU is a student organization at Willamette University focused on connecting students with meaningful, community-centered conservation work in Salem. The organization operates through four interdependent pillars: community, education, research, and action.
Oregon State University Extension - Marion County provides a vast network of teachers, experts, mentors, and volunteers who work in collaboration with SEE to deliver high quality environmental education to people of all ages.
OSU Extension offers research-based knowledge and advice through one-on-one conversations with experts, workshops, conferences, publications, hotlines, online classes, and youth development clubs and activities.
OFRI supports environmental education by focusing on forestry and natural resources through K-12 programs, teacher professional development, and public outreach.
Their efforts aim to enhance understanding
of forest ecology, sustainable management, and
the environmental, social, and economic
benefits of Oregon's forests.
Our team
Executive Director - Brandy Slawik
Brandy's multifaceted career as an educator and curriculum developer has taken her from the elementary classroom to the outdoors, working with Orange County Outdoor Science School and the City of Salem.
In 2022, Brandy launched a business venture dedicated to expanding access to high‑quality environmental science education throughout communities. Her journey as an entrepreneur led her to partner with a nationally recognized curriculum provider and edtech platform, where she designed K–5 science curriculum for school districts across Texas and Florida. Later, her educational leadership brought her expertise into the nonprofit sector, developing instructional content for Agriculture in the Classroom and further advancing her commitment to meaningful, community centered science education.
BOARD MEMBERS
President - Laurie Aguirre
Retired, but working harder than ever, Laurie Aguirre continues to champion environmental education as a certified Master Recycler, Climate Master, and Crystal Apple Award winner. Laurie spent over 30 years teaching for the Salem-Keizer School District and Optimum Learning Environments Charter and continues to support SEE’s programs to inspire and empower youth.
Treasurer - Jenny Glass
Jenny has been working in the nonprofit sector in Oregon since 2010. She was the founding Executive Director of The Rosewood Initiative in Portland. Since 2020, her work has expanded to support community development across the Pacific NW. She is excited to put her nonprofit and financial management knowledge to good use supporting SEE while also taking advantage of the programming for herself and her family.
Secretary - Deborah Topp
Deborah Topp serves as a supervisor for the City of Salem's Public Works Department, overseeing Environmental Education and Outreach; Stormwater Inspections; and Urban Streamside Programs, including the summer Stream Crew. In her role, she and the Clean Streams Team focus on engaging community members to promote environmental stewardship through education and outreach initiatives.
Previously, Deborah worked as a Natural Resources Outreach Specialist, where she collaborated with residents to encourage water conservation, reduce pollution, and protect local watershed resources. Her efforts contributed to the City of Salem receiving several awards, including the Excellence in Communications and Conservation Awards from the American Water Works Association and the Excellence in Environmental Education Award from the Environmental Education Association of Oregon.
Board Member - Kelly Noack
Kelly Noack is a 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator with Marion County OSU Extension. She partners with schools and communities to deliver outdoor education including Outdoor School, Nature Journaling, Salmon Watch, and Outdoor Explorers. She leads the Junior Master Gardeners Program and is a certified Master Gardener who loves time outdoors with her family and two Springer Spaniels.
Board Member - Kaileigh Westerman
Kaileigh has worked in Oregon’s environmental field since 2012 and currently serves in the City of Keizer’s Environmental & Technical Division. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Willamette University and an M.S. in Education, Leadership & Policy from Portland State. Passionate about community and sustainability, she shares her experience to support SEE’s work in Salem.
Board Member - Terii Ault
Terii is a former educator in the Salem-Keizer School District, including Optimum Learning Environments Charter, and spent 9 years as an instructional coach in California. She now uses her tech skills to support Salem Environmental Education through event coordination, marketing, and social media, helping connect the community to environmental learning opportunities.
Salem Environmental Education: Our History
Salem Environmental Education grew from the vision of Jon Yoder, an award‑winning North Salem High School science teacher for 23 years. During his years in the classroom and later as a district science and STEM specialist, Jon saw firsthand the deep connection students built with the environment when learning outside - observing streams, restoring habitat, and asking real questions about the natural world around them. That belief became the foundation of SEE.
Today, although Jon has retired, the mission he began continues through a dedicated board of educators, science professionals, and community members who carry forward SEE’s founding purpose: creating environmental awareness, stewardship, and connection through education. The organization remains deeply rooted in collaboration with community, honoring its history while continuing to expand opportunities for people to learn, explore, and care for the natural resources that sustain them.
Volunteer
Salem Environmental Education is powered
by volunteers who care about education, nature,
and community. Join our team and help bring hands-on environmental learning to life.