ACES Welcomes New Education Director

---

Arin Trook joins full-time staff to direct regional education program.
Press Release: Aspen, Colorado, September 3, 2013 — Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) announces the hire of Arin Trook as Education Director. Arin brings 20 years of professional experience including in-class teaching, promotion of ecological citizenship, and experiential education. His work has focused on educator training and teacher development. Most recently, Arin worked as education manager with NatureBridge in Yosemite, where he was in charge of hiring, training, and ongoing development of the education staff. This included hiring and managing a staff of 35 educators, planning and coordinating new staff training, and providing year-round in-service training programs. Arin graduated from Stanford University with a BA Degree in Education and from Berkeley with a Masters in Education Psychology.
 
Arin has taught graduate level classes in ecology and education at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Lesley University’s Audubon Expedition Institute, as well as supervised educators in field and classroom settings. Arin developed a nationally recognized wilderness program for foster youth; designed and ran semester field programs in Alaska, California, Utah, and Mexico; and worked as a staff-development specialist, running trainings for organizations in Colorado, California, Utah, and Germany.
 
ACES CEO, Chris Lane said, “Arin will create and improve ACES’ environmental science curricula for all education programs. He will supervise and mentor ACES’ team of educators and staff on best environmental education practices, and coordinate, as well as teach, in-school, after-school, and field programs. He will also expand and innovate ACES environmental education programs.”
 
Arin Trook said “Environmental science education—experiential, holistic education— is a critical tool for sculpting ecologically literate leaders and innovators to address the complex environmental challenges of the 21st century. As Education Director, I will provide leadership to refine and expand the reach and capacity of environmental science education at ACES, maintaining relevance in an evolving cultural and environmental landscape.”
 
Arin will manage ACES’ nationally acclaimed full-time environmental science education programs at Crystal River Elementary School in Carbondale, Basalt Elementary School, and Aspen Elementary School. He will also oversee environmental science education in-school and field programs for over 42 schools in the region. Arin worked as a Naturalist and Educator for ACES from 1996-2000, and we are pleased to welcome him and his family to the Roaring Fork Valley.
 
Teachers are encouraged to schedule field programs by emailing atrook@aspennature.org.

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is a non-profit environmental science education organization with four sites in the Roaring Fork Valley. This summer, ACES celebrates its 45th year of service to the community, working to promote ecological literacy by building a community of knowledgeable, capable and motivated environmental stewards.

####