Center for Energy & Environmental Education
Join us in empowering Iowans with the knowledge, experiences, tools, and inspiration needed to create a sustainable and desirable future for our communities.
The Center for Energy & Environmental Education (CEEE) creates opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at the University of Northern Iowa and beyond to work with community leaders to arrive at evidence-based, solution-oriented responses to the problems they wish to address. We offer technical assistance and services, educational programs, and leadership in energy and environmental conservation, community-based agriculture, and environmental health through staff, national service members, and volunteers. The CEEE serves cities, counties, school districts, teachers, farmers, businesses, elected officials, state agencies, organizations, and individuals.
Environmental Health Program
The Environmental Health Program initiatives focus on community practices and state strategies that significantly reduce exposure to pesticides and other preventable pollutants.
Green Iowa AmeriCorps
Empowering Iowa for a greener future through service, education and engagement.
Green Iowa AmeriCorps is a state-wide AmeriCorps program focusing on environmental stewardship, energy efficiency, and sustainability.
Local Food Program
Strengthening Iowa's local food economy
The Local Food Program works to develop a local and regional food system that positively impacts local farmers, consumers, and businesses through education, collaboration, and economic development.
Resilient Iowa Communities
Helping Iowa cities and counties achieve their sustainability, resiliency, and quality-of-life goals.
Resilient Iowa Communities (RIC) is a voluntary assistance & recognition program for Iowa cities and counties aimed at providing resources and recognition for communities to grow and thrive.
CEEE Calendar
Local Food Producer/Buyer Networking Event
Wed, Jan 14 2026
8:30am - 10:30am
Diamond Event Center, Cedar Falls
Local Food Leader 101 Certification
Thu, Jan 15 2026 - Fri, Jan 16 2026
12:00pm - 4:00pm
UNI Center for Energy and Environmental Education Room 115
Farmers Market Workshop
Sat, Jan 24 2026
8:00am - 12:00pm
Waterloo Center for the Arts
Neighborhood Resiliency Services
The CEEE offers a number of services and resources for communities to save money on energy bills, have access to healthy local food, and provide shade and other benefits through tree planting. Find more information about these programs below or if you have a question or need help signing up for any of these services get in touch with us at uni-ceee@uni.edu or by phone at (319) 273-7599
Residential Energy Audits
Reduce your energy bills and your home’s energy usage with a free residential energy audit. Our Green Iowa AmeriCorps team will come assess the efficiency and safety of appliances, perform a blower door test, and identify ways to help you reduce your energy usage and save money.
Sign up for an Energy Audit through the form below or by giving us a call at (319) 273-7599
Neighborhood Trees
Interested in seeing more trees planted in your community? We help make our public spaces pleasant and beautiful by working with communities and homeowners to identify areas lacking in trees, and offering our tree planting and volunteer organizing services.
Learn more on our Neighborhood Trees page below.
Backyard Garden Installation
Through our Garden in Every Lot program we help individuals and community organizations overcome barriers to starting gardens. Interested in starting a garden in your own backyard? We can help with identifying the best location for your garden, tilling the space, and providing vegetable plants to get you started!
Learn more on our Garden in Every Lot page.
Our National Service Programs: Getting Things Done
Green Iowa AmeriCorps
Empowering Iowa for a greener future through service, education and engagement.
Green Iowa AmeriCorps (GIA) is Iowa's leader in boots-on-the-ground energy and environmental services. GIA offers opportunities for our members to gain hands on skills while helping communities and making Iowa a better place to call home. Members focus on a variety of topics including environmental education, community outreach, energy efficiency, sustainability, climate action planning, and conservations efforts across the state!
Nourish Iowa VISTA AmeriCorps
Increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables in Iowa's communities.
Nourish Iowa VISTA members are focused on food access initiatives in Iowa. Our members serve in capacity-building positions with our partner sites across Iowa to incorporate land access, transportation, and financial support as integral pieces to support abundant food access and each person's opportunity to choose the foods they eat.
Support our work
Your support helps us continue providing services and helping Iowans all across the state!
Support can come in many different forms, whether that's showing up as a volunteer to support our community projects, donating supplies to help us do our work in the community, or financial donations that help support our programs. We appreciate it all, and your generosity makes a huge difference!
| Friends of the CEEE | Donate |
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A Friend of the CEEE is someone who shares in and supports our mission to empower Iowans with the knowledge, experiences, tools, and inspiration needed to create a sustainable and desirable future for our communities. Subscribe to our Friends of the CEEE Newsletter to be kept up to date on the latest things happening at our Center!
| We accept all sorts of donations! It could be donating your time volunteering at an event, a financial donation to support our programs, or a donation of supplies like tools, work gloves, education materials, and more. Visit the Support our Center page to learn more!
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