We Are All From Somewhere
George Ella Lyon, Kentucky Poet Laureate
Designed for K–12 educators, the 2025 Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) Outdoor Learning Symposium at Cowan Elementary School in Whitesburg featured keynote speaker, Kentucky Poet Laureate, and Harlan native, George Ella Lyon, who read from a selection of her picture books and poetry.
She ended the session with an exercise based on her 1993 poem “Where I'm From" rooted in memorable images of her youth. She prompted attendees to explore the concept of personal identity in the same way by constructing and sharing their own one-line version of imagery drawn from their outdoor memories. As the microphone circulated the room, meaningful memories of connectedness to the natural world were shared. Collectively, the words conveyed complex imagery of the Kentucky landscape and illustrated an excellent example of how simply we can harness an intuitive connection to nature.
This powerful writing prompt has made its way through the academic sphere and beyond, inspiring countless others to delve into their own experiences in the same way, through writing, visual arts and collective projects, including the Where I'm From project maintained by the Kentucky Arts Council.
George Ella Lyon has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles. Her picture book All the Water in the World is a personal favorite of PEEC instructor and retired teacher, Vivian Bowles. You can find out more about George Ella Lyon through her website, including a list of her works and how they can be used for education in and out of the classroom.