EE Events and Resources

Learning Opportunities from the Department of Public Instruction:

  1. Scholarships are still available (but are going fast!) to attend Connect, Explore, Engage in Inquiry(July 29 – 31, Wisconsin Dells). Attend for 1, 2, or 3 days and choose from 6 different day-long workshops! Learn about inquiry in the standards, tools to support inquiry, inquiry unit design, and more!
  2. Wisconsin Studies Symposium (July 16, Madison Concourse Hotel) is open to K-12 teachers who want to learn more about Wisconsin history, government, geography, and economics, as well as ways to incorporate these topics into the classroom. Cost is $25/person and includes lunch.
  3. Connecting Elementary and Middle School Science and Social Studies through Inquiry (July 30 in Madisonor July 31 in Wisconsin Dells) is a hands-on day (bring your curriculum!) for educators to see the connection between science and social studies expectations and to bring inquiry into the K-8 classroom. Kevin Anderson, our Science consultant, Kris McDaniel, our Social Studies consultant, and I have been exploring what inquiry looks like in elementary and middle school. This resulted in designing this workshop appropriate for K-8 classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and library media specialists. Although not required, you will get more out of it with a district team attending. There are two dates/venues, but they will offer the same information and resources. Cost is $35/person and includes lunch.

Trees for Tomorrow Themed Courses

Trees For Tomorrow is excited to offer our Wildlife and Careers themed course for High Schools scheduled for November 3-6  and our NEW Energy/Climate and Careers themed course scheduled for December 11-14.

For who: These courses are for groups of students (2-15 students per group) and at least 1 teacher from your school.

Why Trees For Tomorrow?

  • We do the teaching! Our professional Environmental Science Teachers have formal classroom experience, Master’s Degrees, and a variety of experience teaching in environmental education settings.
  • We have updated curriculum aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.
  • We are an accredited school! Our goal is to be an extension of your classroom. Relevant and fun!
  • Our curriculum incorporates natural resources careers to help you meet some of your ACP requirements!
  • Only $65 per person for all courses, 3 nights lodging, all meals, and transportation to off-campus field sites.

Contact Cheryl today for more information and to schedule your natural resource field experience for you and your students!

Preparing today’s youth to be tomorrow’s stewards of our natural world.

Science, Stewardship, and Storytelling:
An Exploration of Place and Service-Learning

July 22 – July 26, 2019
Conserve School, Land ‘O Lakes, Wisconsin

Green Schools National Network and Conserve School invite you and your students to a week of service and learning in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Throughout the week, participants will explore our relationship with the land and how it has evolved over time. We will investigate Science, Stewardship and Storytelling through Ecological Knowledge,
Indigenous Knowledge, Climate Change and invasive species removal.

Finally, no summer escape to Conserve School would be complete without a chance to connect with the campus’ 1,200 acres of lakes, woods, and meadows through swimming, canoeing, forest bathing, hammocking, or just relaxing on the beach with a good book. The week is designed so that educators may come by themselves or bring a group of students. There will be a mix of full group activities and opportunities for students and adults to go their separate ways. Outcomes for teachers and students will be a curriculum plan for translating what they learn in the Northwoods to their home communities.

Register now!

National Children & Youth Garden Symposium

Join us this summer for the American Horticultural Society’s 27th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS), taking place in Madison, Wisconsin, July 10-13. At this professional development event we are “cultivating tomorrow’s gardeners by energizing, inspiring and training today’s garden educators.” The theme of this year’s symposium is “Building Blocks for a Sustainable Future.” In addition to a full slate of peer-led educational sessions, the symposium schedule will include:

  • a keynote presentation by Pashon Murray, sustainability advocate and founder of Detroit Dirt
  • tours of area garden- and environmentally-focused attractions including Troy Kids’ Garden, the Madison Children’s Museum, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin
  • opportunities for networking with fellow educators including ‘Ice Cream & Ice Breakers’ at Allen Centennial Garden on the UW-Madison campus
  • a pre-symposium workshop focusing on equity and food justice with Soul Fire Farm’s Amani Olugbala
  • and much more!

Registration is now open with early bird rates in place until May 25.  Discounted registration for AHS members. For full details click here.

American Indian Studies in Wisconsin

About the Training

This training will provide in-depth presentation and discussion on American Indian Studies in Wisconsin (often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31). The focus is to help educators understand and implement Wisconsin Act 31, which is a state law requiring all public school districts and pre-service teacher programs to provide instruction on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the eleven federally-recognized American Indian nations in the state of Wisconsin.

This training is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and information they need to integrate the requirements of American Indian Studies into lesson plans, material selections, pedagogical practices, and district curriculum. Information about the Wisconsin American Indian nations’ histories, treaty rights, sovereignty, and cultures will be presented throughout the training.

Participant Outcomes

As a result of participating in this training, participants will:

  • Have an opportunity to share best practices, information, model programs, and resources with administrators and teachers.
  • Increase knowledge about American Indian Studies in Wisconsin.
  • Meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’slicensing stipulations regarding American Indian Studies and Wisconsin Act 31 requirements for educators trained outside of Wisconsin.

***Please note this training workshop will meet the licensure stipulation if the training workshop is completed along with completing two follow-up assignments. These assignments will be discussed in detail at the completion of the training workshop.

Target Audience

  • District Administrators
  • Principals
  • Directors of Instruction/Curriculum Coordinators
  • K-12 Teachers
  • Any others with an interest in American Indian Studies

May 10, 2019 | Stevens Point, WI
Learn More | Register

Urban Ecology Center

Come join us in Milwaukee for community science and habitat restoration study at the Urban Ecology Center!

We are offering two 2-day focus workshops over the last week of June 2019 and we’d like to invite YOU!

  • Community Science: Supporting Urban Collaborative Spaces (June 24 & 25)— a course on collaborative spaces for research between professional and community scientists, creating more engaged, knowledgeable and ecologically literal communities.
  • Community Engaged Habitat Restoration (June 27 &28)—a course in land restoration and working with public land in partnership with government and community partners.

Who should attend? Non-profit and public sector employees, park staff, nature center staff, land managers, city revitalizers and planners, community activists, academic institutions and YOU!

Program Fee: $400 for each workshop (lunch included)

  • If you join us for both workshops, you will receive a $100 discount off the total fee.
  • Please inquire for scholarship opportunities.

To find more information and register for the workshops please follow these links:

Community Science: Supporting Urban Collaborative Spaces

Community Engaged Habitat Restoration

Learning Opportunities from DPI: 

  1. Connect, Explore, Engage in Inquiry(July 29 – 31, Wisconsin Dells) registration is now available! Educators can attend for 1, 2, or 3 days and choose from 6 different day-long workshops! Learn about inquiry in the standards, tools to support inquiry, inquiry unit design, and more! This event is supported by DPI, Wisconsin Green Schools Network, and National Geographic. Scholarships are available!
  2. Wisconsin Studies Symposium(July 16, Madison Concourse Hotel) is open to K-12 teachers who want to learn more about Wisconsin history, government, geography, and economics, as well as ways to incorporate these topics into the classroom. Cost is $25/person and includes lunch.
  3. Connecting Elementary and Middle School Science and Social Studies through Inquiry (July 30 in Madisonor July 31 in Wisconsin Dells) is a hands-on day (bring your curriculum!) for educators to see the connection between science and social studies expectations and to bring inquiry into the K-8 classroom. Kevin Anderson, our Science consultant, Kris McDaniel, our Social Studies consultant, and I have been exploring what inquiry looks like in elementary and middle school. This resulted in designing this workshop appropriate for K-8 classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and library media specialists. Although not required, you will get more out of it with a district team attending. There are two dates/venues, but they will offer the same information and resources. Cost is $35/person and includes lunch.

Learning Opportunities from partners: 

Learning Opportunities from your computer: 

  • 24 from 2:30 – 3:30p.m. CST – Building Learnersis a K-12 education program that connects student learning with the operations of a school building, preparing students to succeed in 21st century green careers that value systems thinking and problem-solving.Webinar registration
  • 24 from 9-11 a.m. – Twitter Chat on Scenic Conservation – Join Scenic America and Project Green Schools as they launch the new scenic conservation pathway and discuss the importance of educating students about the visual environment. Join in anytime during the event hours using #sceniceducation to respond and participate in a guided conversation with @GreenSchoolsOrg and @ScenicAmerica that aims to support and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders to innovate new ways of driving scenic conservation and sustainability. Tune in to respond as a “Question of the Day” or join for the entire event in the background of regular instruction!

Learning Opportunities for students: 

  • High Schools Campsat Northland College: Sail the Apostle Islands and Aquatic Ecology
  • Sand Lake Conservation Camp will be held June 19-21, 2019 in Crivitz, WI at Camp Bird for students entering grades 6-8.  To download camp information and registration forms click here. Check out the 2019 Camp Brochure and the tentative camp schedule or for more information contact: Anne Bartels at (715) 732-7784.
  • Trempealeau County “Great Outdoors”  Youth Camp:June 25-28, 2019 for students entering 3rd-8th grade. Come and explore the hidden treasures of nature in Trempealeau County. Joe Pietrek, Jr. Memorial County Park N31500 State Rd 93, Arcadia, WI. For more information download the camp brochure or contact Kirstie Heidenreich Planning & Conservation Coordinator (715) 538-1913 or heidenreich@co.trempealeau.wi.us

Grant Opportunities: 

  • Teachers’ Outdoor Environmental Education Fund:Applications are now being accepted through May 1st for the Teachers’ Outdoor Environmental Education Fund. The fund provides grants of up to $1,000 for public school teachers (K-12) for outdoor environmental educations projects.
  • Go Outside Fund: Teachers or partner organizations may apply for funding to purchase field supplies, or pay for transportation, substitute teachers, or educator costs. Grants up to $500 are available. Apply by June 30.

Connect, Explore, Engage in Inquiry

July 29, 30, and 31  Wisconsin Dells, WI

3 Days • 6 Workshop Options

Register to attend the summer institute “Connect, Explore, Engage in Inquiry.” Formerly known as “No Teacher Left Inside,” we have developed SIX workshop options for teachers of any age students and any subject area.

Attend for one, two, or three days! Register by June 1st for the best rate!  Scholarships available thanks to National Geographic!

Registration deadline: 11:49 PM, June 29, 2019

Choose one workshop each day:

  • July 29: Connect, Explore, Engage in Inquiry* OR Making [Systems] Thinking Visible
  • July 30: Tools of Inquiry* OR Nurturing Wonder through Play in Early Childhood
  • July 31: Inquiry Design* OR Outdoor Inquiry with Project WET and Project WILD

Registration Options

Complete registration options

Wisconsin Youth Water Stories Summit

Write the story of your waterway this summer.

From glaciers to trade, water has touched every part of life and history in Wisconsin. Join us at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center to celebrate the ways water has touched our life and history. Camp scientists will paddle and swim to test water quality, hike to observe nature, and share their stories over campfires. Curious campers ages 8-18 welcome!

This camp is available at no cost thanks to an Environmental Protection Agency Local Environmental Education Grant Nos. NE 00E02399.

Contact Isabelle Herde at isabelle.herde@wisc.edu with any questions.

Register for camp here

Learn more here

 

CIG Train-the-Trainers Course

June 17-21, 2019 Schmeeckle Reserve, UWSP Campus Stevens Point, WI
2419 Northpoint Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54481
Instructor: Emily Jacobs

The CIG Train-the-Trainers (formerly CIT) workshop is designed to improve your skills as a trainer using NAI’s Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) curriculum. Once you take the class and pass the credential requirements for CIT, you can use NAI’s curriculum and certify staff and volunteers at your own site or serve as a contractor to sites without a trainer on staff. This workshop is required for those who want to teach the CIG curriculum.

Click here for more information.

15th Annual Northwoods Birding Festival

May 31 6:30AM – June 1 4:00pm 

Mark your calendars and join us in celebrating International Migratory Bird Day and our 15th annual birding festival with field outings, bird banding, and presentations by experts.

Advance registration recommended-field trips fill up fast! $50 ($40 members) and $20 students and youth under 18. (Additional $5 for same-day registration).

Register online on our website or by clicking this link.

Earth Partnership Indigenous Arts and Sciences Summer Institutes

Bad River & Red Cliff IAS
Tuesday, June 18 – Thursday, June 20
Red Cliff and Bad River, WI
Contact: IAS@badriver-nsn.gov

Ho-Chunk IAS
Tuesday, June 25 – Thursday, June 27
Black River Falls, WI
Contact: Michelle.Cloud@ho-chunk.com

Lac du Flambeau IAS
Tuesday, July 9 – Thursday, July 11
Lac du Flambeau, WI
Contact: chockings@ldftribe.com

Urban IAS
Tuesday, July 23 – Thursday, July 25
Madison, WI
Contact: earthpartnership@dpla.wisc.edu

Click here for more information and to register.

Wisconsin Standards for Environmental Literacy & Sustainability

Here are a few opportunities to learn more about the standards: 

DPI is hosting a one-day workshop and extended learning opportunities in July:

Victoria Rydberg has been writing a series of articles about the ELS standards. April will be focused on standard 6 and dynamic balance and May will be standard 7 about stewardship and civic engagement.

Academy of Natural Resources (ANR)

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a great place to study fish and wildlife management in a vast wilderness setting.  The Michigan DNR recently expanded their Academy of Natural Resources (ANR)  into the UP and Wisconsin educators are invited.  The ANR program celebrates its 11th consecutive year of offering professional development to educators from Michigan and the Midwest. ANR North includes tagging along with the largest predator/prey study in North America, learning Native American management methods, boarding a lake Superior fisheries research vessel and more.  To check out ANR North and the “original”, ANR Classic, go to www.michigan/gov/anr

 

Teaching in the Outdoor Classroom Workshop – June 17-20

Open to all who teach children including licensed teachers, teachers in training, home school educators, naturalists, non-formal educators, park rangers, volunteers, and Friends members! Working together as a team, we explore the many ways to use an outdoor classroom to enhance and strengthen a child’s education. The workshop is held in conjunction with the Summer Explorers Biology Camp for students entering 5th and 6th grades in the fall. Workshop participants may teach any grade level and have the opportunity to apply their new skills each day with a small group of interested students.

Instructors: ISD 544 Prairie Science Class teacher Mona Davis and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service educator Molly Stoddard.

Participants receive 28 clock hours of continuing education credit.  Cost is $50.  An option of free lodging is available on-site.

Register here. Enrollment is limited to the first 15 educators who register.

Click here for more information.

Sand Lake Conservation Camp

The annual Sand Lake Conservation Camp will be held June 19-21 at Camp Bird Youth Camp, near Crivitz, WI.  This camp is for Wisconsin & Upper Michigan youth attending grades 6-8 in the fall.  It provides positive outdoor experiences, helps foster an appreciation for nature, and introduces a variety of opportunities in natural resources and conservation careers.  Topics include wildlife ecology, water quality, fisheries, outdoor skills, and more.  $100 fee until May 22; after May 22 is $150.  Cut-off date is June 3 and space is limited; registrations are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 715-732-7784 or visit: http://www.marinettecounty.com & search for “Sand Lake” or “Sand Lake Conservation Camp”.

Campers make new friends, participate in hands-on activities, practice social & leadership skills, enjoy the outdoors, and just have fun!  It’s a great educational hands-on opportunity and a unique summer camp experience focused on conservation and natural resources.

Click here for camp brochure. FAQ

Registration forms

What to bring

The 30th Anniversary ENERGY FAIR IN CUSTER, WI

We’re looking forward to celebrating 30 YEARS of clean energy and sustainable living education with you this June 21-23, at MREA in Custer, WI.
Discounted tickets go on sale April 1st! Check out the newsletter below for more happenings at The 30th Anniversary Energy Fair.

 

Register to exhibit

Click here for more information.

Sign up for the MREA Newsletter

The Urban Ecology Center Institute

The Urban Ecology Center is fortunate to receive inquiries from people all over the world who are interested in the UEC model. The UEC Institute formed to meet that demand. In 2019, the Institute offers a focus workshop series as well as a 4-day summer Intensive.

In 2019, the Urban Ecology Center will host two-day workshops that dive into pivotal topics of the Center’s model. Staff professionals will facilitate in-depth, experiential lessons. Topics include:

  • Nature-Based Early Childhood Education
  • From Transactional to Transformational for Fundraisers
  • Urban Land Stewardship Community Engaged Habitat Restoration
  • Community Science  Supporting Urban Collaborative Spaces

The Center’s second training Intensive for civic and community leaders from cities around the world is slated for July 22 – 26. Attendees will learn about the unique urban environmental education and community center model that the Urban Ecology Center has been running in Milwaukee for over 25 years.

 Rather than travelling to other cities, the Urban Ecology Center is bringing interested groups to Milwaukee. 2018 participants hailed from Guadalajara, Mexico; Tiberias, Israel; Medellín, Columbia; and US cities in North Carolina, Missouri, Georgia, Philadelphia, Louisiana, and Texas.

More engaging than a seminar, more interactive than a workshop, only a little more serious than summer camp, this intensive is quite simply, more! Registration opens February 1.

 

Backyard Science Education

Great information for kids on the environment.

(Site suggested by Hannah Ainsworth’s elementary science class – Jane, Michelle and Sam)

National Children & Youth Garden Symposium
Building Blocks for a Sustainable Future
Call for Session Proposals 

The American Horticultural Society is pleased to announce its 27th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS), the only national professional development event of its kind where we are cultivating tomorrow’s gardeners by energizing, inspiring, and training today’s garden educators. The 2019 event will take place July 10-13 in Madison, Wisconsin, hosted by Community Groundworks, the University of Wisconsin’s Environmental Design Lab, and the Wisconsin School Garden Network. At the core of the symposium are peer-led educational sessions that focus on relevant, thought-provoking topics, provide attendees with practical knowledge and skills, and appeal to attendees representing a variety of experience levels, educational settings, and youth audiences.

Save the date for the 27th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium!

Who: adults working in many different capacities – garden designers, educators, community leaders – to connect young people with the natural world

What: an annual professional development event, training educators in current trends and best practices in garden- and nature-based learning

When: July 10-13, 2019 

Where: Madison, Wisconsin with excursions to the Troy Kid’s Garden, Madison Children’s Museum, Olbrich Botanic Gardens, and more

Why: share ideas, success stories, and inspiration with like-minded colleagues from across the nation

How: four dynamic days of:

  • peer-taught sessions covering a range of relevant topics in small group settings to encourage substantive discussions
  • field trips to regional sites with a garden/nature focus
  • expert keynote presentations
  • structured and informal networkingopportunities

For more information about NCYGS or to unsubscribe from future NCYGS emails, contact education@ahsgardening.org.

 

FREE- SCIENCE RESOURCES


Titled: “Bringing the Universe to America’s Classroom!” produced by WGBH- PBS LEARNING MEDIA. There are some great lessons dealing with climate, weather, and the solary energy from the sun… just to mention a few!

https://wpt.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/universe/

Each topical collection listed below includes a lesson plan and supplementary resources that feature a range of innovative media. Some of the media-rich education resources featured in these lessons include: IMAGES, INTERACTIVES, GAMES, VIDEOS, and DATA VISUALIZATIONS. Flexible support materials aid instructional use and integration into the classroom. The material contained in this product is based upon work supported by NASA.
There are units for all grades K-12.
K-2: Waves (light), Space, Earth’s Systems, and Weather/Climate
3-5: Space, Earth’s System
6-8: Space, Earth’s System, Weather/Climate
9-12: Space, Weather/Climate

$1250 Scholarships for Amazon Rainforest PD Workshop

Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest

The July 1-11, 2019 Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru is a cross-curricular professional development workshop for K-12 formal and informal educators to learn and use: 

·         21st Century Instruction:  Inquiry-Based Exploration ~ NGSS ~ STEM ~ 5E

·         Inquiry Protocols & Resources:  Project Learning Tree ~ Cornell Lab of Ornithology ~ & More!

·         Global and Cultural Perspectives:  ~ Sustainability ~ Global Education ~ Indigenous Cultures

Join Al Stenstrup, Project Learning Tree; Dr. Nancy Trautmann, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Kristie Reddick, The Bug Chicks; along with scientists Dr. Steve Madigosky, Widener University; and Randy Morgan, Curator/Entomologist, Cincinnati Zoo as you:  

·         Work side-by-side with scientists and researchers on citizen science projects and field studies on the ACTSPeru Rainforest Canopy Walkway in one of the world’s most biologically diverse environments. 

·         Explore conservation and sustainability via hands-on workshops with indigenous communities.

·         Spend a day in an Amazon village and explore the role of education in creating a sustainable future for Amazon children.

·         Work in grade-level cohorts to develop strategies for using the Amazon as a vehicle for incorporating  standards-based inquiry, STEM, and sustainability education into your classroom.

PLT Certification, BirdSleuth, and other resources included. Academic Credit and Machu Picchu Extension optional.  $1250 scholarship deadline February 1, 2019.  With a scholarship, Academy Program fees are $1345 (airfare not included).  Space is limited to 30 educators – Register early to secure your spot!

Get the details and download a syllabus and scholarship application at here.  Contact Educator Academy Director, Christa Dillabaugh, for more information: 

Email:  christa@amazonworkshops.com

Phone:  1-800-431-2624

 

Project Dragonfly

Miami University’s Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2019 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences in 16 countries throughout the world. http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu/18-19_news

Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master’s degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master’s part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad. http://GFP.MiamiOH.edu/18-19_news

Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master’s degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with experiential learning and field study through several AIP Master Institutions in the U.S. Applications for Miami’s 2019 cohorts are being accepted now with place-based experiences provided at zoos in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis. http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu/18-19_news

Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University.

Prairie Wetlands Learning Center

Outdoor Classroom News