EE Events and Resources

2020 Gro More Good Grassroots Grant

The 2020 Gro More Good Grassroots Grant presented by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening is designed to bring the life-enhancing benefits of gardens to communities across the United States.  Awards provide funding for the development of new and expansion of existing youth garden programs and greenspaces serving 15 or more youth. Winners will be selected based on their commitment to the maintenance and sustainability of their garden program including plans for growth and future fiscal stability.

The Gro More Good Grassroots Grant is open to all nonprofit and tax exempt organizations (including schools) in the United States and US Territories. Organizations must have obtained their 501(c)(3) status or qualify as tax-exempt within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Service code.

This year, 175 grants worth a collective total of $100,000 will be awarded. 150 grant recipients will be awarded a check for $500 to support their initiatives. The top 25 programs will receive a check for $1,000. Applications must be received by Friday, February 14, 2020 at 11:59 PST.

Click here for more information.

2020 Presidential Environmental Youth Awards and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators


WASHINGTON — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced that EPA’s Office of Environmental Education is now accepting applications for the 2020 Presidential Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. in mid-2020 to be honored by the agency and present their work in a poster session.

BACKGROUND

Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act (NEEA), PEYA recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from Kindergarten to 12th grade, by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. Also established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, PIAEE recognizes outstanding K-12 grade educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. Under NEAA, the White House Council on Environmental Quality assists EPA in administering the PIAEE awards program.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE 2020 AWARDS

EPA is seeking 2020 PEYA and PIAEE award applications for projects on a variety of environmental topics, including (but not limited to), projects on:

  • reducing food waste and loss and excess food recovery efforts;
  • reducing contributions to ocean and marine litter;
  • solutions in recycling;
  • using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to teach environmental education;
  • environmental sustainability;
  • sustainable agricultural practices; and
  • healthy school environments

The Presidential Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from grades K-12, by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. EPA will select up to two winners in each of EPA’s 10 Regions – one regional winner for grades K-5, and one regional winner for grades 6-12. Winners of next year’s awards will be invited to participate in an awards ceremony and poster session in Washington, D.C. in mid-2020, and their projects will also be highlighted on EPA’s website. All student projects must be sponsored by at least one adult over the age of 21. And, if the sponsor is not a teacher, the project must have a teacher as a co-sponsor. The application and eligibility information are available at: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award.

The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) recognizes outstanding teachers for K-12 who employ innovative approaches to environmental education. Up to two teachers from each of EPA’s 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award. Teachers will receive a Presidential plaque and an award of up to $2,500 to be used to further professional development in environmental education. Winning teachers’ local education agencies will also receive awards of up to $2,500 to fund environmental educational activities and programs. Winners of next year’s awards will be invited to participate in an awards ceremony and poster session in Washington, D.C. in mid-2020, and their projects will also be highlighted on EPA’s website. The application and eligibility information are available at:  https://www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators.

Applications for both awards programs are due no later than January 15, 2020.

For more information on the youth awards (PEYA), please contact: PEYA@epa.gov

For more information on the teacher (PIAEE) award, please contact: PIAEE@epa.gov

NOLS WFA Training (National Outdoor Leadership School – Wilderness First Aid)

Prepare for the unexpected with this fun, hands-on introduction to wilderness medicine, taught over two days. If you like to take short trips relatively close to medical resources, work at wilderness camps, enjoy weekend family outdoor activities, or recreation outdoors, this course is for you. More info HERE.

Where: Outdoor UW at Memorial Union (800 Langdon St., Madison, WI)

Cost: $200 for Hoofer Club Member, $250 for guests

Available course dates:

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE

NOLS WFR Training (National Outdoor Leadership School – Wilderness First Responder)

If you work in outdoor recreation, or in other austere environments where access to medical care is delayed or communication is unreliable, our 9-day Wilderness First Responder course is for you! This certification represents the industry standard in wilderness medicine for professional guides, trip leaders, search and rescue team members, outdoor enthusiasts, and international travelers.

Cost: $790 for Hoofer Club Members, $850 for guests

Where: Outdoor UW at Memorial Union (800 Langdon St., Madison, WI)

Available course dates:

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Learn more about getting academic credit for this course HERE.

Angler Education and Fishing for Dinner – Angler R3 Instructor Training Workshop

The current workshop schedule is as follows:

  • March 19, DNR office in Spooner

Details and registration forms are found in this link.

We are also open to scheduling other training workshops if none of these locations suit you.

R3 Grants now open!

Applications and guidance for Angler R3 and Hunter R3 grants were recently posted on the DNR’s website.

Application deadline is December 1, 2019 for both.

Other dates to remember:

  • Free Fishing Weekends: January 18-19 & June 6-7, 2020.

 

 

Wisconsin  KidWind Events

These events will take place at the Wisconsin Energy Institute (1552 University Ave, Madison).

Wisconsin KidWind Challenge – Saturday, March 7th, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

The KidWind Challenge is a hands-on student wind turbine design competition that engages middle and high school students in STEM through the lens of wind energy. Student teams design and construct small wind turbines that they test in a wind tunnel, and present their design process and demonstrate their contextual knowledge of wind energy in front of a panel of judges. Read more about the Wisconsin KidWind challenge (now in its third year) here and check out our 2019 photo album here.

Although KidWind is still young in Wisconsin, the students involved are ever raising the bar. Last year the top two Wisconsin teams competed in the National KidWind Challenge in Houston, TX finishing in the top 5 out of 60 middle school teams.

We are super excited about all the partnerships and collaboration involved in making the Wisconsin KidWind Challenge possible.

 

Miami University’s Dragonfly Project

Miami University’s Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2020 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences in 16 countries throughout the world. http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu

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

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 2020 cohorts are being accepted now with place-based experiences provided at zoos and botanical gardens in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis. New for 2020: residents of the Jacksonville, Florida area can study and earn the AIP master’s through Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, AIP’s newest Master Institution. http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu

Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University.    1/20/20

 

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

Backyard Science Education

Great information for kids on the environment.

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

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

Prairie Wetlands Learning Center

Outdoor Classroom News