Earth Partnership for Schools
RESTORE Institute Participants identify plants in the Wisconsin Native Plants Garden overlooking Curtis Prairie, the world's oldest restored prairie.
Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) Institutes
2011 Regional Partnership Institutes
Kansas: June 6-10, 2011 Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, Hesston
Earth Partnership for Schools Summer Institute: Learn to engage your students in the process of prairie gardening on school grounds, earn three hours of graduate credit, take home an extensive curriculum, eat good food for a week, and have a fun and meaningful experience at the Dyck Arboretum! This 40-hour institute for school teachers and staff will train you in the award-winning Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) Program that you can share with your students and colleagues for years to come. Contact Brad Guhr at 620-327-8127 or bradg@hesston.edu for more information. http://www.dyckarboretum.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=141
Missouri: Sustainable Schoolyards June 13–17, 2011 Litzsinger Road Ecology Center.
Turn a portion of your schoolyard into an outdoor classroom by engaging your students in the planning, development, and management of a native plant habitat. Several St. Louis area schools have successfully implemented the curriculum, based on the Earth Partnership for Schools program developed at the University of Wisconsin, Madison Arboretum. Workshop participants will receive implementation assistance during the school year. The workshop is open to teams of at least two teachers from a school. There is no fee for this workshop. Two graduate credits are available for an additional fee. Workshop participation is by application only. Download Sustainable Schoolyards application. Contact Eddie Jones at eddie@litzsinger.org for further information.
Nebraska: June 13-17, 2011 Papio-Missouri NRD, Omaha, NE
Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) is a week-long teacher professional development interdisciplinary curriculum based on habitat restoration. An interdisciplinary team of two or more teachers and a resource person from each school will be trained in the ecological restoration process, so that they can help students envision, plan, carry out and use a native plant restoration, at their school. The school teams are comprised of 2-3 teachers and a community member / resource person / custodian / principal. A week-long (40 hour) training conducted by professionals using hands-on techniques and a standards-based K-12 curriculum developed by the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. Each team develops individualized school action plans to create meaningful experiences for students through hands-on involvement in the process of restoring a prairie on their school site. The outcomes are teams of teachers, community members and students carrying out restoration projects that become interdisciplinary outdoor laboratories for their schools. Activities meet state standards, weave through the K-12 curriculum and integrate science, math, social studies, language, history and the arts.
Presenters and contacts include:
Christine Jacobsen -- Information/Education Specialist-Papio-Missouri River NRD
cjacobsen@papionrd.org
Ed Pembleton – Naturalist /Consultant
epembleton@gmail.com
Seliesa (Sil) Pembleton – Naturalist / Consultant
edorsil@earthlink.net
Various Community Connections presentations throughout the week
June 1, 2011: Registration Deadline (after June 1 e-mail for availability)
Participant Schedule: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily
Credit: 2 hrs. University of Wisconsin (tuition waived ) ~$100 activity fee
3 hrs. Graduate credit available thru Hamline University ~ $369. (2011 rate TBD)
CEUs and Administrative CEUs will be provided
For applications and brochure click on the following link:
http://www.papionrd.org/educational_resources/documents/EPS.pdf
Sponsors: Papio-Missouri NRD, MORE Nature, and Green Omaha Coalition
Illinois: July 25 – 29, 2011 at the Chicago Botanic Garden + December 10 at Ryerson Woods Eva D. Danon, Manager, Teacher Programs, edanon@chicagobotanic.org 847-835-8253 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 http://www.chicagobotanic.org/teacherprograms
Need funding to green your school? K-12 teacher teams of 4 or 5, from Dupage, Lake, McHenry and Cook counties, are eligible for grant funding to support your professional development. We are seeking teachers with creative minds, willing hands and a team-building focus. Schools will receive funding for planting a native garden at your school if you apply right away. Please call us if your team and school fit the requirements of our grant opportunity and would like to submit an application. This is an application process and you must contact the EPS Chicago representatives if interested. Requirements: If you are a: Title 1 School, with a reduced/free lunch program with a high percentage of minority groups, (including a diverse population and young women) and are willing to step up your teaching skills to include STEM learning enhancements, you should apply for this today. Accepted schools will pay $100 per teacher. This includes curriculum, meals and supplies for the week. Upon completion, schools will receive $250 for their school grounds project and a $100 stipend per teacher based on a participation in the final evaluation. For registration information and questions regarding EPS and Eco-Schools 2011 training, please contact our Chicago Partner representatives: Cook County, Eva Danon at (847) 835-8253 DuPage County, Debbi Gayon at (630) 850-8116 Lake County, Melissa Alderson at (847) 968-3326 McHenry County, Mary Kozub at (815) 678-4532.
Indiana: June 27 – July 1, 2011 Discovering the Science of the Environment Professional Institute,
Eagle Creek Park Earth Discovery Center
Center for Earth and Environmental Science Indiana University ~ Purdue University, Indianapolis
IUPUI Discovering the Science of the Environment (DSE) is an environmental science education program engaging students at school ground natural areas and outdoor learning environments. The program provides specially designed curriculum and state of the art technology resources to help educators utilize school ground natural areas and nature centers to instruct students in an interactive, inquiry-based environment. Educational program delivery with a mobile science trailer, educator professional development, and a web interface provide unique opportunities to raise the level of environmental awareness and science aptitude for Indiana youth.
The Discovering the Science of the Environment institute incorporates curriculum and training from the nationally recognized Earth Partnership for Schools program, technology enhancements, and curriculum and training from Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). All curriculum materials have been aligned to address Indiana State Academic Standards for Science, Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies and customized for Indiana natural areas. The institute will assist teachers in the establishment, maintenance, and use of outdoor laboratories on school sites and provide several practical examples and tools that teachers can incorporate into their environmental science education. This workshop will be appropriate for schools that have existing outdoor labs / school ground natural areas or for those who would like to develop outdoor learning programs. IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science staff provide support through the school year to assist schools with outdoor laboratory experiences and curriculum development. Upon completion of the institute, each participating team will be eligible to apply for grant funding from the Dr. Laura Hare Charitable Trust to fund outdoor laboratory program activities related to the team action plans developed during the institute.
Registration Team application packets are required for entry selection into the institute. Applications Due: April 29, 2011 (after this date check for availability) Download 2011 Institute Application
There is no cost to attend the institute. Participants must agree to attend the entire course. Institute targets teams of 4th through 9th grade teachers within the nine county Central Indiana region (Boone, Hamilton, Madison, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby). Registration priority will be given to teams of three to five teachers from the same school that have completed application packets. Participating teams will develop a plan for program implementation within their school during the institute. Teams will collaborate with DSE to implement their plans in the subsequent academic year. To request smaller or larger participating teams, please contact CEES.
Participants can elect to enroll to receive three IUPUI graduate credits in either science or education. This course is cross listed between the School of Education (W505) and the Department of Earth Sciences (G690) at IUPUI. Participants can select to receive either the science or education credits for the same course. Follow the registration instructions below to register for the specific credits. Graduate fees will apply. For questions please contact Kara Salazar, CEES Education Outreach Coordinator, at 317-278-8585 or salazark@iupui.edu. Email is the preferred method for faster response.
Minnesota: July 25-29th 2011 Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Lanesboro, MN 55949
Sara Sturgis, Education Director education@eagle-bluff.org 507-467-2437
www.eagle-bluff.org
North Carolina: July 11 - 15, 2011 Cost: $90 Application deadline: April 22 http://ncbg.unc.edu/pages/22/#earth_partnership
The North Carolina Botanical Garden and City of Durham Stormwater Services invite teams of teachers to join the Earth Partnership for Schools. This week-long institute will train teams of teachers to create rain gardens, native plant gardens, or restored natural habitats on school grounds. Applications for the 2011 institute can be downloaded here, and must be postmarked by April 22. For more information, please contact Grant Parkins, Natural Science Educator.
North Central Wisconsin: Wabeno School District, August 1-5, 2011; 2011, 8:30am-3:30pm. Northwoods Academy. Chequamengon-Nicolet National Forest, Nicolet Distance Education Network (NDEN), Nicolet College
This week-long Northwoods Academy workshop is taught by local teachers and the Forest Service (an extension of the Schoolyard Habitats Across WI More Kids in the Woods project). You don’t have to be a teacher to attend – community members are welcome! Whether you choose to create a rain garden in your backyard to reduce surface water pollution and recharge the aquifer, a butterfly garden to enhance habitat for pollinators in your neighborhood, or a living field guide to help with plant identification at school, you’re exchanging a high-maintenance lawn for a lower-maintenance native plant garden. We’ll teach you how to restore a native ecosystem with an exciting, real-life project that weaves through the curriculum and includes science, math, social studies, language, and art!
You’ll receive training in local ecosystem natural history and the ecological restoration process through interdisciplinary hands-on activities and field experiences at existing restorations and School Forests. Teams will utilize individualized curricula to create meaningful experiences through the restoration of native habitat on school grounds or in their communities. Everyone will receive a Curriculum Guide, Binder, and follow-up support to
help get students and community members involved in restoration and scientific processes. The Earth Partnership K-12 Curriculum Guide contains more than 150 activities cross-referenced with curriculum standards and student assessment ideas – activities that engage students in learning while
Find a colleague and register now for the Earth Partnership for Schools Institute –Restoration-based Teacher Professional Development workshop at the Northwoods Academy by visiting the Nicolet Distance Education Network’s website:
http://www.nden.k12.wi.us/nwacad/index.htm
For more information:
USDA-FS, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Lakewood-Laona and Washburn Ranger Districts -
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/ (Nicole Shutt, 715-276-6333, nshutt@fs.fed.us)
Oregon, August 15-19, 2011 at C.R.E.S.T. (Center for Research in Environmental Studies and Technologies) Wilsonville, OR
Earth Partnership for Schools RESTORE Summer Institute
DOWNLOAD BROCHURE
We are now recruiting 6-8 schools for our RESTORE Summer Institute. RESTORE (Restoration, Education, Science, Training and Outreach for Regional Educators) trains teams of teachers and community partners to bring Earth Partnership for Schools back to their home states and communities. Each school will be asked to bring a minimum of two teachers and one community partner/parent volunteer to the Institute. Schools invited to participate in the Institute will be selected for their commitment to the project and their ability to identify and recruit a school team. The Institute models interdisciplinary inquiry-based hands-on learning and provides teams time to develop school restoration action plans. Earth Partnership engages students, teachers and community partners in restoring native habitats on schoolyards and nearby natural areas. The habitats they create together become learning grounds for science, math, language arts, social studies, student-led inquiry, service learning and unstructured nature play.
Registration Fees Teachers and Community Volunteers ($100) NOTE: Registration is based on a team registration of at least three people from one school. Each team must include at least one teacher and at least one parent or community volunteer
Training Date and Times: August 15-19, 2011, 8:30-4:30 pm daily
Partners:
Oregon 4-H Youth Program
Woodward Gardens
US Fish and Wildlife Tualatin Refuge
West Linn School District
2011 Wisconsin Great Lakes EPS Institutes
Please review the following links for application information:
EPS Institute Overview
Responsibilities of Participating Organizations
Financial Matters
Credit
Program Schedule
Application Forms
Application Checklist
Contacts
Additional Information and Brochures
2011 Wisconsin Great Lakes Institute Brochure
EPS Institute Overview
University professors, resource professionals, regional collaborators, students, teachers and EPS staff will envision and implement regional projects serving Great Lakes coastal communities – serving three (3) Great Lakes coastal communities─ Lake Superior Basin, Green Bay Fox River Basin and the Milwaukee River Basin – in an effort to engage students in community outreach and action for identifying storm water impacts and instigating water quality solutions.
Teams of teachers will attend a Great Lakes Earth Partnership Institutes
Teams will be trained on how to work with students to design and build rain gardens, how to collect and input data for models and public outreach, how to develop outreach materials, along with learning EPS guiding principals for learning and professional development.
Responsibilities of Teachers
- Participate in the 5-day Earth Partnership for Schools Institute at one of the following locations:
- Lake Superior Basin: August 1- 5 held at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland
- Green Bay Fox River Basin: July 25 – 29 held at Fallen Timbers Environmental Center, Black Creek
- Milwaukee River basin: June 20 – 24 held at Urban Ecology Center, Riverside Park
and a one-day winter meeting (date to be determined during each institute).
- Lake Superior Basin: August 1- 5 held at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland
- Develop a cooperative plan to implement Great Lakes Earth Partnership restoration projects, field work, data collection and outreach with students.
- Meet regularly as a team throughout the school year. Invite/involve additional colleagues, parents and students.
- Consider participating as an individual or team in an action research project during the school year. Participants receive 2 graduate credits with tuition waived through UW-Madison Department of Curriculum and Instruction. UW-Madison staff will implement the course through distance learning.
- Our funders request evaluation of Earth Partnership program activities. At times you will be asked to participate in program evaluations and/or provide classroom and student-based assessments you have used.
Financial Matters
- Currently, a grant to cover the expenses for the Institute is pending. If funding does not come through there may be a cost of up to $225 per person. Notification of awards will be in Mid-April. Please check back at the contacts listed below.
Credit
The 2011 institute is offered through University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Curriculum and Instruction for three credits. These credits are classified as “special student” credits. The credits generally (always, in our experience) can be transferred to graduate credits by the graduate department with whom you are enrolled. The course is a UW-Madison graduate level course with a graduate level course number, and tuition is waived. Tuition is worth $1124.90. Participants are responsible for the UW segregated fees of $133.25. Limited scholarships are available if segregated fees present a hardship.
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Program Schedule
Summer
Implementation of three Great Lakes EPS institutes
- Lake Superior Basin: August 1 - 5 held at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland
- Green Bay Fox River Basin: July 25 – 29 held at Fallen Timbers Environmental Center, Black Creek
- Milwaukee River Basin: June 20 – 24 held at Urban Ecology Center, Riverside Park
- Form an ongoing team to pilot Great Lakes EPS learning experiences
- Attend a winter meeting (dates to be determined during the Institute)
- Participate in an optional Action Research Course offer during Spring Semester for two additional graduate credits
- On-going educational opportunities will be made available in each basin.
- Continue cycle of ecological restoration-based Great Lakes education. Maintain student and school and community involvement.
Application Forms
EPS Institute Application
- Teacher(s) applications
- Administrator letter
Please keep copies for your records
Return to:
Earth Partnership for Schools
UW-Madison Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway
Madison, WI 53711
Deadline: May 1, 2011
After May 1, call for availability
CONTACTS - NATIONAL EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOLS OFFICE
For questions about the institute or application procedure, call the Earth Partnership for Schools office:
Green Bay Fox River Basin: at Fallen Timbers Environmental Center, Black Creek
Vicki Medland, Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, UW-Green Bay, (920) 465-5032, medlandv@uwgb.edu
Libby Dorn, Fallen Timbers Environmental Center, (920) 984-3700, ldorn@cesa6.k12.wi.us
Milwaukee River Basin at Urban Ecology Center
Kathy Palmer, Urban Ecology Center, (414) 964-8505, kpalmer@urbanecologycenter.org
Lake Superior Basin at Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center
Susan Nelson, Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, (715) 685-9983, sbnelson@fs.fed.us
Earth Partnership for Schools Program Office
Cheryl Bauer-Armstrong, UW-Madison Arboretum, (608) 262-5264, cherylbauer@wisc.edu
Rick Hall, UW-Madison Arboretum, (608) 262-5367, rdhall@uwarb.wisc.edu