Professional Development Opportunities

Environmental Education should be a continuous process that is both lifelong and forward-looking.  At the heart of its teacher-training program are Air & Waste Management Association's Environmental Resource Guides which provide air quality and nonpoint source pollution prevention materials for grades K-12.

Participating in hands-on environmental education activities is one of the easiest ways for students to learn about the world around them. The University of Rhode Island's Office of Marine Programs conducts the NSF-funded ARMADA Project sending science teachers with 5 years of experience on scientific research vessels.  2010 dates have not been announced.

Online workshops for science educators offer fun and innovative techniques to introduce astronomy and astronomy current events into your classroom. Thanks to support from the National Science Foundation, Astronomy from the Ground Up provides these free workshops online or on site.  2010 dates have not been announced.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation offers a high-quality professional development program for educators in DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  Chesapeake Classrooms focuses on methods to incorporate environmental education into the core subjects areas of reading, math, science and social studies.

Through expedition courses, Earth Expeditions builds firsthand knowledge of inquiry-driven, community-based learning for the benefit of ecological communities, student achievement, and understanding. Earth Expeditions is a global conservation education program supporting projects in Africa, Asia, and the Americas and is open to educators from all disciplines.

Environmental Concern's team of highly qualified wetland educators teach teachers how to bring wetlands alive and into their classrooms. Their workshops feature hands-on, inquiry-based, cross-curricular activities for the classroom. These trainings are ongoing in different states throughout the year.

NOAA Ocean Explorer workshops provide opportunities for teachers and other educators to engage in learning more about ocean exploration.  Opportunities will focus on how educators can use the mathematics, science and technology associated with exploring the oceans in their classrooms to help increase awareness and understanding of the ocean world.

The Teacher to Ranger to Teacher (TRT) Program links National Parks with teachers from low income school districts. Selected teachers spend the summer working as park rangers. They perform duties including: developing and presenting interpretive programs, staffing visitor centers, or developing curriculum-based materials. Opportunities are now listed for summer 2010.

The mission of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History is to continue the legacy of Roger Tory Peterson by promoting the teaching and studying of nature. Their online Nature Journals for Your Classroom course offers educators the opportunity to learn more about nature journaling and how to bring it into the classroom.

Project Learning Tree® is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in Pre K-12. PLT, a program of the American Forest Foundation, is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad. Events are held nation-wide.