Professional Development
Be a Catalyst for Change…Become a Green Schools National Network Member
The green schools movement is the most critical education reform initiative of our time. Through the Green Schools National Network (GSNN) membership program, you can show your support and become a catalyst for change for green schools everywhere.
GSNN’s membership program is designed for leaders (like you!) who use sustainability to drive innovation in their classrooms, schools, or school districts. As a GSNN member, you will learn from and be inspired by the people who are transforming schools across the country.
Choose from five different levels of membership: Individual, Nonprofit, preK-12 School, School District, or Corporate. Each level comes with its own set of benefits and discounts, some of which include: a subscription to Green Teacher Magazine, discounted Green Schools Conference and Expo registration, discounted and free professional development opportunities, networking opportunities, and discounted fees for GSNN school and district coaching.
Visit GSNN’s membership website to learn more and sign up.
Green Schools Conference and Expo
Make plans now to join fellow green schools advocates in St. Paul, Minnesota April 8 – 9, 2019 for the ninth annual Green Schools Conference & Expo (GSCE)! GSCE is the only national event to bring together all the players involved in making green schools a reality: people who lead, operate, build, and teach in U.S. schools. Enjoy two days of programming with inspiring keynote speakers, informative workshops and breakout sessions, and the chance to network with colleagues from across the country. In 2019, GSCE will be hosted in partnership with IMPACT, a regional sustainability conference.
Learn more about this year’s program schedule, registration packages, and hotel/travel information.
American Meteorological Society’s Project Atmosphere Workshop
July 28 – August 3, 2019
Project Atmosphere is a hybrid (online and in-person) teacher professional development workshop offered by the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Education Program. Teacher-participants will be required to engage in online learning modules prior to the on-site portion of the workshop (taking place at the U.S. National Weather Service Training Center in Kansas City, Missouri). At the conclusion of the on-site portion, teacher-participants will be asked to complete work in the course management system in collaboration with California University of Pennsylvania. This project is specifically designed for K-12 teachers who teach science courses with atmospheric content and is intended to:
- Introduce teachers to the latest technologies and techniques for sensing, analyzing, and forecasting weather.
- Explore and suggest ways in which the products of these technologies and techniques can be employed in school studies of the atmospheric environment.
- Prepare workshop attendees to conduct training sessions on selected atmospheric science topics for teachers in their home regions during the next school year.
- Encourage participation in AMS DataStreme Atmosphere Local Implementation Teams.
Applications to participate in this workshop must be submitted by April 1, 2019. If accepted, participants are required to pay a $150 academic fee. Academic credit is available.
The Biomimicry Institute is the world’s leading nonprofit dedicated to innovation inspired by nature. Biomimicry offers an exciting project-based approach that helps teachers blend STEM and environmental education in creative, hands-on lessons students love. The Biomimicry Institute helps educators and organizations bring biomimicry into their teaching by providing curriculum and training, networking opportunities, and content development support. Learn more about our services and visit the online library, AskNature, for the resources and information you need to bring biomimicry into your teaching practice.
Calling All Educators!
Registration for Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge coaches is open until March 1, 2019. Educators who register as coaches gain access to challenge curriculum and resources that can be used to integrate biomimicry study into classroom instruction. Register here.
CELF Summer Institute: Education for Sustainability
July 15 – 18, 2019, Manhattanville College, New York
Save the Date! The Annual CELF Summer Institute in Education for Sustainability is an intensive four-day workshop that enables teachers to integrate the concepts of sustainability into their existing curricula. The Institute equips K-12 teachers with practices and teaching methods to address the core concepts of education for sustainability – the intersection of social, economic, and ecological systems – and how the balance of those three systems is vital to a sustainable future, and relevant to all subject areas.
The Institute begins by building a learning community and a common vocabulary around sustainability, and progresses with hands-on activities, case studies, special guest presentations, and field work. The schedule includes supported planning time so that participants will have tangible materials to bring back to their classrooms.
Benefits and Resources:
- Gain access to CELF’s online resource library.
- Align curriculum projects with national education for sustainability standards and performance indicators.
- Learn from and share best practices with Institute facilitators and peers from across the region and around the world.
- Access post-Institute support for on-going education for sustainability implementation.
Registration coming soon!
Children and Nature Network 2019 International Conference
Join the Children and Nature Network for the largest gathering of children and nature advocates in the world, May 16-18, 2019 in Oakland, California. From inspiring keynotes to hands-on workshops, this biennial conference will inspire and equip you with best practices for increasing equitable access to nature for the children, families, and communities you serve.
Citizen Science Association 2019 Conference
The 2019 Citizen Science Association Conference will be held March 13 – 17 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The conference provides a venue for citizen science researchers, practitioners, community members, and theorists to come together and share knowledge and best practices in the interest of advancing the field of citizen science. Educators engaging in citizen science in their classrooms are encouraged to attend and take advantage of the workshops, events, and networking opportunities offered during the conference. More information about registration, hotels, and travel can be found on the conference’s website.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education works with schools and school districts to help them integrate Education for Sustainability (EfS) into their curriculum. Core services include consulting and leadership development (on-site and off-site); professional development and faculty coaching; curriculum design, assessment, mapping, and alignment; and school and community partnerships. The Cloud Institute holds an annual Summer Design Studio that enables educators, administrators, and program designers to learn how to design and embed EfS into curriculum, assessments, and programs.
Upcoming Programming
2019 Goethe Institut Sustainability Summit
May 24 – 26, 2019
Chicago, Illinois
How can we move around without CO2? What will it take to power our lives, live our power, eat well, and restore the Earth at the same time? What will we need to thrive as we make the shift toward a sustainable future? These and similar questions await you at this three-day Sustainability Summit in Chicago. Learn more from experts about systems and anticipatory and creative thinking. About commons, the importance of diversity, multiple perspectives, and links with STEM and German. Jaimie Cloud will keynote. Learn more and register.
Summer Curriculum Design Studio: Educating for a Sustainable Future
August 5 – 9, 2019
Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
Join the Cloud Institute for a five-day curriculum design studio where educators, administrators, and program designers will learn how to design and embed Education for Sustainability into curricula, assessments, and performance tasks without the need for additional class time!
Held at the beautiful Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, you will get access to expertise, resources, and tools to reorient and enrich curricula. Through working sessions, learning circles, coaching, peer review, and optional mini-sessions, you will create and develop units and protocols that educate for sustainability.
Come yourself or bring a team! Space is limited. Register today.
Community Works Institute (CWI) supports and promotes exemplary teaching strategies and practices for K-16 educators and community programs that support students in becoming caring, responsible, and active members of their communities. CWI offers a variety of professional development opportunities for K-16 and community-based educators in the United States and internationally, including on-site training, retreats, coaching, and consulting. Their signature offering is a series of summer institutes that integrate field-tested service-learning best practices and principles of sustainability to engage K-16 students in academically based service that contributes to sustainable communities.
Upcoming Programming
2019 Summer EAST Institute on Place Based Service-Learning and Sustainability
June 24 – 28, 2019 • Brooklyn, New York
The longest running Service-Learning training for educators in the world, Summer EAST is a powerful learning lab for educators, set in the heart of the uniquely diverse social fabric that is Brooklyn. Experience a week of inspiration, expert training, and powerful collaborations with an exceptional group of colleagues. Join like-minded K-16 and community educators from across the U.S. and beyond for a week to remember.
2019 Summer WEST Institute on Place Based Service-Learning and Sustainability
July 22 – 26, 2019 • Los Angeles, California
Bring your vision, program, and project ideas to CWI’s acclaimed learning and design lab. Summer WEST is set in Los Angeles, one of the world’s most vibrant, culturally rich urban settings. Join us for a transformative week of project and program design, expert training and guidance, field work, and inspired networking.
Learn more about these opportunities and register online.
**CWI encourages schools to send cohort teams (minimum of four, max of eight per school) and is offering special rates to support this. School Cohorts will focus on their own practice while moving their school forward and learning deeper approaches to accomplish this, including a process for examining and advancing their practice. Cohort teams will continue working together when they return to school (not typical w/ teams).**
At EcoRise, we believe in the power of teachers to ignite innovation and the potential of students to design a sustainable future for all. Our school-based program empowers youth to tackle real-world challenges in their schools and communities by teaching sustainability, design innovation, and social entrepreneurship. Over 350 schools have implemented our full program and 1,800 teachers in 26 countries have accessed our educational materials. Our curriculum, classroom grants, ongoing training, and support engages educators and students in meaningful learning experiences. Our program empowers teachers to confidently champion sustainability and innovation in their classrooms, while students cultivate 21st century skills and sustainable living practices.
We offer:
- Online and in-person professional development, curriculum, and self-paced resources for green industry connections to K–12 educators, STEM educators, and Project-Based Learning teachers.
- For U.S.-based schools, we award micro grants to student-designed sustainability projects.
- Our committed partnership with like-minded institutions and corporate supporters to expand reach and impact.
Visit www.ecorise.org to learn more.
Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program
The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (Fulbright TGC) is a year-long professional development opportunity for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to develop skills for preparing students for a competitive global economy. Fulbright TGC equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration. Activities include:
- Global education online course: Fulbright TGC fellows complete a rigorous, semester-long online course focused on best practices in global education.
- Global symposium: Fulbright TGC fellows gather in Washington, DC for an in-person professional development workshop to build networks, collaborate, and develop strategies to enhance world learning.
- International field experience: Fulbright TGC fellows travel abroad for two to three weeks to experience another country’s culture and education system and promote mutual understanding.
- Capstone project: Fulbright TGC fellows create a global education guide that serves as a resource for their local community to build global awareness and mutual understanding.
- Alumni support: Fulbright TGC alumni may apply for grants and participate in global education networks to enhance and sustain their engagement.
The deadline to apply is March 7, 2019. Visit the website to learn more about this opportunity, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
Green Strides Webinar Series Calendar
The Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities with the tools they need to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental education. It provides all schools access to the resources that help them move toward the Pillars of the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award. Sign up for Green Strides Webinar Series email updates to receive information on future webinars.
Mindfulness and Creative Nature Play
Date: March 6, 2019; 7:30 – 8:30pm EST
Presenter: Dave Bauer
Mindfulness is inherently connected to children’s creative nature play. This also applies, by extension, to adults who facilitate and/or join children in their imaginative explorations within a natural setting.
During this interactive webinar, we invite you to watch and learn or actively join the discussion by sharing your ideas, experiences, and insights about this topic. Dave will kick-start the discussion by outlining the benefits for both children and adults of being mindful and sharing time in nature.
Easy, Local Bird-focused Citizen Science
Date: March 27th, 2019; 7:30 – 8:30 pm EST
Presenter: Liza Barney
Citizen Science has great potential as a win-win for students/educators and their communities, and there are many bird-related projects from which to choose. But what if I have little knowledge of birds? What if my organization is resource-lean? Are programs available in my geographic region? Liza will answer these questions and speak more generally about the many well-supported bird-focused citizen science programs in Canada and the U.S.
Secrets to Snagging Great Science Partners
Date: April 10, 2019; 7:30 – 8:30pm EST
Presenter: Megan Edgar
In this webinar, Megan will help you understand how to cultivate and grow relationships with community members who can enrich classroom learning experiences. She will help you determine what type of partnership is right for your students, how to grow partnerships into long-term research projects, and how to tie field experiences to required curriculum. This webinar will help you learn how to take your students into the real world of science and conservation where they can practice science process skills in an authentic setting and meet inspiring people from their home community.
North American Association for Environmental Education Annual Conference – Save the Date
The 48th North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) annual conference will be held in Lexington, Kentucky from October 15 – 19, 2019.
For more than four decades, NAAEE has convened one of the leading annual conferences for environmental education professionals, designed to promote innovation, networking, learning, and dissemination of best practices. The annual Research Symposium, held in advance of the conference, attracts new and established researchers to examine in-progress environmental education research and promote dialogue between researchers and practitioners.
Present at NAAEE this year! The Call for Presentations is open until March 31, 2019.
Safe Routes to School National Conference – Save the Date
The 2019 Safe Routes to School National Conference will be held at the Hilton Tampa Downtown from November 12-14, 2019. Save the date for this opportunity to join hundreds of active transportation and public health advocates and practitioners from across the country for valuable networking, sharing best practices, and exploring one of Florida’s most vibrant and active cities.
Interested in presenting? The Call for Conference Program Proposals is open until February 22, 2019.
Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit organization educating for a sustainable future. That means learning that links knowledge, inquiry, and action to help students build a healthy future for their communities and the planet. Its home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark.
Shelburne Farms’ school programs staff support student learning and professional development for educators. The ideas of place and sustainability are at the heart of its work. Shelburne Farms offers a variety of experiences that inspire deep connections to community and a commitment to a healthy future.
Upcoming Programming
ABCs of Farm-Based Education
March 31 – April 2, 2019
Are you looking to build a farm-based education program, or inspire your existing programming? At this workshop, you’ll fill your toolbox with kid-tested, educator approved activities, as you join a community of peers from around the region. Spend three days in hands-on, discussion and activity-based learning and explore Shelburne Farms’ dairy, farmyard, garden, and forest classrooms. Experience activities from Shelburne Farms’ publications Project Seasons and Cultivating Joy and Wonder as we discuss ways to engage school groups and farm visitors. In addition to activity sharing and program development, we’ll discuss tips for creating a safe learning environment and will have ample time for getting to know one another and our respective farm-based education sites.
Learn more and register for this workshop.
A Forest for Every Classroom
August 5 – 8, 2019
This August gathering marks the start of our year-long, place-based education program for educators, A Forest for Every Classroom (FFEC), offered at various locations in partnership with Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Green Mountain National Forest, and the Stewardship Institute. You will develop curriculum to foster student understanding of and appreciation for public lands and forests in their communities. Over the course of the year, you will integrate hands-on natural and cultural explorations into curriculum to address concepts in ecology, sense of place, stewardship, and civics. At the heart of FFEC is the belief that students who are immersed in the interdisciplinary study of their place will be more eager to learn about and be involved in the stewardship of their communities and surrounding lands. Educators may earn up to five graduate credits from Castelton State College for the successful completion of the FFEC program.
The full dates for the course are as follows:
August 5 – 8, 2019: Opening and Kick-off Gathering
November 1 – 2, 2019
January 24 – 25, 2020
April 3 – 4, 2020
June 2020: Celebration and Closing Gathering
To apply, please complete this online application and e-mail a letter of support from your school administrator or supervisor to jhaley@shelburnefarms.org before February 19, 2019. Applications received afterward will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Project Seasons for Young Learners: Cultivating Joy and Wonder
July 8 – 12, 2019
Are you looking for new ways to connect your program to the community outside of your classroom? Join us at the Farm for hands-on, interdisciplinary activities and explore ways in which these can be adapted to your own learning community. Connect with other early childhood professionals to share best practices over these four days in a picturesque setting, leaving you energized and inspired to create even more meaningful opportunities and experiences within your program.
Cost $575. Includes light breakfast and lunch; excludes accommodations and graduate credit. A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Learn more and register here.
Seasonal Educator Workshops
Shelburne Farms has taken some of your favorite school program topics and turned them into one-day, seasonal educator workshops! Join us on the Farm throughout the year for a series of programs designed to deepen your knowledge of a topic and enrich your curriculum. In fall, winter, and spring we will spend time outside connecting with the land, interacting with experts, and developing tools and techniques to take back to your students. Workshops can be taken individually or as a series.
Each workshop costs $30. Register here.
Milk & More
Saturday, May 4, 2019; 9:30am – 12:30pm
Explore a Vermont tradition and build awareness of the importance that dairy plays in the farming landscape. You’ll experience a variety of fun, hands-on activities relating to cows and visit our own Brown Swiss herd. We will delve into activities that explore the roles that farmers and dairy products play in our local food system and in keeping our communities healthy and thriving.
Tributaries of Life: A Watershed Inquiry
This online course offered by Oregon State University is designed to help teachers increase their freshwater ecology knowledge and learn how to facilitate student-directed watershed inquiry that includes action projects. Participants will practice sensory-based activities outdoors and keep a journal to record their reflections. Participants will read, watch videos, and conduct field work to learn essential watershed content. Using scientific protocols, participants will conduct research and use their findings to develop an action plan.
This course is for teachers of all academic disciplines in sixth- through twelfth-grades. Two sessions are available: March 4 – April 14, 2019 and May 6 – June 16, 2019. Course cost is $435, plus a $60 registration fee.
General Resources
Building Blocks: A Guide to Starting and Growing a Strong Safe Routes to School Program
This toolkit from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership walks you step by step through how to start a Safe Routes to School program, how to get your school and city on board, and how to make your program stronger over time. It also introduces you to the background, lingo, and everything you need to know to develop your strongest possible Safe Routes to School program.
The fifth annual national Carton 2 Garden Contest, sponsored by Evergreen Packaging, is now accepting registrations! Open to public and private schools, contest winners will be selected based on their implementation of an innovative garden creation featuring creative and sustainable uses for repurposed milk and juice cartons. Your school can get started by collecting at least 100 empty cartons from your home, community, or cafeteria.
Fifteen entries will be selected to receive award packages for their efforts. Entries are due by Monday, March 25, 2019, but will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Center for Green Schools School Board Advocacy Toolkit
The School Board Advocacy Toolkit from the Center for Green Schools is a free resource that helps green schools allies address sustainability issues and impact greener policies at the school district level. It is designed to make local green schools advocacy approachable and actionable. The toolkit contains talking points, template letters and presentations, sample policy language, and more for you to use to promote greener policy options related to any school sustainability issue.
Experiential Tools: Resources for Teaching and Group Facilitation
Experiential Tools was founded by author and educator Jennifer Stanchfield to provide educators with quality, unique, and user-friendly methods to enhance learning, increase engagement, build community, facilitate group development, and engage learners in meaningful reflection and dialogue. Resources offered include consulting, professional development programs, workshops, books, and teaching and facilitation tools. Visit the website for a list of upcoming workshops.
Exploring Ocean Frontiers Educator Resources
Exploring Ocean Frontiers Educator Resources are based on the award-winning Ocean Frontiers film series by Green Fire Productions, portraying how unlikely allies — government, industry, science, and conservation — are working together to find solutions that benefit ocean ecosystems and economies. The resources include secondary lessons and post-secondary discussion guides to engage students on an inquiry-based educational journey in ocean stewardship and facilitate discussions on collaborative ocean planning and the future of our oceans.
Facing the Future is an international program, based out of Western Washington University, creating tools for educators that equip and motivate students to develop critical thinking skills, build global awareness, and engage in positive solutions for a sustainable future. The curriculum is organized around eight sustainability big ideas:
- Connecting with Nature
- Equity and Justice
- Health and Resiliency
- Interconnectedness
- Local to Global
- Peace and Collaboration
- Respect for Limits
- Universal Responsibility
Facing the Future curriculum materials and resources are available for K-12 teachers, teachers in colleges of education, and for some community college and undergraduate classes. All materials are developed for teachers, by teachers, with best teaching and learning practices in mind and are aligned with Common Core Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and most state standards frameworks.
Green Apple Day of Service gives parents, teachers, students, companies, and local organizations the opportunity to transform all schools into healthy, safe, and productive learning environments through local service projects. Check out project ideas, pick up helpful event resources, and register your project online. Register by March 15, 2019 to be eligible for a Green Apple Award.
Introduction to Sustainability
Learning about sustainability is easier than ever thanks to “Introduction to Sustainability,” a free online course developed by Kappa Delta Pi in partnership with Creative Change Educational Solutions. The self-paced course introduces sustainability as a context for learning, highlights connections across grades and disciplines, and provides strategies for reframing curriculum to emphasize these connections. With activities, videos, discussions, off-line projects, and guided curriculum design, the course engages adult learners in an integrative and reflective learning experience that emphasizes practical applications. The course is based upon (and includes excerpts from) Susan Santone’s book, Reframing the Curriculum: Design for Social Justice and Sustainability.
A product of the U.S. Green Building Council’s The Center for Green Schools, Learning Lab provides K-12 teachers and school leaders with comprehensive, project- and STEM-based curriculum that encourages student leadership, environmental literacy, and real-world action.
Discover best-in-class content, training, and tools. Access their curated catalogue of lesson plans, interactive projects, assessment opportunities, and other multimedia resources in English and Spanish. Lessons are mapped to meet current educational standards and were created by educators, for educators.
National Environmental Education Foundation Animal Migration Activity Guide
Designed for elementary age kids, this activity guide is full of fun ways to learn about animal migrations in the U.S. Activities encourage kids to use STEM skills to explore the topic, whether they are using math to plot the coordinates of monarch migration paths, engineering to design their birdfeeder, science to understand the phenomenon of animal migration, or technology to get involved with online citizen science.
NatureBridge Training and Tools for Teachers
A recognized leader in the field of environmental education, NatureBridge provides hands-on, inquiry-based programs for children and teens at national park locations across the country. The organization’s website includes an educators webpage that offers classroom resources organized around five areas of study; tips and resources for incorporating nature into classroom lessons; and professional development workshops that provide skills to create hands-on science and environmental education curricula for students.
Teaching Our Cities Practice Toolkits
Teaching Our Cities, a project of Common Ground, is creating a collection of toolkits that share best practices that are working at partner schools. Toolkits include videos, blog-style reflections, resources, and practice descriptions. Current toolkits cover teaching a sense of place, learning expeditions, green exhibitions, environmental leadership portfolios, and magnet theme days.
Leadership in Green Schools Related Resources
ASCD is dedicated to excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. One of the ways that ASCD does this is by providing high-quality, research-based resources for educators and school leaders. Visit the website to find articles, books, webinars, videos, and white papers on a range of topics.
From Amazon.com: From setting the stage to engaging the community in understanding the purpose of collaborative professional learning teams, this volume covers what leaders need to know to implement more effective professional learning. Chapters focus on changing school culture, scheduling time, planning, using data, designs for professional learning, facilitating collaborative professional learning teams, evaluating learning, and more. The roles of central office administrators, the principal, and the coach in creating successful, effective learning teams are outlined. An accompanying CD includes nearly 500 pages of tools. In addition, using the included Innovation Configuration map, teams can assess just where they stand in reaching critical objectives for effective learning.
Certificate in School Management and Leadership (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
The Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) is designed to provide preK-12 school leaders at all stages of their careers with frameworks, skills, and knowledge to drive change and to lead high-performing schools. CSML comprises four distinct yet interrelated courses, which may be taken individually or completed together to earn a comprehensive certificate. Together, these courses address topics most vital to leading successful schools. These four courses are: Leading Change, Leading Schools, Leading People, and Leading Learning.
Applications for the March 2019 term are being accepted through March 8, 2019. The online course starts on March 20, 2019. Tuition is $399.
Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools
From Amazon.com: The Change Leadership Group at the Harvard School of Education has, through its work with educators, developed a thoughtful approach to the transformation of schools in the face of increasing demands for accountability. This book brings the work of the Change Leadership Group to a broader audience, providing a framework to analyze the work of school change and exercises that guide educators through the development of their practice as agents of change. It exemplifies a new and powerful approach to leadership in schools.
Creating Communities of Courage: Lessons from the Field
This report from the National School Climate Center highlights some of the most effective practices district and school leaders can use to improve school climate and develop social-emotional learning.
Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education
A joint venture of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and the Curry School of Education, the Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education (PLE) was established to support the leaders developing our nation’s future. Established in 2003, PLE draws on the most innovative thinking in business and education to address the challenges and needs of education leaders in eliciting system- and school-level improvement, as well as inspiring educators and students to achieve their fullest potential. Visit the website to learn more about PLE programs and access case studies, research, and resources.
Diane Sweeney Consulting: The Place for Student-Centered Coaching
Diane Sweeney Consulting supports the implementation of student-centered coaching in K-12 schools. Their qualified team of K-12 consultants provide the following services:
- We partner with coaches, principals, and district leaders to implement a data-driven and student-centered model of instructional coaching and professional development
- We provide direct coaching to teachers using a student-centered approach
- We provide keynotes and other speaking engagements for educational organizations
- We offer institutes, conferences, and workshops for coaches, principals, and district leaders
In addition, the website features a blog and resources, including podcasts, videos, study guides, and a student-centered coaching toolkit.
Leadership for Green Schools provides educational leaders, teachers, facility professionals, and community partners with the tools they need to lead and manage greener, more sustainable schools. Authors Lisa A.W. Kensler and Cynthia L. Uline draw from the fields of sustainability science, built learning environment, and educational leadership to explain what green schools look like, what role school buildings play in advancing sustainable organizational and instructional practices, and why school leaders are “greening” their leadership. Sustainability can often seem like an unreachable, utopian set of goals, but this important resource uses real life examples of successful schools and leaders, demonstrating how green schools advance the work already underway to restore engaged learning within our schools and communities. Leadership for Green Schools is a unique and important resource to help leaders reduce the environmental impact of school buildings and immerse students in purposeful, meaningful learning for a sustainable, just future.
The Marshall Memo, published 50 times a year since 2003, is designed to keep principals, teachers, instructional coaches, superintendents, and other preK-12 educators well-informed on current research and best practices. Kim Marshall, drawing on his decades as a teacher, principal, central office administrator, consultant, and writer, lightens the load of busy educators by serving as their “designated reader.” A one-year subscription costs $50.
From Amazon.com: A unique collaboration between the celebrated management thinker and Fifth Discipline author Peter Senge and a team of renowned educators and organizational change leaders, Schools that Learn describes how schools can adapt, grow, and change in the face of the demands and challenges of our society, and provides tools, techniques, and references for bringing those aspirations to life.
The new revised and updated edition offers practical advice for overcoming the many challenges that face our communities and educational systems today. It shows teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community members how to successfully use principles of organizational learning, including systems thinking and shared vision, to address the challenges that face our nation’s schools. In a fast-changing world where school populations are increasingly diverse, children live in ever-more-complex social and media environments, standardized tests are applied as overly simplistic “quick fixes,” and advances in science and technology continue to accelerate, the pressures on our educational system are inescapable. Schools That Learn offers a much-needed way to open dialogue about these problems – and provides pragmatic opportunities to transform school systems into learning organizations.
Drawing on observations and advice from more than 70 writers and experts on schools and education, this book features:
- Methods for implementing organizational learning and explanations of why they work
- Compelling stories and anecdotes from the “field” – classrooms, schools, and communities
- Charts, tables, and diagrams to illustrate systems thinking and other practices
- Guiding principles for how to apply innovative practices in all types of school systems
- Individual exercises useful for both teachers and students
- Team exercises to foster communication within the classroom, school, or community group
- New essays on topics like educating for sustainability, systems thinking in the classroom, and “the great game of high school.”
- New recommendations for related books, articles, videotapes, and web sites
- And more
Schools That Learn is the essential guide for anyone who cares about the future of education and keeping our nation’s schools competitive in our fast-changing world.
Grants and Awards
2019 – 2020 School Grants for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids has provided $8.7 million in grants to schools since 2009. Our School Grants for Healthy Kids can help your school health team achieve its goal to make every kid healthy and ready to learn. Applications are now being accepted until April 5, 2019 for the 2019 – 2020 school year. Two types of grants are available:
- School Breakfast Grants. School breakfast is more than a meal: It helps fight hunger, improves student focus, and reduces absenteeism. Your school can introduce or expand a school breakfast program with grants for $1,000, $2,000, or $3,000. Whether it’s breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go breakfast, or another breakfast program, help your students start their day right.
- Game on Grants. Game On grants provide funding and resources for schools to improve or introduce new nutrition and physical activity programs. With a $1,000 grant, you can build a school garden, get equipment for active recess, host taste tests and other nutrition promotion, start a before- or after-school activity club, and more.
ASM Materials Education Foundation K-12 Education Grants
The ASM Materials Education Foundation awards 20 grants of $500 annually to help K-12 teachers bring the real world of materials science into their classrooms. “Living in a Material World” grants recognize creativity and enhance awareness of materials science and the role that materials play in society. Teachers must describe a hands-on, curriculum-based K-12 project that involves student observation, teamwork, mathematics, and science skills that enhance student awareness of the everyday materials around them. The deadline for applications is May 25, 2019.
The Braitmayer Foundation is interested in proposals utilizing innovative practices in K-12 education throughout the United States. Of particular interest are:
- Curricular and school reform initiatives.
- Preparation of and professional development opportunities for teachers, particularly those which encourage people of high ability and diverse background to enter and remain in K-12 teaching.
Grants are awarded up to $35,000. Applications for 2019 grants should be submitted online between February 1 and March 15. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the application process, view past recipients, and to apply.
Brower Youth Award for Environmental Leadership
Earth Island Institute established The Brower Youth Award for Environmental Leadership in 2000 to honor renowned environmental advocate David Brower and recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of young people who are working for the protection of our shared planet. Youth environmental change leaders ages 13 to 22 (as of July 1, 2019) living in North America (including Mexico, Canada, some Caribbean Islands) and U.S. “Territories” are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Wednesday May 1, 2019 at 9 pm PT.
Each of the six recipients of the Brower Youth Awards will receive a $3,000 cash prize, a professionally produced short film about their work from an Emmy award-winning film crew, and flight and lodging accommodations for a week-long trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. During their stay, recipients will participate in coaching, visioning, leadership activities, and speaking and media engagements. The week of activities culminates in an awards ceremony in front of more than 800 guests in San Francisco on October 15, 2019.
Captain Planet Foundation ecoSolution Grants
The Captain Planet Foundation’s ecoSolution Grants (previously called “Small Grants”) have been the defining basis of the organization’s work over the last 25 years. The Foundation has funded over 2,100 projects that have impacted 1.2 million youth around the world – actively fulfilling its mission to build the next generation of environmental stewards and change agents.
ecoSolution Grants range from $500 – $2,500 and are intended to support solution-oriented, youth-led projects that result in real environmental outcomes. Visit the website to learn more about eligibility and restrictions and to fill out an application. The next deadline for applications is July 15, 2019.
Captain Planet Foundation ecoTECH Grants
Originally developed in partnership with the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and with ongoing support from Voya Financial, ecoTech Grants are specifically offered to engage children in inquiry-based, STEM-related projects that leverage technology and/or use nature-based design to address environmental problems in local communities. ecoTech Grants were created to combat the notion that students needed to choose between “the screen” or “the green” and to encourage educators and students to explore the role technology can play in designing and implementing solutions to some of our most pressing environmental challenges. ecoTECH grant projects must:
- Be based in the U.S.
- Integrate the use of technology to address environmental problems (not iPads or other tablets)
- Be project-based
- Be youth-led
- Result in real, demonstrable environmental outcomes
ecoTECH grants are available as cash grants of up to $2,500 and support the purchase of materials and other project implementation expenses. The deadline to submit an application is July 15, 2019.
Crayola Creative Leadership Grants
The 2019 Creative Leadership Grants program provides grants for innovative, creative leadership team building within elementary and middle schools. To apply:
- Form a collaborative team to plan innovative ways of infusing creativity throughout the school.
- Brainstorm a leadership program that will enrich creative capabilities and confidence within the school community.
- Plan how and who will lead this collaborative effort.
- Complete the application.
- Submit application by June 21, 2019 (the principal must be a member of the National Association of Elementary School Principals).
- Receive a gift — every Early Bird application submitted before midnight on Monday, June 3, 2019 will receive a Crayola product Classpack®.
Each grant-winning school (up to 20 grants awarded) receives $2,500 and Crayola products valued at $1,000.
Dorothy Stout Professional Development Awards
The National Association of Geoscience Teachers gives these professional development awards to faculty and students at two year colleges and to K-12 teachers in support of:
- Participation in Earth Science classes or workshops
- Attendance at professional scientific or science education meetings
- Participation in Earth Science field trips
- Purchase of Earth Science materials for classroom use
Awards of $750 are made annually in three categories: Community College Faculty, Community College Student, and K-12 Educator. Award winners are also given a one-year membership to the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, which includes an online subscription to the Journal of Geoscience Education and the In The Trenches magazine. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2019.
EPA’s Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes outstanding kindergarten through grade 12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Up to two teachers from each of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award. The White House Council on Environmental Quality, in partnership with EPA, administers this award to honor, support, and encourage educators who incorporate environmental education in their classrooms and teaching methods.
- Teacher awardees will receive a Presidential award plaque and an award of up to $2,500 to be used to further the recipient’s professional development in environmental education. Teacher awardees will also receive a congratulatory letter from a senior official from EPA and/or the White House.
- The teacher’s local education agency will also receive an award of up to $2,500 to fund environmental education activities and programs (and not for construction costs, general expenses, salaries, bonuses, or other administrative expenses).
- Honorable Mention recipients will receive certificates of recognition.
Applications are due March 8, 2019.
GetEdFunding is a curated collection of grants and awards created by education professionals for education professionals. Its database was designed to be easy-to-use and reliable, and all grant and funding opportunities are updated daily. Users can search by six criteria, including 43 areas of focus, 8 content areas, and 14 twenty-first century themes and skills, including environmental literacy. Once registered on the site, users can save grants of interest and return to them at any time.
Gloria Baron Prize for Young Heroes
Each year, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes recognizes young people ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people, their communities, and our environment. The 25 winners each receive a $10,000 cash award to support their service work or higher education. Winners of the Barron Prize also receive:
- Personalized plaque and certificate of recognition
- Signed copy of The Hero’s Trail, by Barron Prize founder T.A. Barron
- Dream Big, a documentary film featuring several Barron Prize winners
- Young Heroes activities guide and bibliography
- The opportunity to connect with other Barron Prize winners through the Young Heroes online forum
- Numerous media opportunities – print, television, and radio
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. MST on April 15, 2019.
International Young Eco-Hero Awards
The nonprofit Action For Nature (AFN) created the International Young Eco-Hero Awards to recognize and reward the successful individual environmental initiatives of young people ages 8 to 16. To be considered, projects must address environmental health, advocacy, research, or protection of the natural world, be action-based, and self-initiated. Winners will be selected by a team of independent judges with experience in environmental issues.
Applications for 2019 are being accepted through February 28, 2019. Visit the website to learn more about eligibility requirements, judging criteria, prizes, and how to apply.
The InvenTeam initiative, created by the Lemelson-MIT Program, offers an unparalleled opportunity for high school students to cultivate their creativity and experience invention. InvenTeams are teams of high school students, teachers, and mentors who receive grants of up to $10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems. Up to 15 teams are selected for grants each school year. Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve. Funds may be allocated for research, materials, and learning experiences related to the project. Funds may not be used to purchase capital equipment or professional services (e.g. intellectual property legal protection, engineering services).
Initial applications are due on April 8, 2019. Educators selected as finalists are considered Excite Award recipients and attend EurekaFest at MIT in June 2019. The award is an all-expense paid trip to MIT and professional development on invention education. Only Excite Award recipients who attend EurekaFest will be invited to submit a final application.
McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Teacher Development Grants
McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Teacher Development Grants support small teams of teachers in the formation and implementation of groundbreaking K-12 classroom instruction. These grants provide opportunities for teachers to integrate fresh strategies that encourage critical inquiry and to observe their effects on students. Teachers have an opportunity to reflect and write about their projects, as well as to share their results with other teachers. The Foundation awards grants to individuals in amounts of up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $30,000 over three years, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.
Apply early! Submissions are accepted January 15 – April 15. The application system closes once 350 submissions are received.
The Power of Youth Challenge, an initiative of America’s Promise Alliance, invites youth from across the country to bring positive change to their communities by leading social service projects. Teams made up of at least three young people, ages 13 to 18, will have access to a mini-grant of up to $250, with the amount determined by project needs. Teams who complete their projects will be eligible to apply for an accelerator grant of up to $5,000 to grow their projects over the next year. The deadline for team registration is March 31, 2019. Visit the Power of Youth Challenge website to review the eligibility criteria and application process.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science (including computer science) teaching. Established by Congress in 1983, the President may recognize up to 108 exemplary teachers each year.
Awards are given to teachers from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, or the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands).
The award recognizes those teachers who develop and implement a high-quality instructional program that is informed by content knowledge and enhances student learning. Since the program’s inception, more than 4,800 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.
Recipients of the award receive the following:
- A certificate signed by the President of the United States.
- A paid trip to Washington, DC to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities.
- A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.
- An opportunity to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation.
This year’s awards will honor mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers working in grades 7 – 12. Applications must be submitted by May 1, 2019.
Project Green Schools Green Difference Awards
Project Green Schools is a leading national nonprofit organization, developing the next generation of environmental leaders through education, project-based learning, and community service. Our Green Schools Society (grades K-12) and National Youth Council (grades 5-12) honor and develop bright, civic-minded, environmentally literate citizens in schools and communities. Project Green Schools is excited to announce our 11th Annual Green Difference Awards honoring Principals, Teachers, Advisors, Students, Citizens, Schools, School Groups/Clubs, and our Sponsors nationally and internationally at our annual event on May 10, 2019. Nominate a Green Difference Maker today! Deadline: March 29, 2019.
Siemens 2019 Possibility Grant Sweepstakes
Enter the Possibility Grant Sweepstakes daily for your chance to win $10,000 for STEM at your school! “Fab” your lab with the latest and greatest gadgets, or purchase top-tier technology and supplies for STEM students. One school will be selected as our Grand Prize Winner in May 2019. The Grand Prize will consist of a $10,000 Siemens Possibility Grant, awarded in the form of a check made payable to the winning school and intended to be used by the school for a science lab makeover and/or STEM-related equipment, supplies, or technology. Eligible educators may enter the sweepstakes once per day until April 27, 2019.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) was founded in 1997 by the Stockholm International Water Institute to complement the Stockholm Water Prize. The SJWP is considered the world’s most prestigious award presented to a high school student for a water-research project. Any high school student in grades 9 through 12, who has reached the age of 15 by August 1 of the competition year and has conducted a water-related science project, is eligible to participate in the competition.
Teams of up to three students may enter. Projects should be aimed at enhancing the quality of life through improvement of water quality, water resources management, or water and wastewater treatment. Projects can explore water issues on local, regional, national, or global issues. It is essential that all projects use a research-oriented approach, which means they must use scientifically accepted methodologies for experimentation, monitoring, and reporting, including statistical analysis. Entries into the SJWP competition will be judged based on six criteria: relevance, creativity, methodology, subject knowledge, practical skills, and report and presentation.
Note: All students must enter the State SJWP Competition first. National competition entries are open to State winners only.
The entry deadline for the 2019 competition is April 15th.
Looking to improve your classroom but short on resources? Study.com wants to help you advance student learning and outcomes by granting you $1,000 toward your classroom! The Study.com Grant for Teachers was created to help teachers advance student outcomes while also saving their own time, energy, and money. The grant provides recipients with:
- $1,000 to spend on supplies, curriculum development, or other resources to support students
- a 12-month subscription to Study.com’s videos, worksheets, lesson plans, and more.
Study.com awards two teacher grants per school year to active, full-time preschool to twelfth-grade teachers. The next deadline for applications is March 1, 2019.
The UL Innovative Education Award is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to invest up to $250,000 annually in environmental and STEM education, sustainable communities, and youth empowerment. The purpose of the award is to increase the impact of existing innovative nonprofit programs that use the environment as a pathway to STEM Learning.
Through the UL Innovative Education Award, UL invests in the critical work of nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada that are leading the way to inspire a passion for STEM education in young people through a focus on designing solutions to environmental problems. The award program, designed in collaboration with the North American Association for Environmental Education, empowers the next generation of leaders to connect with the natural world, develop science-based sustainable solutions for local communities, and nurture a capacity for social responsibility.
Eligible organizations are invited to apply by March 12, 2019. A select group of finalists will be invited to move on to the next phase of the application process.
Voya Foundation grants are focused on Financial Resilience. We work to ensure that youth are equipped with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) expertise and financial knowledge necessary to compete in the 21st century workforce and make smart financial decisions that lead to a secure retirement.
We accomplish this by accepting year-round grant applications from organizations that:
- Provide innovative and experiential K-8 STEM learning opportunities to promote an early interest in STEM career fields, and improve teachers’ capabilities in STEM; or
- Provide financial education curriculum to grade 9-12 students focused on navigating major financial milestones including student debt, credit, home ownership, financial products and services/financial capability, and family needs.
Learn more about applying for a Voya Foundation Grant.