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 member of the program, 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: professional publications, 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.

2018 BirdSleuth Summer Educator Retreat

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York is opening its doors to educators for a one-of-a-kind program, July 18 – 21, 2018. This year’s retreat focuses on using citizen science and inquiry in the classroom. Participants will experience four days of activities, guest speakers, and field trips highlighting best practices and the latest resources, learning about citizen science, inquiry-based projects, Lab resources, and BirdSleuth curricula. Registration costs $495 (not including lodging). Visit the website to register and learn more about the program and lodging options.

2018 CELF Summer Institute: Education for Sustainability

The Annual CELF Summer Institute in Education for Sustainability (July 9 – 12, 2018, Manhattanville College, New York) is an intensive 4-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.

Learn more about registration and credit options here.

The Biomimicry Institute

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.

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.

Summer Curriculum Design Studio: Educating for a Sustainable Future

August 6 – 10, 2018

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

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.

CWI is now offering early bird rates for each of its 2018 summer institutes. See below and visit the website to learn more about these professional development opportunities and to register.

2018 Summer EAST Institute on Place Based Service-Learning and Sustainability

June 25 – 29, 2018

Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont

The longest running service-learning training for educators in the world, Summer EAST is a powerful learning lab for educators, set in one of the most progressive cities in the U.S. A week of inspiration and expert training, amid the breathtaking summer landscape of northern Vermont.

2018 Summer WEST Institute on Place Based Service-Learning and Sustainability

July 23 – 27, 2018

Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California

An immersion for K-16 educators in CWI’s acclaimed learning lab, using one of the world’s most vibrant and culturally rich urban settings as our classroom. An exceptional week of transformative professional development, program design, and networking.

Creative Change

Creative Change is a national educational consulting firm based in southeast Michigan. Districts and universities turn to us when their curriculum isn’t working – when achievement is low, inequalities persist, or it’s time for fresh thinking. We provide professional development, curriculum, and consulting to help educators across grades and disciplines reframe instruction around sustainability and social justice.

Our work integrates project- and place-based learning and culturally responsive instruction. Topics include food systems, ecological economics, and multiculturalism. Evaluations show consistent gains in student achievement, especially in underserved communities. Grounded in scholarship, our approach will be published by Routledge in 2018.

Creative Change offers:

  • On-site and hybrid professional development combining interdisciplinary content and effective pedagogy.
  • Ongoing support and one-on-one coaching for educators.
  • A curriculum library featuring exemplary lessons, frameworks, and complete course modules.

Curriculum Development Master Class: Reframing for Social Justice and Sustainability

June 18-19 | Ann Arbor, Michigan

Offered in partnership with the University of Michigan School of Education

This hands-on master class provides knowledge, skills, and a step-wise process to develop curriculum grounded in the concepts of healthy communities, democratic societies, and social justice. Participants will develop or redesign a unit or course that engages students in authentic problem-solving while also meeting required standards and content. Michigan SCECHs available.

Cost: $169 (reduced rate for U of M students)

Click here to register.

EcoRise

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.

Green Schools Alliance

Green Schools Alliance is an international organization that advances student success and saves schools resources by fostering whole school sustainability. Originally developed as a network created by schools for schools, the Alliance has evolved to provide integrated and organized support to students, school professionals, schools, and districts to foster sustainability work.

Alliance programs are scaled and developed from member ideas to make them more accessible for other member schools. The Alliance conducts work via its international coalition of schools, rooted in the idea that collaboration among schools brings the greatest change for sustainable learning environments and communities. They:

  • promote student success through leadership training, project-based learning, and a support system.
  • inspire school professionals through access to training, resources, and a community of fellow sustainability champions.
  • provide schools with tools to accelerate whole school sustainability efforts through collective purchasing power, access to resources, and reporting and recognition systems.
  • offer districts the programs to leverage high-volume purchasing power, foster collaborative communication, and gather systemwide information on school efforts.

Learn more about upcoming events.

 

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.

National Children and Youth Garden Symposium

The 2018 National Children and Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) will be held July 11 – 14, 2018 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The symposium is your opportunity to network with like-minded teachers, garden designers, community leaders, program coordinators, and others involved with connecting kids to the natural world. NCYGS 2018 attendees will:

  • Explore topics ranging from curriculum to program management to garden design and maintenance during four dynamic days of educational sessions, field trips, and expert keynote presentations. July 11 will feature optional pre-symposium trips, while July 12 – 14 will comprise the main body of the symposium.
  • Experience Central New York’s breathtaking natural beauty and the world-renowned facilities of Cornell University.
  • Share ideas, success stories, and inspiration with like-minded colleagues from across the nation.

Symposium registration is open and runs through June 25, 2018.

North American Association for Environmental Education Annual Conference

The 48th North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) annual conference will be held in Spokane, Washington from October 9 – 13, 2018. The theme for this year’s conference is EE: A Force for the Future.

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 EE research and promote dialogue between researchers and practitioners.

Apply for a NAAEE Conference scholarship! The deadline to submit applications is June 8, 2018.

More information on registration and travel will be coming soon!

Shelburne Farms 

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 both 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

Project Seasons for Young Learners: Cultivating Joy & Wonder

July 9 – 13, 2018

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.

The Summer Institute on Education for Sustainability

July 23 – 27, 2018

Spend five rich days with colleagues from around the country at an informative and restorative institute created to give you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of education for sustainability. This week is part conference, part workshop, part retreat. The 2018 Summer Institute will draw upon the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals for inspiration, connecting you and your students to a global movement.

Cost $600. Includes light breakfast and lunch; excludes travel and graduate credit. A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Learn more and register here.

Education for Sustainability Immersion

August 16 – 17, 2018

For those who already have a strong foundation in Education for Sustainability, our two-day Immersion will provide you with the opportunity to reflect, learn, and collaborate with a small group of colleagues from across the country in a residential, retreat-like setting here at Shelburne Farms. The Immersion has a design studio feel with participants self-directing much of their work with a few inspirational speakers and workshops/explore times. Expect to take a deep dive into such topic areas as place-based education, social justice, systems thinking, or other topics in the field of Education for Sustainability that are important to you. This course is action-oriented with an expectation at the end that each participant has a solid project or curriculum to implement. Programming begins on the first day and continues into the evening, and then concludes mid-afternoon of the second day.

Cost $375. Includes meals and accommodations; excludes graduate credits. Limited to 15 participants. Scholarships are available to cover the course fee. Learn more and register here.

General Resources

Biocubes: Exploring Biodiversity

How much life can you find in one cubic foot? Studying the species that make up an ecosystem is the first step in understanding how biological systems function and predicting impacts of change. The Smithsonian Biocube Program encourages students to explore the biodiversity around them. This website includes how-tos, resources, and examples of biocubes from around the world.

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.

Facing the Future 

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.

Generation 180 Student Intern Program

Generation 180 is committed to advancing the transition to clean energy and supporting a cultural shift in energy awareness through original, engaging content, digitally-enabled campaigns, and an empowered volunteer network. Their online internship program teaches high school students about changes in the energy industry and innovations that are enabling individuals to choose clean energy for the first time. Interns will receive online training consisting of educational materials, a series of live training webinars, and opportunities for peer feedback and support. With this training, students will be equipped to complete assignments and self-directed projects spanning the areas of community research, outreach, and engagement—all designed to result in direct, measurable carbon emissions reductions.

Participants must b­e rising high school juniors or seniors and will need a computer and internet connection to attend webinars and complete assignments. Due to its online format, the program can be completed from anywhere in the United States. Participants can choose from one of two sessions scheduled for summer 2018: July 9–27 and July 30–August 17.

Green Schoolyards America’s 2018 School Ground Activity Guide Set

Green Schoolyards America has updated its popular Living Schoolyard Activity Guides for 2018. Together, the Living Schoolyard Activity Guide – United States Edition and International School Grounds Month Activity Guide contain 235 activities contributed by 187 schools, agencies, nonprofits, museums, universities, businesses, and utilities across the U.S. and 27 countries around the world. Both guides are available for free online and contain a wide range of ideas for use by PreK-12 schools before, during, and after school.

Learning Lab

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.

NEEF’s Get Dirty! Learning Expedition Toolkit

The National Environmental Education Foundation developed this guide to assist educators in planning instructive and memorable outings that incorporate best practices of outdoor environmental education.

The toolkit proceeds step-by-step from planning, to conducting, to presenting place-based projects. Additional resources and tips are suggested. Supplemental activities that develop goal setting, leadership, and team building skills are also included.

Outdoor Classroom Day 2018

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play. On this day, thousands of schools around the world take lessons outdoors and prioritize playtime. In 2017, over two million children in over 100 countries took part. This year, Outdoor Classroom Day will be held on May 17 and November 1. To participate, visit the website, sign up, and check out the online resources for activities, lesson ideas, and materials to inspire your Outdoor Classroom Day.

People and the Planet: Lessons for a Sustainable Future

In our increasingly interdependent world, People and the Planet is a must for the middle school classroom. This interdisciplinary curriculum helps students understand the connections between human population growth, the environment, and our global family while inspiring them to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.

An environmental education and global studies guide in one, People and the Planet covers concepts central to science, social studies, and math, while reinforcing skills in English Language Arts. Through 41 innovative activities, 18 readings, and 31 infographics, students explore contemporary issues like climate change, water scarcity, global wealth inequality, solid waste management, and more. Hands-on strategies keep students engaged, while emphasis on analysis and real-world problem solving make the activities an ideal match for addressing Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, as well as the C3 Framework and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.

People and the Planet is an online curriculum with an easy-to-use interface. The content is organized into seven comprehensive units made up of lesson plans, student readings, a summative assessment, infographics, a glossary, and sources for further research. After purchasing, simply set-up a user account to access the materials anytime you’re online.

Each individual unit can be downloaded separately for $3 per unit. The entire package can be purchased for $15.

Siemens STEM Day

Siemens STEM Day is a refreshed and expanded version of the beloved Siemens Science Day, now intended to span the whole K-12 STEM experience. Siemens STEM Day offers a variety of tools and resources that will help you reinvent your STEM curriculum, including original hands-on activities for grades K-12 and a teacher support center.

TeachEngineering

TeachEngineering is a searchable, web-based digital library collection comprised of standards-based engineering curricula for use by K-12 educators to make applied science and math come alive through engineering design in K-12 settings. The TeachEngineering collection provides educators with free access to a growing curricular resource of activities, lessons, units, maker challenges, and sprinkles for use in informal education settings. Every lesson and activity is explicitly aligned to the science and/or math educational standards of the state in which it was first developed and classroom tested, as well as to the Common Core Math, Next-Gen Science and ITEEA standards, if they apply.

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.

Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide

The Center for Ecoliteracy’s Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide uses text, video, photography, and interactive experiences to help educators, students, and advocates learn how food and climate interact and how personal choices can make a difference. Ideal for grades 6-12 and general audiences, and connected to Next Generation Science Standards and the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies themes, the guide offers activities for student research and provides extensive resources for further investigation.

Technology and Sustainability Education Related Resources

12 Engaging Science Apps for Middle and High School Students

Project Learning Tree pulled together these 12 free science apps, focusing on topics such as climate change, trees, conservation, and weather. All apps complement Project Learning Tree’s lesson plans. Apps include stand-alone games, interactive teaching tools, and reference guides.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: BirdSleuth

BirdSleuth is an inquiry-based science curriculum that engages kids in scientific study and real data collection through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s exciting citizen science projects. BirdSleuth provides educators with kits that:

  • Encourage kids to answer their own questions about nature using the scientific process.
  • Spend time outdoors, connecting with nature by focusing on the fascinating sights, sounds, and behaviors of birds.
  • Motivate kids by the real-world importance of the data they enter online, which scientists use to understand and conserve birds.

BirdSleuth offers a variety of resources, as well as opportunities for in-person training, workshops, and online webinars for all types of educators who are looking for top notch professional development. BirdSleuth even offers a free student publication, BirdSleuth Investigator, that is written by students, for students and can be downloaded from the website.

Digital Technology’s Role in Connecting Children and Adults to Nature and the Outdoors

This National Wildlife Federation report (published June 2017) focuses on finding ways to harness digital technology and apps for worthwhile and life-changing nature experiences. It contains research background and common-sense guidelines for how handheld digital technology and apps can be designed and used to meaningfully connect children and adults to nature and the outdoors.

Fun and Educational Science Apps for Elementary Students

Project Learning Tree pulled together these free science apps for students in grades K-5, focusing on topics such as climate change, trees, conservation, and weather. All apps complement Project Learning Tree’s lesson plans. Apps include stand-alone games, interactive teaching tools, and reference guides.

iNaturalist

iNaturalist is an online, crowdsourced species identification and recording tool that allows users to record observations, get help with identifications, collaborate with others to collect information for a common purpose, and access observational data collected by iNaturalist users. The tool was developed to connect people with nature while generating scientifically valuable biodiversity data. A teacher’s guide is available to help educators optimize their use of iNaturalist in the classroom, including examples that feature coursework, lesson plans, and protocols.

Journey North Citizen Science

Journey North is a free, Internet-based program that explores the interrelated aspects of seasonal change. Through interrelated investigations, students discover that sunlight drives all living systems and they learn about the dynamic ecosystem that surrounds and connects them. A sampling of projects includes:

  • Sunlight and the Seasons: Children study seasonal change in sunlight in a global game of hide and seek called Mystery Class.
  • Plants and the Seasons: Children explore tulip growth in their own gardens, running an experiment that tracks the arrival of spring.
  • Seasonal Migrations: Children follow animal migrations. They observe, research, and report findings and watch journeys progress on live maps.

Additional instructional materials, activities, and strategies can be found on the Journey North website.

Monarch Watch

Monarch Watch is a nonprofit education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas that strives to provide the public with information about the biology of monarch butterflies, their spectacular migration, and how to use monarchs to further science education in primary and secondary schools. The program engages in research on monarch migration biology and monarch population dynamics to better understand how to conserve the monarch migration, as well as promotes the protection of monarch habitats throughout North America. Monarch Watch’s website is a treasure trove for educators looking to participate, including information on creating Monarch Waystations and butterfly gardens, raising Monarchs in the classroom, and tagging Monarchs to track their migration patterns.

Nature Passport

The Nature Passport app, created by IslandWood and Nature Play Western Australia, is based on a successful, paper-based program in Australia that has reached more than 600,000 families and uses technology as a tool for connecting families and schools with the natural world. The app includes dozens of activities designed by leading experts in outdoor play and experiential, place-based curriculum. Although designed for children aged 7 – 10 years, the app can be used by kids and adults of any age.

Nature’s Notebook – National Phenology Network

Nature’s Notebook is a national, online program of the USA National Phenology Network where amateur and professional naturalists regularly record observations of plants and animals to generate long-term data sets used for scientific discovery and decision-making. Observing phenology through Nature’s Notebook offers place-based, hands-on learning opportunities for K-12 students, promoting cross-subject engagement while addressing learning standards. A number of classroom resources and activities have been developed for K-12 educators to introduce students to phenology and engage them in real-world projects that entail data collection and analysis.

Project BudBurst

Project BudBurst is a citizen science program focused on how plants change with the seasons. Participants in Project BudBurst make careful observations of the timing of leafing, flowering, and fruiting phases of plants throughout the year. Observations shared with Project BudBurst become part of an ecological record and data is freely available for anyone to download and use. The Project BudBurst website has a number of resources for K-12 educators including classroom guides, activities, and professional development opportunities. Educators can register their classrooms with Project BudBurst so that students can collect and share data with the Project BudBurst community.

Project Noah

Project Noah is an award-winning software platform designed to help people reconnect with the natural world through citizen science. This powerful tool provides users of all ages with a simple, easy-to-use way to share their wildlife observations while collecting important ecological data. Educators can choose from dozens of challenging and meaningful investigations, or “missions,” that touch on key concepts in life science or they can create their own place-based mission tailored to their local environment. Teacher-created, teacher-tested resources are also available to help you get started using Project Noah in your classroom.

SciStarter

SciStarter is the place to find, join, and contribute to science through more than 1,600 formal and informal research projects, events, and tools. The SciStarter Project Finder is the perfect starting place for educators interested in integrating citizen science into curriculum – there are hundreds of projects suitable for all ages and many include teaching materials. Educators can also find case studies that highlight best practices for conducting citizen science projects in the classroom, as well as links to additional citizen science resources.

 

WeExplore

WeExplore is an adventure learning environment that provides learners with the opportunity to become explorers pursuing answers to their own questions and share their findings with the world. This free, custom-designed environment allows learners and educators to:

  • Engage in technology-enhanced, experiential, inquiry-based learning
  • Enhance critical thinking, design, creativity, and problem-solving skills
  • Approach learning from a multidisciplinary perspective, helping gain an understanding of the complexity of real-world issues
  • Employ 21st century skills and learn new technologies
  • Contribute to world knowledge about contemporary issues through a local lens

The WeExplore environment can be used in both formal and informal learning settings. Tutorials and project examples can be accessed on the website. You can also view and learn about current and past expeditions conducted by students from all over the world.

Grants and Awards

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, 2018.

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, 2018) living in North America (including Mexico, Canada, some Caribbean Islands) and U.S. “Territories” are encouraged to applyApplications are due Monday May 20, 2018 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 weeklong 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 16, 2018.

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 up to $2,500 and support the purchase of materials and other project implementation expenses. Deadline to submit an application is July 15, 2018.

Crayola Creative Leadership Grants

The 2018 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 22, 2018 (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 4, 2018 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.

EDspaces Educational Facility Grant Program

The EDspaces Educational Facility Grant program funds high-quality professional development for education-based facility planners, superintendents, purchasing officers, and related staff, introducing them to innovative solutions and best practices assisting effective decision-making about upcoming educational construction or renovation projects.

  • Experience innovative products that support the creation of effective learning environments
  • Participate in educational sessions led by nationally recognized speakers
  • Engage in conversations with peers in the educational facility planning environment
  • Learn more about innovative approaches in practice for planning, designing, and equipping facilities
  • Connect with the vendors that will support your next design project
  • Evaluate the latest in school equipment, fixtures, and furniture

The EDspaces Educational Facilities Grant includes hotel accommodations for up to three nights at an official EDspaces host hotel and full conference registration with enriching educational sessions, exhibits, and networking events. The 2018 grant program will open in spring 2018.

Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60

Funding opportunities are available to any qualified K‐12 school enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. Sponsored by the National Dairy Council, state and regional Dairy Councils, and other supporting organizations, the competitive, nationwide funding program provides money— up to $4,000 per year, per school — to jump start healthy changes. Funds are used to help schools implement one Healthy Eating Play and one Physical Activity Play from the 2017‐2018 edition of the Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook.

To apply, schools must:

  • Enroll in Fuel Up to Play 60
  • Have a registered program advisor
  • Participate in the National School Lunch Program

Learn more and download an application from the website. The deadline to apply is June 13, 2018.

GetEdFunding

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.

Keep America Beautiful National Youth Advisory Council

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) is accepting applications for the 2018-2019 National Youth Advisory Council (YAC) through June 8, 2018. This is a unique opportunity for ten high school students (15-18 years old) from diverse backgrounds across the nation to participate in a service-learning and leadership development program. Participants will contribute to and inform KAB on programs while acting as ambassadors and leaders for youth service in their communities. YAC members will produce materials to distribute to the KAB affiliate network and participate in the KAB National Conference. Members will serve as ambassadors and represent KAB within their community.

Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! Grants

Project Learning Tree® (PLT), a national environmental education program for PreK-12 educators, offers GreenWorks! grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment. Projects partner students with their whole school, local businesses, and/or community organizations and provide opportunities for student leadership. Funds can be used by students for a variety of projects, such as implementing recycling programs at their school, conserving water and energy, or establishing school gardens and outdoor classrooms. To be eligible to apply, an educator must have attended a PLT training, either in-person or online, that also provides them with PLT lesson plans and other resources to help integrate these projects and environmental education into their curriculum. Apply by September 30, 2018.

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