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ACNW Environmental Education News
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October 9, 2018
Dear Charter School Leaders, EE Contacts, Teachers, and Board Members,
Fall is here! With it comes great opportunity for taking students outside to observe how the natural world changes with the season – leaves falling, temperatures dropping, and birds migrating overhead. As fall progresses, you can track the changing leaf colors throughout the state by using the Minnesota DNR Fall Color Finder. Project Learning Tree has lots of fall activities posted online for learners of all ages, including tips for integrating STEM into environmental education. Minnesota’s many wild places and waterways provide much-needed refuge for songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors on their journey, so get outside to see what you can find! Download a bird checklist for your favorite state park.
Keep us posted as you work to increase students’ environmental literacy at your school! We’d love to feature your stories and work in this newsletter, or share useful ideas and resources you find as you create great experiences for kids. Keep in touch!
Sincerely,
The ACNW Charter School Division
43 Main Street SE, Suite 507
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 331-4181
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COMPOSTING COUNCIL POSTER CONTEST
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The Composting Council Research & Education Foundation invites entries for its 2019 poster contest. The winning poster will be used to promote International Compost Awareness Week, May 5-11, 2019. The poster theme is “Cool the Climate – Compost!” The competition is open to anyone ten years and older in three divisions. Submissions will be accepted until November 5, 2018. Learn more or enter the contest online.
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NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL MONTH
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October is National Farm to School Month. Are you looking for ways to bring fresh produce to your school lunchroom, or need a home for food waste after meals? The UMN Extension Farm to School program connects schools with fresh, local food grown or raised by family farmers, as well as resources to engage students, training, and hands-on nutrition education for students. Join the National Farm to School Network (for free!) to access the resource database, full of great activities, webinars, and articles. |
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CLEAN ENERGY DOCUMENTARIES
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The Redford Center has released an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum, called Teaching Happening, developed to work alongside The Redford Center’s documentary Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution. Check out the sequel, Happening Minnesota: A Clean Energy Road Trip, highlighting what can happen when a state fully commits to a clean energy future, sets aggressive targets, and then shatters them.
The Power of Minnesota tells the story of Minnesota communities seizing the opportunity to reduce taxes, create jobs, and improve the air and water. In those communities, students are training for in-demand jobs, small business owners are innovating, and farmers are diversifying their income to ensure a cleaner and more prosperous future. |
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BUILD A BIRDING ACTIVITY BAG
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An interactive outdoor activity, like birding, can be the entry point to environmental literacy. Birding can connect children to the excitement of making discoveries about the natural world with learning ecological concepts and building scientific skills. This article, from Green Teacher magazine, describes how to prepare for a birding activity with students and how to structure guided discovery.
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RECYCLE BOWL REGISTRATION OPEN
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Keep America Beautiful offers two fall events to educate and engage school communities. The deadline for schools to register for the Recycle-Bowl competition is October 12, 2018. The competition will take place Oct. 15-Nov. 15 and is a great way to improve recycling in your school and engage students in the three R's. In addition, America Recycles Day is November 15, 2018. It’s one day to educate, motivate, and make recycling bigger! Plan and register an event at your school, and use the event organizer toolkits to help you plan for the big day. (Let me know if you’re planning an event – I’d love to drop in! Email me with the details.)
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Seeds for Education Grant Program
Wild Ones offers assistance for all aspects of schoolyard enhancement projects, such as butterfly gardens, nature trails, and wildflower planting. Cash grants under $500 are available for plants and seeds. Wild Ones can help schools locate experts and information specific to its area. Applicants must submit an electronic application by October 15, 2018. Notification of awards will be made by February 15, 2018. Learn more or download application instructions.
Annie’s Grants for Gardens
Annie’s offers Grants for Gardens donations to schools and other educational programs that help build school gardens. Since 2008, Annie’s has directly funded almost 400 gardens. The fall 2018 application period will close on November 1, 2018. Learn more about eligibility requirements, funding, and how to apply on Annie’s website.
Walmart Community Grant Program
Through the Community Grant Program, Walmart supports the needs of its communities by providing grants to local organizations. The deadline to apply for the 2018 grant cycle is December 31, 2018. Application may be submitted at any time during this funding cycle. Awarded grants range from $250 to $2,500. Learn more or apply online.
Teach Earth Fellowship from Earthwatch Institute
Teach Earth is built on the principle that every individual can contribute to a sustainable planet, regardless of scientific background or skill. Each year, Earthwatch Institute selects talented teachers from all subject areas to participate in a 7-14 day immersive learning experience, working side by side with world-class scientists on field research expeditions around the world. From the edge of the Arctic to the coast of Maine, these teachers collect data on climate change, ecology, wildlife, and more. Teachers have an opportunity to learn the scientific process first hand and help to solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Teachers return to the classroom with new perspectives and knowledge, invigorated and inspired to share the experience of real discovery with their students.
Visit Earthwatch’s Institute website to learn more about qualifications and award details and to fill out an interest form. The 2018 Fellowship Application period closes on January 10, 2019.
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Green Strides Webinar Series
The Green Strides Webinar Series provides free tools to reduce schools’ environmental impact and costs, improve health and wellness, and teach effective environmental education. View the webinar calendar for a full list of webinars.
Green Teacher Webinars
Green Teacher's upcoming webinars are an interactive way for educators to continue learning about key environmental topics. These professional development webinar series feature some of the most important thinkers in the field of environmental education addressing vital and relevant topics. Registration is FREE and teachers can obtain a certificate upon completion.
- October 17: Why Learn About Insects?
- October 22: Feeding Plants to Feed the World
- October 30: A Community Pathway to Stewardship
- January 16: Exploring Learning Stories
- February 13: Using Progressive Skits to Teach Food Chains
Plan a Green Apple Day of Service
A 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, register your project, or learn more online. Be sure to register your project by March 15, 2019 to be eligible for a mini-grant and Green Apple Awards.
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The Prairie Wetlands Learning Center in Fergus Falls has developed an innovative approach to teaching in the outdoor classroom, called The Compass to Nature. Just as a navigational compass enables you to guide your way outside, the four points of The Compass to Nature provide direction for teachers helping students develop a connected, caring relationship with the natural world.
Interview an Organism
Interview an Organism is an exploration routine that focuses students on observing one interesting organism, and “interviewing” it, asking questions that can be answered through further observations.
Nature Journaling: A Creative Path to Environmental Literacy
This free, downloadable guide designed for grades 4-8 will show you how to use nature journaling in accessible, everyday settings – the schoolyard, a neighborhood park, and the trails of a local nature center.
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