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ACNW Environmental Education News
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March 22, 2018
Dear Charter School Leaders, EE Contacts, Teachers, and Board Members,
Spring has sprung, but we’re already thinking ahead to summer! Join us for the ACNW Teacher Workshop August 1-3, 2018. This year we’re going to focus on place-based learning – look for more details (and registration information) next month. The workshop will be held at the Audubon Center in Sandstone. ACNW expects that each school will send one teacher, and will cover the cost (meals and lodging) of up to two teachers. If there’s lots of interest at your school, additional teachers may attend for a fee.
As always, please let us know if you are you doing something cool related to EE at your school. Every month we try to share something great happening with EE in ACNW authorized schools and we’d love to feature your school. 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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YOUTH CONVENING MINNESOTA
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Youth across Minnesota are organizing public conversations about local solutions to climate change. Part of Climate Generation’s seven-month long project called Youth Convening Minnesota, these events will happen in April and May in five communities: Carlton, Moorhead, New London/Spicer, Rochester, and Warba (organized by students from Northern Lights Community School!). Learn more and see if there is a convening happening near you.
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NEW AND UPDATED EE RESOURCES
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Clean Water Minnesota is seeking pilot groups to test a new neighborhood cleanup kit: the Clean Streets, Clean Water Neighborhood Cleanup Kit. The goal of this tool is to empower community groups to easily plan an event that engages local residents in cleaning up streets and storm drains in their neighborhood. The tool will be officially launched in the fall, but Clean Water Minnesota is seeking up to 25 groups to pilot this tool this spring. Organizations participating in the pilot will receive free printed outreach materials to plan and promote a neighborhood cleanup in April or early May. In exchange, event leaders commit to participating in a follow-up focus group to provide feedback on what worked well and how to improve the kit. If you’re interested in participating, contact Jana Larson.
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND PHENOLOGY
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MAY 18: ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY
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The 13th annual international Endangered Species Day on May 18, 2018 offers biology, ecology and other teachers an ideal opportunity to educate students about the importance of protecting threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Be sure to check out the resource materials in the Endangered Species Day Toolkit on the website, including event planning tips, stickers, bookmarks, fliers, banner, passport, coloring/activity sheets and more. Find lesson plans and other tools in the Teacher Resource Center.
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Hennepin County School Recycling Grants
Hennepin County is now accepting applications for the 2018 round of school recycling grants. Grants for K-12 schools can be used to start or improve programs to divert recycling and organic materials, which includes food and non-recyclable paper, from the trash. Grant funding can also be used to take steps to reduce waste in the first place. Applications for grants of up to $50,000 are due on Wednesday, March 28. Applications for grants of up to $15,000 will be accepted throughout the year as funds remain. Learn more and review the grant program guidelines and application online.
Carton 2 Garden Spring 2018 Contest
Show your students’ creativity by re-purposing milk and juice cartons from your school cafeteria to either build or enhance your school garden. The Carton 2 Garden Spring 2018 Contest allows educators to engage students in a hands-on experience that creates teachable moments on environmental stewardship, sustainable packaging, and healthy living. Fourteen schools with the most unique carton creations will be selected to win award packages. Entries are due Monday, April 16, 2018.
Toshiba America Foundation
The Toshiba America Foundation gives grants to teachers in K-12 schools to help them teach math and science in innovative ways. Applications are for project-based learning only and must be completed online. Grant applications for grades 6-12 that are $5,000 or less are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year, while grants exceeding $5,000 are reviewed twice a year. The next deadline for these grants is June 1, 2018.
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.
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Arbor Day Trivia
Join the Minnesota Association for Environmental Education for social hour and environmentally themed trivia for Arbor Day! The trivia is on Thursday, April 26 at 6:00 PM at the Urban Growler in Saint Paul.
Rivers Institute by Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education
Join Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education for their acclaimed Rivers Institute, a FREE, three-day, field-based professional development opportunity for educators. The institutes are designed to increase teachers' science content knowledge and investigation skills and help area educators translate their professional experiences into meaningful, engaging classroom investigations. The focus for the institutes is on elementary and middle school classroom teachers as well as teams of teachers. All educators are welcome to apply.
Two sessions are scheduled for 2018: the St. Croix River Institute June 25-27 and the Mississippi River Institute from 23-25. Learn more and register.
MN DNR Teacher Professional Development
The Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources offers low or no cost training on a variety of curricula to help connect students with the environment in a variety of settings. Teachers and educators attend workshops to get activity guides and professional development CEUs.
- March 24: FREE Project Learning Tree K-8 Workshop, MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington
- April 17: Project Learning Tree K-8 Workshop, Rochester Community and Technical College
- April 21: Project Learning Tree K-8 Workshop, Ney Nature Center, Henderson (Le Sueur County)
- July 17: Project WILD & Project WILD Aquatic Teacher Workshop, Whitewater State Park, Altura (Winona County)
Outdoor Classroom Workshops: Team Teaching with Mother Nature
The Jeffers Foundation offers workshops focused on using the outdoors as a classroom. Workshops are catered to the school or venue so participants gain valuable insights into using a specific site. Workshops are available for both schools and organizations. Contact the Jeffers Foundation to learn more.
Green Schools Conference and Expo
Early bird registration for the 2018 Green Schools Conference and Expo is now open. Make plans now to join fellow green schools advocates in Denver, Colorado May 3-4, 2018 for the 8th annual conference and expo! Find registration packages and travel/hotel information online.
Summer Institute for Climate Change Education
Join Climate Generation for its 12th annual Summer Institute, designed to guide teachers through challenges teaching about climate change, and help teachers gain the confidence and competence to bring this relevant topic to today’s youth. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts from the University of Minnesota on their climate science research, engage with hands-on activities, and learn about how Climate Generation curriculum supports language arts, social studies, and science standards, including the Next Generation Science Standards. Scholarships are available; apply online. Click here to read more and to sign up.
- Date: June 26-28, 2018
- Who: Classroom teacher or non-formal educator interested in training and resources that support the standards
- Where: St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN
- Cost: $200 participation fee, which covers meals, materials, and curriculum. Additional fees for lodging and additional curricular materials.
- Register online, or contact Climate Generation for more information.
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Children & Nature Network Green Schoolyards Resource Hub
This resource hub contains tools for municipal leaders, administrators, school staff, parents and community members to advocate for, implement, fully use and steward citywide or school district-wide green schoolyard programs.
Arctic Climate Curriculum: Exploring Arctic Climate Data
In this activity, students use authentic Arctic climate data to unravel causes and effects related to the seasonal melting of the snowpack and to further understand albedo.
PlanetVision
Presented by the California Academy of Sciences, PlanetVision is a science-based plan that inspires individuals, communities, businesses, and governments to put environmental solutions into action. Join the PlanetVision community online and discover how we can reinvent our food, water, and energy systems to build a healthier, more sustainable future for our planet.
Journey 2050 Agriculture Education Program
Journey 2050 is a free agriculture education program that challenges participants to answer the question “How will we sustainably feed 9 billion people by the year 2050?” Journey 2050 takes students on a virtual farm simulation that explores world food sustainability. Using an inquiry based approach the program encourages students to make decisions and adjust them as they see their impact on society, the environment and the economy at a local and global scale. The students experience the lives of three farm families in Kenya, India, and Canada.
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