EarthWays Center is calling all teachers to join us this summer for professional development! We are offering workshops this summer on the topics of sustainability, energy efficiency, clean water, and waste and recycling. Join us for one workshop or all four! Every teacher can find the right opportunity for them this summer with EarthWays Center. Contact Maggie McCoy at mmccoy@mobot.org to learn more about any of these opportunities.
Sustainability Institute for Educators: The Joy of Nature
June 20-22, 2023
Designed for educators from all roles and environments, this year, the Sustainability Institute for Educators participants will explore the multidisciplinary nature of climate change. Teaching about the climate crisis can be daunting, but is not insurmountable. Climate action is happening all around us. Teachers can help students move through the natural anxiety they may be experiencing to join in and spark new solutions-oriented action.
Through interactive sessions and local climate change expert presentations, educators will learn the basics of climate science and how to bring climate solutions to their learning spaces. Sessions will demonstrate how a range of disciplines can work together to understand and address the needs of climate change through education and youth engagement. Join us to gain knowledge, tools, strategies, and community networking to explore climate solutions and help tackle this critical issue.
Register here
Energy Efficiency Educator Workshops
Workshops are available in June, July, and August
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Join EarthWays Center at the 2023 Energy Efficiency Educator Workshops this summer! We are offering in-person and virtual workshops across Missouri. This free workshop is a great professional learning opportunity to discover new ways to teach energy. Educators will explore the science behind energy and sustainability through hands-on, interactive activities and classroom lessons.
Workshop topics will include:
- Background information about energy topics including forms and sources
- Discussion of energy efficiency and conservation
- Connections between energy, electricity, and natural gas
- Renewable energy sources and solutions
Participants will receive:
- A stipend*
- Digital access to all lessons and activities
- Energy science toolkit Educators from formal or informal setting with an interest in learning more about teaching energy topics including efficiency, renewable energy sources and sustainability should attend. Activities covered throughout the two-day session are aligned to support state standards and designed to be scaled to a variety of grade levels.
Workshops are available in June, July, and August in cities across Missouri so that you can pick the best date and location for your summer plans.
*You must live or work in Spire or Liberty Utilities territory to qualify for a stipend and toolkit. Check your local utility here.
More Information and Registration
Thinking Beyond the 3Rs
July 27, 2023
If you’ve ever wanted to start your students thinking about trash and recycling, but didn’t know where to begin, we have something for you. This FREE workshop will provide you with the resources, tools, and knowledge you need to bring solid-waste related topics like recycling, composting, and waste reduction into your classroom and empower students to make change in their community. The “Thinking Beyond the 3R’s” workshop was developed to assist educators in curriculum support, implementing special projects, and creating behavioral changes that promote wise resource use in schools throughout the greater St. Louis region. We encourage educators from all schools, subjects, and grade-levels to attend.
In this workshop, you will:
- Get a full understanding of what happens when we throw things “away.”
- Build confidence in your own content knowledge.
- Learn best practices to encourage environmental stewardship in students.
- Develop students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
- Help students plan, implement, and evaluate projects with real-world impacts.
- Access cross-curricular, inquiry-based materials and lesson plans.
Register here
Clean Water Educator Workshop
August 3, 2023
Get started in building your knowledge and understanding of stormwater issues in the St. Louis area! This free workshop is designed to help facilitate your desire to learn more about stormwater management and water quality while discovering new ways to bring this topic back to the classroom.
During the workshop we will:
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Discuss issues related to stormwater management and water quality such as non-point vs point source pollution, pollution impact, and best management practices for our community.
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Review curriculum ideas that tie to state standards while still providing meaningful, engaging, and hands-on learning opportunities you can do with your students!
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Train YOU on how to use the popular EnviroScape® watershed model; models are available for loan FREE from the MSD Clean Water Education program. Work with staff to learn how to present and use this model in your classroom.
Eligible Educators will receive a stipend for attending this workshop and participating in the program. Educators must teach at a school located in the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District's service area to be eligible for the stipend.
Register here