The Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s urban forestry, wildlife, and natural resources management team and Project Learning Tree (PLT) present Camp Conservation for Teachers. Learn new techniques for integrating environmental education into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (E-STEM) learning in your K-8 classrooms. Each session will include lessons from the award-winning PLT environmental education curriculum and offerings from Alabama Extension’s UESEP: Urban Environmental Science Education Program that will engage and excite your students. UESEP provides adults and youth with conservation strategies that lead to improved environmental awareness and stewardship.

Let’s make learning fun by exploring the natural environment.

Upcoming Session – Capitol Canopy: Urban Adventures Among the Trees

Join Alabama Extension, Legacy, and the Alabama Forestry Association (AFS) for a fun-filled day of hands-on learning about Alabama’s flora and fauna. In this workshop, we will work through Legacy guides and the PLT curriculum. We will examine resources and practice delivering material. Learn how to integrate this material into the classroom. Outdoor exploration is also incorporated into the activities. 

When: Monday, June 3, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Where: Alabama Forestry Association, 555 Alabama Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Price: $55

Registration

Online registration is now open at www.aces.edu/go/CampConservation2024.

The Curriculum

This series utilizes Alabama Extension’s UESEP: Urban Environmental Science Education Program and PLT’s environmental education curriculum to help teachers explore concepts of environment, science, technology, engineering, and math (E-STEM).

Integrating environmental education into STEM learning is a novel way to improve knowledge and foster environmental stewardship. UESEP is one of many programs nationwide using PLT’s environmental education curriculum to engage children in learning, both outside and indoors.

PLT is designed for educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade twelve. It offers 96 hands-on, multidisciplinary activities and correlations to state academic standards. Topics include forests, wildlife, and water. Features include cooperative learning and technology extensions.

What to Expect

The Camp Conservation for Teachers series offers lesson plans and activities provided by diverse presenters from across the state. Each lesson and activity exposes educators to new environmental teaching opportunities designed for formal or informal settings and increases a child’s ability to PERFORM.

• Problem Solve
• Evaluate
• Reason
• Focus
• Observe
• Research a Problem
• Measure

This professional development course offers six continuing education units (CEUs) through the Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative (AMSTI).

E-STEM Topics Covered

• Forestry: Trees & Forest Ecosystems
• Wildlife Management: Native Animals of Alabama & Songbirds
• Natural Resource Conservation: Soils, Water & Watersheds
• STEM in the Garden
• Energy & Waste Management: Household Wastes & Recycling

Continuing Education Units

CEUs will only be awarded to those who attend the entire session. Registration details will be provided during the session.

Educational Resources

Each participant will receive a free PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide E-Book from PLT. PLT curriculum e-books are available as a free download when you register.

More Information

Contact Roosevelt Robinson, Allyson Shabel, or Karnita Garner for more information about this series or to learn about other environmental programs offered throughout the state.

Thank you to the Camp Conservation for Teachers partners, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Project Learning Tree, Legacy, and the Alabama Forestry Association. For more details on the Alabama Forestry Association or self-paced online training with Project Learning Tree, contact Ashley Smith at www.alaforestry.org  or visit www.plt.org.

The UESEP: Urban Environmental Science Education Program provides adults and youth with natural resource conservation strategies that lead to improved environmental awareness and stewardship.

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Renewable Resources Extension Act Program (#1012197) and Capacity Building Grant Program #2017-38821-26426.

For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact Extension Communications and Marketing at 334-844-5696 or extcomm@aces.edu.