​Monday, August 5, 2019 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Third Street Center, Carbondale, Colorado
$20/participant 

Join Wild Rose Education's Youth Water Leadership Program and Earth Force for a one-day educator professional development event! Participants will be introduced to Earth Force’s award-winning Community Action and Problem Solving Process. The Earth Force Process is a six-step approach that combines the best of action civics, environmental education, and STEM to provide a framework of action for teachers seeking to engage students in hands-on community environmental action projects. This professional development gives West Slope educators the opportunity to understand how incorporating youth voice, student-driven inquiry, democratic decision-making and place-based authentic problem-solving into their classrooms prepares students for life-long environmental stewardship, civic engagement, and collaborative action. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to engage students in learning that makes a difference, for students and communities.
 
Participating educators will receive an Earth Force Educator Guide to the Community Action and Problem-Solving Process, a TIPS Cards reference set, web-based classroom resources, and a digital archive. Earth Force in partnership with Wild Rose Education, provides trained educators ongoing teacher support from class visits to stakeholder outreach, at no cost. 

This workshop is made possible by these generous 2019 Youth Water Leadership Program sponsors. ​

Monday - Friday, June 10-14, 2019
Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, Colorado
Utilize western rivers to meet interdisciplinary academic standards creating relevant place based context for your students.
​Register through the Extended Studies program. 
See last year's participant reflections, photos, and more here. 

River as Text: Ecology (3 days)
Monday-Wednesday June 10-12, 2019, 2 credit course
Learn how to utilize rivers and riparian habitat as the context to meet your curriculum through observations, explorations, discussions, and journaling to create student-centered learning experiences. During this field-based course, participants will explore the three major components of a river ecosystem: aquatic life, water quality, and riparian habitat. Inter-disciplinary field experiences include field trips to local riverside parks, Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, and Curecanti National Recreation Area. Participants will also create an online Google My Maps river field trip asset map for their school. Physical ability to walk across uneven terrain, stand for long durations, and carry equipment is highly suggested. ​

Water in the West (2 days)
​Thursday-Friday June 13-14, 2019, 1 credit course
Learn how to incorporate the complexities of water management in the West into your curriculum through cross-curricular field and classroom activities and routines. Using questioning, observing, and reflecting routines participants will explore western water management, water law, and watershed geography. Participants will also create an ESRI Story Map using online GIS tools to explore and explain water management concepts and corresponding geography more closely. Field experiences include a Blue Mesa Dam visit, a visit to Taylor Reservoir, and time at Gunnison Mountain Park. Physical ability to walk across uneven terrain and stand for long durations is highly suggested. 

Insiders Tips
1. If you sign up with a group by May 17 everyone gets a discounted rate, up to four people from your school district. 
2. Western State makes the dormitories available during the workshops at a very affordable rate for lodging. 
3. Childcare is available at the Tenderfoot Child and Family Development Center during the courses. 

We are proud to be presenting at the 2019 Colorado Trout Unlimited Annual Rendezvous April 26-28 at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. We will be sharing proven best practices for developing nonformal river education programs and how to do community engagement well in local river education programming. 

Community Engagement: How Do We Do it Well?
poster session, Saturday evening, April 27
Learn about the new Community Engagement Guidelines for Excellence, a free robust accessible publication of best practices, practical tools, and case studies for working in partnership with your community to strengthen the underpinnings of environmental quality and community well-being. The Guidelines offer proven strategies for developing stronger social equity, shared prosperity, and the capacity to pursue these goals together within the local community.