Thursday, February 4, 2021 3:30pm-4:30pm MST All formal and non-formal educators welcome Waitlist Registration here This month's Climate Change Educator Meetup will include a presenters Frank Niepold, Jen Krester, and Kristen Poppleton (see below) who will provide an overview of the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) strategic framework for the United States, some concrete examples of ACE in action and how participants get involved.
This is a regular monthly virtual meet up of climate change educators from across Colorado and beyond. We're excited to invite many others (you) to our February meeting. If you're interested in being part of this informal professional group, after the February meet-up you'll be invited to join our Mighty Network online platform. Call to Action TODAY - Please sign on (individually and/or as your organization)to support the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) National Strategy Framework for the United States. There is momentum for this Framework to be adopted in the first 100 days of the Biden administration and would create a coordinated effort for empowerment categories above in the blue boxes.
A couple short documents about the ACE Framework:
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A great group of formal and non-formal educators participated in the award winning Project Learning Tree curriculum workshop taught by Colorado Forest Service Danielle Ardrey and recently retired Shawna Crocker. The workshop was sponsored by the Northwest Regional Council of the Colorado Environmental Education Plan. The Youth Water Leadership Program hosted the Community Action & Problem-Solving Process Teacher Workshop facilitated by Earth Force and offered graduate credit from the Colorado School of Mines for over 15 educators at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, Colorado on August 5, 2019. Educators attended from Grand Junction, Cedaredge, Leadville, Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Parachute, and Glenwood Springs. This workshop helped me see the opportunity for supporting student voice opportunities." One thing I want to remember from today is not to be afraid to reach out to community members. " Participants were 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 gave 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 gained a better understanding of how to engage students in learning that makes a difference, for students and communities. All were encouraged to participate in the upcoming Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit and to publish their students' work on the Youth River Voices blog. All this made possible by these generous 2019 Youth Water Leadership Program sponsors.
![]() Fifteen educators from across Colorado convened for a River Ecology and Water in the West courses during the 3nd annual Western Rivers Teacher Workshops during the 2019 Western Colorado University's Summer Teacher Institute. In addition to five days of instruction in the field and classroom, participants learned to use ESRI story maps and Google My Maps to share special watershed topics and create walking field trip maps from their school. Plans are underway for the 2020 Western Rivers Teacher Workshops at Western Colorado University. If you would like to be added to the educator alert email list, let us know, and we'll keep you up to date on upcoming registration deadlines. River as Text: Ecology courseWater in the West courseFeedback from participants:
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. ![]()
Eighteen educators from across Colorado, Nebraska, and Nevada convened for a River Ecology and Water Management courses during the 2nd annual Western Rivers Teacher Workshop during Western State Colorado University's Summer Teacher Institute in June 2018.
Reflections from Participants
Participant Feedback
Participants' Story MapsIt was an honor to facilitate and participate in a panel discussion of four influential watershed education leaders from across Colorado on March 2, 2018 during the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education's annual Advancing EE conference in Denver. Inspiring Educators in Place: Watershed Workshops The forum highlighted four successful place-based water education programs across the state including Forest to Faucets, Western Rivers Teacher Workshops, and River Watch. Many effective strategies and practices for developing, or strengthening, place-based EE workshops were shared by Sarah Johnson - Wild Rose Education; Kay Phelps - Fort Lewis College; Natalie Brower- Kirton - City of Aurora; Barb Horn - Colorado Parks and Wildlife - River Watch a project of Extended Studies Summer Teacher Institute Western Rivers Teacher Workshops |
2018 Western Rivers Teacher Workshop Flier | |
File Size: | 3048 kb |
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1. If you sign up with a group everyone gets a discounted rate, the bigger the group the larger the discount for all.
2. Western State makes the dormitories available during the workshops at a very affordable rate for lodging.
3. Come and stay all week for both classes and then enjoy the Gunnison River Festival at the end of the week.
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