Every June, educators from across Colorado and the broader Rocky Mountain Region come together at Western Colorado University for the Teacher Institute. Sarah Johnson, of Wild Rose Education has been teaching a river and watershed graduate course each summer since 2017. We’d love for you to join us this year!  

 

Learn how to integrate rivers and riparian habitat and the complexities of western watersheds into your curriculum through cross-curricular field and classroom learning observing phenomenon, authentic explorations, discussions, and reflection routines. Students will dive into cutting edge earth systems explorations, contribute to the international MacroBlitz aquatic insect project, learn about remote sensing in remote places with GLOBE by collecting critical change over time data for NASA science, and better understand water equity and inequity across Colorado.

 

Students will consider how to teach the process of science through the lens and context of their local rivers and streams where they live and work.

 

Course field experiences will include visiting local reservoirs, water infrastructure projects, and riverside parks.

 

Students will choose three final course projects from a menu:

• going out and exploring rivers near their homes,

• creating a local field trip map,

• current news articles responses,

• creating a teaching plan, and

• citizen science data collecting with iNaturalist and NASA GLOBE Observer.

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Here are the details: 

• When: Thursday-Saturday June 12-14, 2025; 8am-6pm each day
   

• Where: mostly out in the field, Western Colorado University, Gunnison Colorado
   

• Who: Educators seeking graduate credit
   

• Earn 2 graduate credits at a 40% discount of typical tuition
   

• On campus housing available 
   

• Register and all the details here