Learn about what happened during the
2022 Summer Professional Development Institutes!
Central Region:
Nature and Design: Connections Between Science, Engineering, and the Natural World
A Professional Development Institute for Grades 6-12 Educators
Description: When designing and constructing our built environment it is imperative to consider the impact on the natural environment. During this Institute, you will examine how buildings and landscapes work together and how nature inspires us to create. Delve into the concepts of green design and biomimicry. Explore the features of a LEED certified building and design elements that support the preservation of nature, such as solar fields, rain gardens, and pollinator gardens. Use your new knowledge to design a public green space within an urban environment.
Dates: July 11th – 15th, 2022 (8:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET)
Collaborating Partners: New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill; Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary; Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
Learn More About What Happened at this Institute…
Pioneer Valley Region:
Rivers to Range: Exploring the Geology of the Pioneer Valley
A Professional Development Institute for Grades 3-8 Educators
Description: Known for its basalt flows, mountain ranges, dinosaur footprints, and fertile soils, the Pioneer Valley exhibits a rich history of geologic change. During this Institute, you will explore opportunities for integrating science and math as you learn about the geologic history of the Pioneer Valley. You will visit local field sites, delve into museum collections, investigate the traces that animals can leave in sediment, learn how rivers can shape a landscape in geological time, participate in inquiry-based investigations and discover how your modern landscape can provide clues to a very different past.
Dates: July 18th – 22nd, 2022 (8:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET)
Collaborating Partners: Beneski Museum of Natural History; Hitchcock Center for the Environment; Springfield Science Museum; The Trustees of Reservations
Learn More About What Happened at this Institute…
Southeast Region:
Utilizing Your Local Ecosystems as Laboratories for Investigations
A Professional Development Institute for Grades 6-12 Educators
Description: Learn how to integrate field research and data collection into your science curriculum. Experience multiple entry points for hands-on, place-based science and participate in collaborative projects with professional scientists. Explore wetland, estuary, marine, and forest habitats and participate in authentic data collection. Learn about sustainable agricultural practices and how to use the ecosystem for scientific investigation. Consider how this data can tell us stories about these living laboratories and the plants and animals that live there.
Dates: July 18th – 22nd, 2022 (8:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET)
Collaborating Partners: Lloyd Center for the Environment; New Bedford Whaling Museum; Round the Bend Farm
Learn More About What Happened at this Institute…
Thank you to our 2022 Summer Professional Development Institutes supporters!
| The Beveridge Family Foundation | Verizon Foundation | Hermann Foundation | National Grid Foundation |
|---|
| Esther B. Kahn Charitable Foundation | Sanofi | George Garretson Wade Charitable Trust | Vanderbilt Family Foundation |
|---|