The Schoolyard Habitat Partnership is a partnership between The Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (MAEOE), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association's Bay Watershed Education & Training Program (NOAA-BWET). The goal of the Partnership program is to train educators in the implementation of schoolyard habitats and provide a Meaningful Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) for hundreds of students by significantly increasing the number and quality of sustainable natural habitat projects on Maryland schoolyards.

The Schoolyard Habitat Partnership provides a variety of professional development opportunities throughout the year by offering workshops, summits and presentations for both non-formal educators and classroom teachers. The Grounds for Teaching institutes are five-day workshops focusing on field-based investigation of schoolyard habitats and their importance in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The purpose of the institutes is to give education professionals the knowledge and skills they need to implement their own schoolyard habitat. Grounds for Teaching institutes are offered several times a year and registrants may attend individual days or the full week (MSDE credits & stipend available for full participation). Each institute features varying topics, locales and presenters, so attendance of multiple trainings is an opportunity for continued professional development. Please see the MAEOE calendar for dates and information on professional development opportunities.

The Schoolyard Habitat Partnership also hosts an annual Schoolyard Habitat Providers Summit for anyone interested in schoolyard habitat development. Attendees have included volunteers, landscaping professionals, school administrators, facilities personnel, environmental educators and more.   The one-day summit offers opportunities for attendees to learn general and technical information about habitat implementation, curriculum connections, and more while networking with others interested in schoolyard habitats.

In addition to offering professional development opportunities, The Schoolyard Habitat Partnership also conducts presentations at regional conferences and workshops including the MAEOE conference, Maryland Green Schools workshops, Environmental Concern's Know 'Em & Grow 'Em workshop, and more. Furthermore, in addition to providing technical assistance and project guidance to the Partnership, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provides several resource guides, available in print and online: Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat; Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Areas, and the Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide.

In Fall 2007, the Schoolyard Habitat Partnership redeveloped the MAEOE web site into a powerful online resource and networking tool featuring a user-friendly design and comprehensive information on the MAEOE conference, Maryland Green Schools, Schoolyard Habitat , a calendar of trainings and events, and more. The Schoolyard Habitat section of the site features comprehensive information on how to successfully choose, fund, implement, utilize and maintain a variety of habitat projects. In late fall 2007, an interactive map featuring Maryland environmental education organizations, Maryland Green Schools & Centers and Model Schoolyard Habitats will be available online as a resource and networking tool.

By providing these professional development opportunities, technical assistance, resources and networking tools, the Schoolyard Habitat Partnership ultimately aims to increase educators' environmental expertise, enabling them to successfully work with students to improve the habitat quality of outdoor spaces in Maryland's many schoolyards.

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