News & Opportunities
News
Conferences and Festivals
Courses and Workshop Opportunities
EE Opportunities for Working with Your Students
Grants and Funding Resources
News
Chesapeake Bay Foundation offers 3-credit course on Becoming a Green School, July 7-11, openings still available!
http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lrn_sub_teachers_professional_immersion_july
 MAEOE Fundraisers:
MAEOE Night Out at Camden Yards
Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox
August 20, 2008
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MAEOE T-Shirts
Available Now!
More
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THe 2009 Conference RFP is out! If you have great stuff you can share with the rest of the Maryland environmental communtity present at our annual conference in Ocean City!
Visit our MAEOE Conference page for more news!
Conferences and Festivals
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Courses and Workshop Opportunities
EETAP and the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Online EE courses
see flyer: CourseFlyer_Fall08
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Professional Development Workshops
CBF is offering a variety of workshops -including becoming a Green School, see this link:
http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lrn_sub_teachers_professional_immersion_july
Bridging the Watershed Summer Institutes
Bridging the Watershed Summer Institutes will prepare teachers in the DC metro region to incorporate one or more of the BTW stand-alone curriculum modules into science courses. During these institutes, participants will explore the Potomac watershed to learn the local history, geology, and ecology and work with student investigations in the BTW curricula. An integral part of the institutes is an opportunity for teachers to engage in a field study in their participating parks to collect and analyze authentic data.
Building bridges between national parks and schools has been a main focus for BTW. The goal is to reach high school students and heighten their awareness of the real-world issues in their backyard—the Potomac watershed. During the institute, teachers and national park rangers (and volunteers in national parks) work together engaging in activities students will do in the classroom and work together in the parks getting their “feet wet” engaging in field studies.
Teachers can earn three graduate credits, MSDE credits, and a $625 stipend.
For the DC-metro area: June 16 – 20
For western Maryland: July 7 - 11
For more information and to download applications, please visit http://www.fergusonfoundation.org/btw/training.html
Wetland Plants- Know ‘Em and Grow ‘Em
A course for Educators
Growing a Brighter Future! Environmental Concern has synthesized its over 30 years of wetland horticultural experience into a course for educators. Educators leave the workshop with:
- a firm understanding of wetland plant ecology
- the ability to identify plant species in the field utilizing dichotomous keys
- skills to collect, store, and clean seeds and how to transplant and divide plants
- tips for weed & pest control, over wintering of plants, and correct planting techniques
- designs and all materials needed to set up a waterbox with irrigation line to grow native wetland plants at their schools or nature centers
- inspiration to construct schoolyard wetland habitats as permanent homes for the plants
Brought to you by: Environmental Concern, MAEOE, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science- Horn Point Laboratory.
WHEN: July 16-18, 2008
WHERE: Environmental Concern’s Wetland Learning Center and Horn Point Laboratory
St. Michaels and Cambridge, MD
WHO: Any and all formal and non-formal educators
HOW MUCH: $75 includes Know ‘Em and Grow ‘Em course guide, lodging, meals, and more!
WHY: Increase your wetland plant knowledge to later share with the eager minds of your students!
CHECK IT OUT: www.wetland.org/education_knowem.htm
CONTACT: Jamie Schofield
wow@wetland.org
Phone: (410) 745 9620
Fax: (410) 745 3517
P.O. Box P
St. Michaels, MD 21663
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National
EE Resource Reviews
Wondering how you can improve your environmental education (EE)?
Why do I need this service?
The resource review process makes it easier for you to ensure that
your resources are of the highest quality, and that people looking
for EE materials and programs know that you have addressed quality
criteria. When you submit your resource for review, you'll receive
constructive feedback on the strengths and suggested improvements
for your material or program by a panel of peers trained in the
use of NAAEEs EE Materials: Guidelines for Excellence*; and a
listing in a searchable national and/or state directory** of EE
resources clearly identified as having been reviewed according to
the Guidelines.
What can I have reviewed?
If you can write it, we can review it! You can submit all types
of resources, as simple as a lesson plan or as complex as a addresses
the EE Materials: Guidelines for Excellence. (The average self-review
takes between three and five hours to complete.)
Step 2 Submit your self-review, the resource that you would
like to have reviewed, and review fee according to instructions
on the NAAEE web site.
Step 3 Your submission will be forwarded to peer reviewers
for analysis.
What happens after my materials are reviewed?
You will receive a final review describing the strengths and suggested
improvements for your material. You can then decide if you want
your review results listed in the searchable NAAEE national resource
directory.
For more on Resource Reviews, please visit www.naaee.org
or contact Sue Bumpous at (202) 419-0413 or
sbumpous@naaee.org. National EE Resource Reviews is a project
of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).
2000 P Street NW, Suite 540, Washington, DC 20036
* NAAEE regards the Resource Reviews as a service to the EE community
and recognizes that not all resources will incorporate every key
characteristic, guideline, or indicator. Reviews are provided as
an informational tool to help users make decisions on the value
of the resource for their specific needs.
** Listing in state directories depends on availability of the system
in your state and is subject to local association policy.
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EE Opportunities for Working with Your Students
Free Online Project: Students Track Seasons, Animal Migrations
Teachers and students in K-12 classrooms are invited to participate this fall in Journey North’s 16th global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. One of the nation’s premier Internet-based “citizen science” projects, Journey North enables students in 11,000 schools to track the seasons on a real-time basis. Students follow the migration patterns of monarch butterflies, bald eagles, whooping cranes, hummingbirds, and other animals; the budding of plants; changing sunlight; and other natural events. They share their own field observations with classmates across North America and analyze data from other classroom and professional scientists.
Each Journey North study features many entry points and resources that address learning standards: Journey North for Kids reading booklets, slideshows, and lessons with stunning photos and video clips; weekly migration updates; interactive real-time maps; connections with field scientists; and compelling migration “stories.” The studies help students fit local observations and inquiries into a global context.
Thanks to a grant from Annenberg Media, Journey North Web site access and participation is free. Visit the Journey North Web site for details: http://www.learner.org/jnorth. (Fall projects will be featured in early August.)
Fall Journey North Studies
Check the Web site for fall start dates and a list of spring studies that start in late January:
Monarch Migration – Students track the remarkable monarch migration to Mexico each fall by reporting observations and collecting reports of the first sightings of southbound monarch butterflies. Each week a migration map shows a "live" snapshot and animation of the migration in progress. In the Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration project, students across the US and Canada send creatively crafted paper butterflies to Mexico for the winter along with messages for Mexican peers who live near the monarch sanctuaries. Mexican students watch over the symbolic butterflies – and return the favor in the spring as the real monarchs journey north.
International Plant Study: Tulips – Students investigate the relationship between geography, temperature, and the arrival of spring by planting Journey North Tulip Gardens each fall. They also set up bulb investigations in classrooms and schoolyards. By sharing tulip garden observations over the Internet, students across the Northern Hemisphere proclaim the official arrival of spring in their communities and follow the wave of spring as it moves northward.
Whooping Cranes – Whooping cranes had not lived in the eastern U.S. for more than a century. Now, thanks to a bold 11-year experiment, wild whooping cranes are migrating once again to these areas. Students “eavesdrop” as costume-clad humans “teach” the birds a new lifelong migration route by using an ultra-light airplane to lead the way. Youngsters read photo-rich weekly updates and kid-friendly booklets, and they view video clips of endearing young chicks from birth to their first wobbly flights.
Mystery Class – Challenge your students to find ten secret classes hiding around the globe. The central clue is the changing amount of sunlight (photoperiod) at each site. Students first use only sunrise and sunset times, and later receive geographic, climatic, and cultural clues from peers at mystery sites. In the meantime, they also track day length in their hometowns. On this inspiring ten-week journey, students use reasoning, graphing, and research skills to pinpoint locations of their global peers. The hunt begins in late January, but those who conduct some lessons this fall just might have a leg up!
Coastal Hazards Lessons
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Coastal Program, in collaboration with Towson University, has created a series of interactive lessons targeted to upper middle school and high school students. The lessons apply GIS technology to study our increasing vulnerability to coastal hazards, such as erosion, storms, flooding, sea level rise, as well as options for sustainable coastal development in Maryland. The lessons address government / social studies, earth science, and environmental science standards of learning and can be accessed online at: http://cgisshowcase.towson.edu/mdshoreline/k_12.asp.
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Grants and Funding Resources
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Local & Regional Funding Sources
 Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee
The Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee is a volunteer group of citizens, professionals and government representatives whose primary role is to educate and inform people about the benefits of urban forests, and to enhance the public's appreciation for those forests. To help achieve our task, we promote and coordinate the Maryland Community PLANT Awards and administer Grants to schools and communities in Maryland that promote tree projects, including education, planting and care.
Chesapeake Bay Trust
60 West Street, Suite 200A
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
410-974-2941
The Chesapeake Bay Trust offers grants schools for projects that contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Trust favors action-oriented activities. Requests for $2,000 and under may be submitted at any time, preferably at least 4-6 weeks before the activity. Requests over $2,000 must be received before 5 p.m. on the quarterly deadline dates.
TREE-MENDOUS
The Maryland DNR Forest Service is pleased to partner with MAEOE Green Schools to provide free trees to Maryland schools for planting. To qualify for this grant, the school must be a recipient of MAEOE's Green School Award.
All schools in the state receiving Green School Awards are eligible to receive a grant of free trees from DNR's TREE-MENDOUS MARYLAND - A Project for Bluehese students were number environmental organizations, including Maryland Natural Resources, Environment Waste Management Administration, CHESPAX, and Chesapeake Bay Trust, who showcased their own service-learning opportunities.
Aquatic Resources Education Grants Program /Maryland DNR
580 Taylor Ave. E-2, Annapolis MD 21401
410-260-8710
Provides reimbursement grants for Maryland public and non-public school educators to design projects which equip their students to make educated choices concerning aquatic resources. Grants of $1,000 per school and up to $4000 per school district are available to conduct aquatics related projects.
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National Funding Sources
Toshiba America Foundation
The mission of Toshiba America Foundation is to promote quality science and mathematics education in U.S. schools. Grants are made for programs and activities that improve teaching and learning in science and mathematics, grades K-12. The Foundation focuses its grant making on inquiry-based projects designed by individual teachers, and small teams of teachers, for use in their own classrooms. Click above for more information.
National Geographic Education Foundation Grants
The mission of the National Geographic Society's Education Foundation is to prepare children to embrace a diverse world, succeed in a global economy, and steward the planet's resources. Teacher grants to support innovative geography education projects are given directly to educators to facilitate their work in promoting geographic literacy in the classroom, school, district, and community. Project proposals should involve students in the research and study of a particular geographic issue/problem and create a public awareness campaign for sharing their knowledge with a wider audience. Teacher grant applications are accepted from any current teacher or administrator in an accredited K-12 school within the United States and Canada. Projects that have outreach to urban areas are particularly encouraged. The application deadline is September 2.
National Wildlife Federation
1-800-822-9919
50 grants of $250 each are available for creating schoolyard habitats. Each year, applications will be available online beginning October 1st and are due by January 15th.
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Home Depot
1-800-430-3376
Offers grants to projects benefiting the environment, and to those working with at-risk youth.
Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Fund
414-272-5805
Offers small grants to schools and other educational organizations that work towards creating natural landscapes using native plants.
Lowe's Toolbox for Education
Lowe's recognizes the importance of parent involvement in education. To empower parents and further encourage their involvement in their children's schools, we have established the Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program to fund school improvement projects initiated by parents. Launched in partnership with PTO Today, a leading organization serving parent-teacher groups, Toolbox for Education will provide grants of up to $5,000 for public school improvement projects initiated by parents. Up to 1,000 grants nationwide will be awarded during the 2005-2006 school year. Click above to apply online or visit for more information.
National Gardening Association
NGA supports programs across the country that actively engages kids in the garden. To be eligible for the following grants, your school or organization must plan to garden with at least 15 kids between the ages of 3 and 18.
National Tree Trust
Community Tree Planting Program
1-800-846-8733
Schools can apply to receive free tree seedlings through NTT's Community Tree Planting Program.
National 4-H Council
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301-961-2800
Community Tree Planting Grants for community tree planting and restoration projects.
Outdoor Classroom Grant Program
 The Outdoor Classroom Grant Program provides outdoor, hands-on science education to students in grades K-12 and assists schools in enhancing their core curriculum in all subjects. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, International Paper and National Geographic Explorer! classroom magazine have partnered to create an outdoor classroom grant program to provide schools with additional resources to improve their science curriculum by engaging students in hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom. All K-12 public schools in the United States are welcome to apply.
This school year, the program will award grants up to $2,000 to at least 100 schools. In some cases, grants for up to $20,000 may be awarded to schools or school districts with major outdoor classroom projects. The grants can be used to build a new outdoor classroom or to enhance a current outdoor classroom at the school. This program only considers outdoor classroom proposals. Please submit all other grant proposals for community improvement projects and K-12 public school initiatives to the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation at www.lowes.com/community. After representatives from Lowe's, International Paper and National Geographic evaluate your grant application, you will receive International Paper's Life of the Forest Classroom Kit. The free kit, which contains 10 full-color posters, 10 teaching guides and 20 booklets, can be used in your classroom at your discretion.
Toshiba America Foundation
212-569-0600
Provides grants to K-12 teachers to improve science and science-related education.
Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Teachers
c/o National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington VA 22201
Available to K-12 science teachers. Application available on line.
Wal-Mart Foundation
Encourages community action by supporting environmental efforts and education
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