The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with Friends of Reinstein Woods, is accepting registrations for a Summer Teacher Institute to be held August 3-4 at Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center in Depew. The Institute is designed for educators of students in Pre-K to grade 12, and will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.

Teachers will learn effective techniques to enhance their teaching in math, English language arts, science and other subject areas.  Hands-on activities that align with Common Core and New York State learning standards will cover topics such as invasive species, tree and plant identification, geocaching, citizen science projects and bird-classroom connections. The training includes the Flying WILD curriculum that explores ideas for bird-related schoolyard enhancements, festivals and more.

Extensive information on environmental education resources available to Western New York teachers will be included in the program. Participants will receive written materials to enable them to transfer their new knowledge directly to the classroom.

The two-day program provides 12 hours of instruction for which in-service or continuing education credit may be available. Participants will receive written materials to enable them to transfer their new knowledge directly to their school.  A materials fee of $40 includes lunch on the second day.

Registration information is available online or by calling Reinstein Woods at (716) 683-5959.  Space is limited, so early registration is recommended.  Teachers must register by July 20, 2016.

Summer is a time when we think students and teachers take a break from learning.  This summer, 22 teachers from school districts as far away as Syracuse got an outdoor education by participating in Reinstein Woods’ summer teacher workshop, the Schoolyard Habitat Institute.

This two-day training highlighted techniques for using schoolyards to teach math, science and English Language Arts. The goal of the program was to make teachers comfortable taking their students outside, whether into a concrete courtyard or out along their school’s nature trail. We tried provide sparks of inspiration for how to use existing resources like a grassy area or pavement to fan the flames of learning in students.

The program included training in Project WILD, one of several curricula that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) offers through Reinstein Woods.

The program’s best result was the change in the number of teachers who plan to take their students outside in the upcoming school year: in a pre-workshop survey, only 26% of teachers said they’d take their kids outside once a month or more, but 76% responded that they would after participating in the Institute.

A thank you note from one teacher read:

“To all the Instructors at Reinstein Woods,
Thank you for running the Schoolyard Habitat Institute. It was the best workshop ever.”