Engage teachers at your School Forest with a free, site-specific training designed to increase teacher comfort teaching outdoors. This is not a canned training. One size does not fit all. School Forest staff will visit your site ahead of time to tailor a training that will address both your teaching needs and the site's physical features. Participants can include teachers, assistants, administrators, grounds staff, parents, or volunteers. Your local forester and other resource professionals may also attend. It's up to you.
What happens at a workshop?
Workshop content depends on what you need and how much time you have. Workshop goals depend on your teachers' goals. A common goal is to increase teacher comfort teaching outdoors and School Forest use. Often this means better integration of the School Forest into existing curriculum.
Example topics:
- outdoor/environmental teaching strategies
- tree id
- grade-specific or subject-specific lessons
- time to map lessons that will span over several grades
- guided walk through the woods to become familiar with their space
- time to learn what other teachers are doing or want to do in their forest—you might be surprised!
You get materials, CEUs, resources, and instruction FREE as a School Forest Program benefit.
Training date and length vary depending on your school's needs. The most effective trainings tend to be a full day (6 hours) and may include free Project Learning Tree activity guides. A 2- or 4-hour workshop is also available.
Workshops can take place all at once or over a few days.
How to set up a School Forest workshop
Set up a School Forest workshop, simply email the School Forest program and arrange a date, time, and location. Workshop planning begins with a short conversation about what your staff needs to increase their comfort in and use of their School Forest.
Other DNR Education trainings
The DNR offers many curricula that provide outdoor lesson ideas. A description of all programs can be found on the DNR education Web site.