PLT GreenSchools Honored as 2018 Green Ribbon Schools

Posted on May 31, 2018July 17, 2018 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Six PLT GreenSchools, one school district, and one institution of higher education are among the 46 schools, 6 school districts, and 6 institutions of higher learning recognized this year as U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS).

The awards acknowledge the innovative efforts of students, teachers, and school administrators across the country who are working to improve the sustainability, health, and safety of school facilities; ensure nutrition and fitness practices for a lifetime of wellness and productivity; and engage students in real-world learning. With the 2018 cohort, ED has now honored some 385 schools, 62 districts, and 40 postsecondary institutions.

PLT GreenSchools Honored as 2018 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools

Alabama

Woodland Forest Elementary School, Tuscaloosa, AL

California

Jack London Community Day School, Valley Glen, CA

Georgia

Saddle Ridge Elementary Middle School, Rock Springs, GA
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Kentucky

Meadowthorpe Elementary School, Lexington, KY

Massachusetts

Arlington Public School District, Arlington, MA

Minnesota

River’s Edge Academy School, St. Paul, MN

Missouri

St. Louis University High School, St. Louis, MO

Three Highlights

Jack London Community Day School, Valley Glen, CA

JLCDS is a small high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest school district in California. At JLCDS, sustainability is not only about the environment, it’s also about empowering students to redirect their lives and learn to become positive agents of change through an ethic of environmental citizenship. Jack London practices sustainable, urban horticulture. Much of the effort involves container gardening on asphalt, including 30 raised beds designed and built by students, two asphalt cuts, 47 fruit trees, and numerous pots. Vegetables, herbs, berries and fruits are grown organically and the garden literally bursts through the fences.

Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Georgia Southern is the state’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. The university has made the principles of sustainability fundamental to every aspect, for example, preparing students to develop the solutions for a healthy and sustainable society and making sustainability a core value in operations and planning. The university was named one of the top green universities for the sixth consecutive year by the Princeton Review and also was given awards of excellence for work in creating a pedestrian-friendly campus to reduce carbon footprint and encourage healthy habits.

River’s Edge Academy School, St. Paul, MN

River’s Edge Academy (REA) is a small environmental charter high school in the Westside neighborhood of St. Paul, Minn. Fifty percent of REA’s 80 students receive free or reduced-price lunch and the school’s outdoor classroom includes a vegetable garden and chicken coop. REA demonstrates conscientious use of the facility and ongoing reductions in resource use, as well as unique courses that incorporate environmental learning, the outdoors, and integrated health curriculum. The school is conveniently located across the street from the Mississippi River and Harriet Island Park where students make use of the outdoors as an educational and recreational resource.

Congratulations to all U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees!

A report with highlights on all 58 awardees for 2018 can be found here.

Summer Institutes for Teachers

Posted on May 8, 2018June 5, 2018 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Are you interested in touring your state’s forests and wood product mills? Do you want to learn more about sustainable forestry and how to connect what you learn in the field to the classroom? This summer, immerse yourself in a multi-day teachers’ tour that includes training in curriculum materials with links to all the current academic standards.

Forestry Institutes and Teacher Tours

Across the country during the summer months of June, July, and August, teachers have an opportunity to tour their state’s forests, meet foresters, and learn about forest management practices, as well as how to connect what they learn in the field to the classroom. These multi-day teachers’ tours and week-long forestry institutes immerse educators in the social, economic, and ecological aspects of sustainable forestry.

Teachers who attend these institutes receive environmental education training on how to use forests to teach across many subject areas, along with Project Learning Tree’s lesson plans and resources to use in their classroom. The lessons are correlated with your state’s academic subject area standards.

What to Expect

The goal of these tours is to provide K-12 teachers with knowledge, skills, and tools to effectively teach your students about forest ecology and forest management. They provide balanced, science-based education and an understanding of how decisions are made about forests and their natural resources upon which we depend.

Here’s what you can expect.

You’ll spend a lot of time in the woods, meeting and learning from natural resource professionals in the field and seeing first-hand the work they conduct on a daily basis.
You’ll examine forest practices and learn about working forests and the forest industry.
You’ll discover the impact forests have on your state’s environment, economy, and quality of life.
You’ll engage in discussions about forest issues with natural resource professionals, community members, and other educators.
You’ll have time for lesson planning to help you prepare for back to school along with ways to engage your students in critical thinking by exploring the complex issues involved in managing the natural resources on both public and private forestlands.

Some of these tours are free (including all meals, transportation and lodging) thanks to sponsors in each state who cover the costs. Some states charge a nominal fee, around $200. Participation is limited, usually between 25 to 35 participants and staff.

Both formal and non-formal educators may apply for a tour, although preference is sometimes given to full-time classroom teachers. In most cases, teachers can earn continuing education credits, college credits, or professional development credits from your school district.

Learn more about these forestry institutes and teacher tours and find a summer professional development program in your state.

PLT Publishes New Curriculum, Teaching with i-Tree

Posted on April 11, 2018June 5, 2018 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Project Learning Tree has published a new set of activities designed to engage middle and high school students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as they calculate the economic and environmental benefits of trees. Students input data they collect into a free online tool that calculates the dollar value of the benefits provided by a tree, or a set of trees.

Produced in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), three easy-to-do, hands-on lessons accompany i-Tree Design, a suite of free online tools developed by USFS and its partners, to help students discover and analyze the many ecosystem services that trees provide.

The activities can be used in formal classroom settings or with nonformal groups, such as scouts and students enrolled in afterschool programs.

Download PLT’s Teaching with i-Tree unit.

What Will Students Do?

Students apply STEM skills as they:

Identify trees using free apps and online tree guides;
Measure and assess the health of trees;
Calculate the dollar value of tree benefits using i-Tree Design software;
Analyze and interpret their findings;
Virtually plant trees and calculate energy savings; and
Evaluate competing design solutions to a complex real-world problem.

Students apply English Language Arts skills as they:

Create engaging “Ecosystem Services Guides,” and
Develop and give informative scientific presentations on their findings.

How Does i-Tree Design Work?

Select a tree.

Visit https://design.itreetools.org/

Input your location and the tree species, circumference, and condition.

You’ll get reports and a dollar value for the benefits the tree provides, such as:

Reducing greenhouse gas
Improving air quality
Intercepting stormwater

Teaching with i-Tree Lessons

High school students at George C. Marshall high school in Falls Church, Virginia pilot test PLT’s Teaching with i-Tree activities.

PLT’s Teaching with i-Tree unit contains three hands-on and fun activities that teachers can use in conjunction with i-Tree Design to stimulate students’ critical thinking and problem solving. As with all PLT activities, they are designed to move the student from awareness and knowledge to challenge and action.

The activities provide a structured alignment to Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

In Activity 1, Tree Benefits and Identification, students identify trees using free apps and online tree guides. They discover the products we obtain from trees, how we depend on trees in our daily lives, and the value that trees provide to their community and the environment.

In Activity 2, Tree Value, students identify, measure, and assess the health of trees. They calculate the dollar value and ecosystem services of the trees using the i-Tree Design software and create an Ecosystem Services Guide for their study site. They generate a tree improvement action plan and, if feasible, implement part or all of it.

In Activity 3, Land Manager Role Play, students are challenged to apply what they’ve learned as they role-play being land managers. They gain skills in communicating and presenting scientific information. They also learn about a variety of forest-related careers.

The lessons include:

Video tutorials
Student worksheets

Teachers who have used these activities have provided positive feedback. “Very cool program,” said Jane Houseal with the Arkansas Master Naturalists.

“This is something we can actually use with real-world application,” said Patti Farris, a science teacher at Ramsey Jr. High in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Help us spread the word with this flyer!

Download PLT’s Teaching with i-Tree unit.

International Day of Forests is March 21st!

Posted on March 18, 2018April 11, 2018 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

As more and more of us live and work in cities, urban forests and trees and the benefits they provide — from filtering the air of harmful pollutants to reducing noise pollution to providing us with shade and places to socialize — become increasingly important.

Forests and Sustainable Cities

March 21st is International Day of Forests and the theme for 2018 is Forests and Sustainable Cities. To celebrate we’ve compiled some ideas for students to learn how trees make your city a greener, healthier, happier place to live.

#IntlForestDay

Take your students outside and look for trees on your school grounds or outside other public buildings, along streets, in parks, or in front of houses. Ask your students why they think trees matter. Get students to take a photo of the forest or trees in your town or city and the people who benefit from them. Then post it on your Twitter, Instagram or Flickr account with the hashtag #IntlForestDay

Why Trees Matter for Sustainable Cities

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is highlighting the many ways trees and forests support sustainable cities as part of this year’s International Day of Forests campaign. Watch this short International Day of Forests 2018 video and use the following as discussion points with your students.

Forests and trees store carbon, which helps mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Trees reduce noise pollution as they shield schools and homes from nearby roads and industrial areas.
Trees in urban areas can cool the air, reducing air conditioning needs by 30 percent.
Urban trees are excellent air filters, removing harmful pollutants in the air and fine particulates.
Forests provide clean freshwater for people by helping to filter and regulate water.
Forests also protect watersheds and prevent flooding as they store water in their branches and soil.
Urban green spaces, including forests, encourage active and healthy lifestyles.

Coming Soon! Teaching with i-Tree

Project Learning Tree’s new Teaching with i-Tree unit includes three hands-on activities that help middle and high school students discover and analyze the many ecosystem services that trees provide. They’ll calculate the dollar value of these benefits using a free, state-of-the-art online tool. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive notice when Teaching with i-Tree is online!

In the meantime, for elementary and middle school students, try one of these activities from Project Learning Tree’s PreK-8 guide.

In Activity 54—I’d Like to Visit a Place Where…, students develop an understanding of the value of recreational spaces and why these areas are established.
In Activity 55—Planning the Ideal Community, students survey the area around their school and plan an ideal community that meets all the needs of its residents.

Or, for high school students, check out Project Learning Tree’s Places We Live secondary module:

In Activity 4—Neighborhood Design, students formulate ideas for guiding further growth in their communities.
In Activity 5—Green Space, students investigate green infrastructure and native plant communities.

Treemendous Science!, PLT’s New E-Unit for K-2, is Now Online

Posted on October 18, 2017January 16, 2018 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

PLT’s new e-unit for Kindergarten through Grade 2, called Treemendous Science!, is here! Launched in October, it joins two e-units for older students introduced in July.

Within the e-unit, teachers will find everything they need to plan and implement lessons that use trees as a way to teach science, as well as strengthen critical thinking, active listening, and personal observation, among other essential skills.

Teachers who assessed the unit found it engaging, easy to use, and substantive. “It was pure pleasure and very helpful and informative to me as a K-5 science teacher,” said Marcia Raubenstrauch, the “STEAM” teacher at Francis S. Grandinetti Elementary School in Ridgway, Pennsylvania. Other classroom teachers echoed her enthusiasm.

Dawn Hammon, a Kindergarten teacher at Center for Inquiry School #84 in Indianapolis, Indiana says, “My students were so excited after the first lesson. The activities started a wave of wonder in and out of the classroom. Students started bringing items they found outside to share or leave in our Science Center.”

In Treemendous Science!, students draw from their own experiences to reflect on patterns found in the natural world. As the lessons progress throughout the year, they build on and revise their knowledge and skills, moving toward a deeper and broader understanding of the topic.

The unit is designed for teachers who regularly use the outdoors as a classroom—as well as those who might hesitate to take a group of students outside. Treemendous Science! serves as an invitation: an invitation to increase the quantity and quality of K–2 learners’ contact with nature and trees.

Overview of the Unit

All PLT e-units allow teachers to have anytime, anywhere access to quality learning activities. Thus, Treemendous Science! contains:

detailed step-by-step lesson plans, including guidance on standards alignment, teacher preparation, and materials required;
a suggested timeline for integrating the content into existing curricula, with considerations given to students’ grade level, prior knowledge, and experience;
downloadable student pages to guide learning;
a range of assessment tools, including pre- and post-assessments and evaluation rubrics;
comprehensive, interactive connections to academic standards;
easy-to-understand teacher background information;
suggestions for fiction and non-fiction books to enhance the activities;
links to websites, videos, and other supplementary resources.

As with PLT’s other units, Treemendous Science! is built around the Next Generation Science Standards’ Performance Expectations. It is structured on the 5-E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) and also adds one additional “E” for Enrichment (for more information, see “The 5Es” section at the end of this article.)

Three Levels for All Students

“PLT’s e-units are unique in that they support learning as a developmental progression,” explained Jaclyn Stallard, PLT Senior Manager of Curriculum & Outreach. “We understand that the K-2 grade level band is unique. This developmental period represents a time of significant adjustment, knowledge gain, and personal growth, with different children developing at different paces.”

Generally, the unit is organized around three levels, which approximately correspond to kindergarten (Level A), first grade (Level B), and second grade (Level C). But it is designed to be flexible and to scaffold learning across K–2 grade levels and student competencies. Thus, kindergarten teachers may use some of the Level B or C options with their students; conversely, second-grade students will find useful material in Level A for some of the students in their classrooms.

“The unit’s Level A, Level B, and Level C options provide an innovative and unique way to accommodate for this variance among students,” Stallard said.

For example, PLT’s “Adopt a Tree” lesson illustrates how Treemendous Science! can be used with students at varying age levels and with different cognitive abilities. By observing their adopted tree over time, students practice observation skills, look for patterns, and develop a personal connection to trees. All K-2 students can use their adopted tree as a living laboratory for science exploration:

Level A students collect weather data to begin to understand connections between seasonal changes and observed changes in their adopted tree.
Level B students study how daylight hours change throughout the year to help them understand the relationship between the changes in daylight hours and the changing seasons.
Level C students collect temperature and habitat data to compare the ways in which differing habitat conditions can contribute to the existence of differing plant and animal species.

The 5Es

For 30 years, the 5E Instructional Model has withstood the test of time as a useful way to build on knowledge to improve student learning. Treemendous Science! uses the 5E Instructional Model in its lessons. For example, Level B of the unit’s three levels includes the following:

Engage: Through a 40-minute lesson called Growing Up Green, students “consider what trees and other plants need to grow and then reflect on questions about how plants grow”
Explore, Explain, Elaborate: Through four lessons that range from 30 to 50 minutes throughout the year, students learn to answer questions related to sunlight and its impact on trees.
Evaluate: Pre-assessments, formative assessment, and a final performance assessment are included for teachers to use with students.
Enrich: Seven options are suggested for students, as well as additional enrichment connections to use at home.

Accessing Treemendous Science!

Teachers can receive Treemendous Science! in conjunction with professional development – either an online training that can be completed in your own time, or an in-person workshop in your state. Contact your state PLT coordinator for more information about workshops or access online training through the PLT website.

For a one-page overview of Treemendous Science!, download this PDF.

Online Professional Development: A New Twist on PLT’s Training Model

Posted on July 21, 2017February 14, 2018 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Embedded quizzes are a feature in PLT’s new online curriculum and professional development.

Almost everyone who attends a PLT in-person workshop praises the experience. In addition to solid information and PLT materials, participants make connections with others interested in environmental education and experience the power of hands-on learning that they wish to impart to their students.

Until recently, PLT only offered in-person workshops. But there are many times, because of schedule, geography, or a host of other reasons, when online training makes the most sense. Now, in its continual efforts to innovate based on educator needs, PLT offers online professional development for its new e-units, as well as for PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide, Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood, and GreenSchools programs.

An example of a lesson planning activity.

“The online workshops reflect best practices and are grounded in research,” said Jennifer Pic, PLT Manager of Instructional Design and Technology. “For example, we have built in opportunities for reflection and lesson planning, along with videos to see PLT lessons in action.”

The training is designed for real-time application, as teacher Megan Madu discovered. “This was a fabulous workshop and I look forward to taking my learnings into the classroom next week,” she said. “Great resources and very clear presentation of the material.”

Videos show PLT activities in action and illustrate the 5-E Instructional Model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate).

Structure of PLT Online Workshops

The workshops are organized as follows:

Duration of 3 to 6 hours; chunked in 30-minute pieces called “coursels”
- E-units and Early Childhood: 3 hours
- K-8: 4 hours
- GreenSchools: 6 hours;
Self-paced; complete the workshop however you like (whichever order, how many times); includes interactive components to create an active learning experience;
Anytime, anywhere; convenient for busy schedules, needing only an Internet connection;
Videos of select activities to observe the activities in action, facilitated by a PLT-trained educator;
Lesson planning and reflection opportunities to begin planning how to facilitate the activities in the classroom;
Certificate of completion as a verifiable document to show completion of the workshop;
Eligibility for continuing education units or credits in some states (contact state coordinator for more details);
Customized by state; direct contact information for state coordinator and, in many cases, additional state-specific activities or resources.

Accessing PLT Online Professional Development

Learn more about our online workshops and watch this video slide show A Closer Look at PLT’s Online Workshops: What’s included, and how to get started.

PLT Launches New E-Units

Posted on July 21, 2017October 18, 2017 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Educational, Engaging, Elementary (and Middle School, Too). PLT is excited to announce the launch of three new e-units: Tree science for K–2, energy in ecosystems for grades 3-5, and climate change for grades 6-8. These new units are available online to educators across the country, just in time to plan for the upcoming school year.

Educators familiar with PLT’s existing PreK-12 activity guides will recognize the rigor, creativity, and depth that characterize all PLT materials, along with additional features that respond to what many teachers have expressed they need in their classrooms.

For example, the e-units offer teachers the option to present individual lessons, from 5 to 7 per unit, as part of a more comprehensive curriculum. They are designed around the 5-E Instructional Model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate).

PLT e-units allow teachers to have anytime, anywhere access to quality learning activities. Each e-unit contains:

detailed step-by-step lesson plans, including a timeline for integrating the content into existing curricula, with considerations given to students’ grade level, prior knowledge, and experience;
downloadable student pages to guide learning;
a range of assessment tools, including pre- and post-assessments and evaluation rubrics;
easy-to-understand teacher background information;
comprehensive, interactive connections to academic standards;
suggestions for fiction and non-fiction books to enhance the activities;
links to websites, videos, and other supplementary resources.

Building on PLT’s strengths, the e-units address standards in multiple subject areas: science, social studies, language arts, and math. They are extremely flexible, and they engage students in hands-on, relevant learning.

Standards Connections

PLT’s e-units are constructed around—rather than correlated to—targeted Performance Expectations within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In other words, rather than develop a curriculum and later try to make the correlations fit, PLT began with the standards and NGSS’s three-dimensional approach in the initial design. As a result, the e-units are constructed around targeted performance expectations of the NGSS.

In addition, the e-units are aligned with two other academic benchmarks: Common Core (ELA and Math), and The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies.

Within the e-units, the alignments for all three sets of standards are made explicit for teachers and displayed visually via an innovative and interactive web-based tool.

Many state standards use the national benchmarks as a basis for their own individualized standards of learning. With an appropriate level of understanding and professional development, teachers and administrators will easily be able to draw connections between the national standards and their state subsets.

PLT’s e-units also offer opportunities for teachers to personalize and localize student learning. Teachers are invited to replace certain pre-prepared example information with their own history about a specific region or landscape. This opportunity exists in each e-unit, and allows teachers to incorporate additional state-specific standards into their teaching. The pre-prepared examples also provide excellent templates for teachers to emulate.

Flexibility in the Classroom

“ PLT’s e-units are unique in that they support learning as a developmental progression,” explained Jaclyn Stallard, PLT Senior Manager of Curriculum and Education Resources. “They are designed to help students build on and revise their existing knowledge and skills, starting with their initial conceptions about a single topic, and eventually moving toward a deeper and broader understanding.”

For example, Carbon & Climate (grades 6–8) begins with students understanding what climate is, before moving on to exploring the carbon cycle, causes of climate change, and the impact of individual actions. Given the highly charged debate around climate change, teachers expressed their support for the fact-based approach of the e-unit.

The e-units’ flexible, supplementary materials can be modified to fit not only individual classroom needs, but also the needs of individual students, including English-language learners. For example, having the student content available online allows teachers to use online software, such as free text-to-speech applications, to read content aloud to students with different developmental language levels. “I honestly found the unit resources to be among the most well-organized resources I have ever used,” said Agnes Zellin, a New York teacher who pilot-tested the Energy in Ecosystems e-unit for grades 3-5.

Engaging for Teachers and Students

As with all PLT curriculum materials, the three e-units underwent a thorough review. More than 400 educators applied, and nearly 100 educators participated, in e-unit pilot tests and practitioner reviews. The selection process ensured geographic, grade level, and demographic representation. PLT used the feedback in final revisions to ensure that the materials are as student-ready and teacher-friendly as possible.

Teachers expressed support for packaging the materials as cohesive units, rather than individual lessons. Those who focused on Treemendous Science! (for K-2) further said they appreciated its separate levels for different classes or student abilities, each geared for a specific grade level. Yet they also agreed that the levels be packaged as one unit over individual, separate entities.

Accessing PLT E-Units

Two of the e-units are available now— Energy in Ecosystems for Grades 3–5 and Carbon & Climate for Grades 6–8. Treemendous Science! for K–2 will be available in September.

Teachers can receive the materials by attending a professional development workshop offered in their state, or by participating in online training ( see separate story ). Contact your state PLT coordinator for more information about workshops in your state or access online training through the PLT website.

If you want a sneak peak of our new e-units, check out this video.

Project Learning Tree and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Forge New Future Together

Posted on July 18, 2017April 1, 2019 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Continuous improvement that meets the needs of teachers and their students has been a hallmark of Project Learning Tree since the program launched more than 40 years ago. From its beginnings in just 13 western states to now an international program, PLT helps educators use the environment to teach many disciplines – from STEM to civic skills and green careers – and inspires the next generation to care about forests and sustaining our natural resources.

In an exciting move that positions the Project Learning Tree program for future growth, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that PLT has been transferred to SFI Inc. from the American Forest Foundation (AFF). Read the press release.

SFI’s community engagement programs have long included support for educating youth and connecting youth to forests, including funding for PLT. In this new partnership, PLT and SFI will work closely together to expand environmental and sustainability education in diverse ways, both in the U.S. and abroad, with more innovative curriculum, professional development, and opportunities for teachers and students to become engaged in real-world issues transcending classroom walls.

“As PLT moves into its fifth decade of teaching students how to think—not what to think—about the environment and their responsibility for it, we look forward to expanding this renowned program under SFI’s leadership,” said Kathy McGlauflin, Executive Director of Project Learning Tree and Senior Vice President of Education with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. “Together we will ensure today’s youth are prepared for their future by developing the skills kids need to be effective leaders and creative problem-solvers for complex environmental issues.”

We’ve got lots of big ideas and can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Highlights from PLT’s Annual Conference

Posted on May 4, 2017May 16, 2017 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

The 2017 Project Learning Tree International Coordinators’ Conference was held April 24-27 in Louisville, KY. Now in its 31^st year, our annual conference is designed to provide professional development, networking opportunities, and information about new initiatives to PLT’s partners who deliver PLT programming to educators across the country and internationally, too.

PLT’s New E-Units

The focus of this year’s conference was to introduce PLT’s network to our new online units for Grades 3-5 and 6-8 teachers. These new e-units will officially launch later this month. Read more about PLT’s new e-units.

During the conference, PLT Coordinators from around the country, plus Japan and Mexico, as well as other PLT workshop facilitators, and state and national partners, explored PLT’s new e-units in depth. Participants reviewed how the activities have been designed to support student learning progressions, and discovered the added value that the new online format brings, such as the integration of national learning standards throughout.

True to the PLT model, educators will receive PLT’s supplemental curriculum in conjunction with a professional development experience. As such, other sessions at the PLT conference provided PLT State Coordinators and workshop facilitators with guidance on how to plan and facilitate high-quality in-person professional development for educators in their state around the new e-units using an outcome-based approach.

In addition, participants learned about the new online professional development option developed by National PLT and how they might customize each of these three new online courses for educators in their state who are unable to attend an in-person workshop. The cost for each online workshop, that includes access to one accompanying e-unit, is $40. More details about how educators can access PLT’s new materials and professional development will be shared soon.

Other Sessions

Other highlights from the conference included:

Growing state capacity via partnerships with the American Tree Farm System. Four PLT state programs shared their outreach efforts, including joint workshops between landowners and teachers, service-learning projects for schools, and programs that bring school groups out to forested land.

Identifying opportunities, strategies, and stakeholders to create a state forest literacy plan. Participants discussed how a forest literacy plan provides teachers a strong foundation to incorporate teaching about forests into their classroom programs, which PLT activities best address a specific forest literacy concept, as well as alignments with state academic standards.

Using i-Tree and PLT to help educators and students understand the benefits and measure the value of trees in urban environments.

Keynote Speakers and Off-Site Events

These included:

Tree’s Company, a delightful play by 4^th and 5^th grade students who are members of the Green Team at Virginia Chance School in Louisville, KY that was sponsored by the Albert I. Pierce Foundation.

A tour of the factory floor where Louisville Slugger bats are crafted.

Bob Russell with Brown-Foreman Cooperages, the makers of Jack Daniel Tennessee Whiskey, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester Kentucky Bourbons, discussed the role of white oak forests and Kentucky’s forest industry in the bourbon economy.

Judy Braus with the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) gave an overview of all that NAAEE does to support the field of environmental education and discussed ee360 (a cooperative agreement between NAAEE and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as a consortium of partner organizations, including PLT) that is bringing innovative leaders in the environmental education field together to advance environmental literacy.

A field trip to the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, the largest privately owned preserved forest in the Eastern United States. We had perfect weather that day and it was glorious to be outside learning how this forest is actively managed, and about the variety of nature-based education programs that include PLT activities available to Bernheim’s more than 200,000 visitors each year.

We also witnessed the unveiling of Bernheim’s new “Little Free Library.” Designed by local students and funded by the Albert I. Pierce Foundation, the library features children’s books with an environmental theme.

Awards and Recognition

Always a highlight at our conference, we were honored to recognize the following individuals and organizations this year:

Outstanding Educators — Each year since 1994, National PLT has presented awards to 5 Outstanding Educators and to many other honorees. This year’s distinguished outstanding educators are all passionate about PLT and exhibit excellence in the delivery of environmental education. The 2017 National PLT Outstanding Educators are (pictured from left to right): Jana Willis, Ph.D. (Professor and Department Chair College of Education, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX), Lori Nicholson (Instructional Systems Specialist, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St. Marks, FL), Debbie Fluegel (Field Coordinator & Program Manager, Trees Forever, Tremont, IL), Tarneshia Evans (Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA), and Steve Scharosch (Forest Biometrician, Abacus Enterprises, Inc., Alcova, WY).

Gold Stars — Each year since 1995, National PLT has presented Gold Stars to individuals and partnering organizations to acknowledge their years of exemplary service to PLT. We are an immeasurably better organization because of their extraordinary personal and professional qualities, commitment and dedication to PLT, energy and expertise. This year, Gold Stars were awarded to (pictured from left to right) Susan Cox (Conservation Educator, U.S. Forest Service, Durham, NH), Susan Sahnow (Director of Oregon Natural Resources Education Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR), and to the North American Association for Environmental Education (the award was accepted by Judy Braus, NAAEE’s Executive Director.)

Rudy Award — The Rudy Award, named after Rudolf Schafer who founded PLT in 1976, is PLT’s highest recognition and is only awarded occasionally. The Rudy Award was presented by Frank Gallagher, Director of Environmental Planning and Design at Rutgers University, to Kathy McGlauflin in recognition of her extraordinary leadership as PLT’s Executive Director for the past 32 years.

A Big ‘Thank You!’ To our Sponsors and KY PLT

We gratefully recognize and thank our conference sponsors: ee360; Albert I. Pierce Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Kentucky Tree Farm, and Richmond Beer House.

And last but not least, we especially want to extend our gratitude to the Kentucky PLT team for their wonderful job and hard work in helping the national office organize and execute another truly outstanding PLT conference. We all had fun making Kentucky Derby hats and bowties to wear at our closing banquet (see below)! For more photos, see our photo album on PLT’s Facebook page.

Five Educators Named 2017 National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educators

Posted on February 21, 2017March 20, 2017 by Vanessa Bullwinkle

Five educators who use environmental education to improve student learning and foster environmental stewardship have been named 2017 National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educators. Since 1994, PLT’s Outstanding Educators have been selected for their commitment to environmental education, exemplary use of Project Learning Tree’s award-winning educational materials, and exceptional teaching skills.

The 2017 Winners Are…

Florida: Lori Nicholson, Instructional Systems Specialist, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St. Marks.
Illinois: Debbie Fluegel, Illinois Field Coordinator, Trees Forever, Tremont
Texas: Jana Willis, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair, College of Education, University of Houston-Clear Lake
Virginia: Tarneshia Evans, Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond
Wyoming: Steve Scharosch, Forest Biometrician, Abacus Enterprises, Inc., Alcova

Teachers Are Change-Makers

These National PLT Outstanding Educators were selected from nominees across the U.S. Their diverse experiences illustrate how PLT can be used effectively with all age groups from pre-schoolers through adults, and in urban and rural areas. Their expertise and support of students in and out of the classroom reminds us all that teachers are change-makers.

“These five Outstanding Educators show the value of engaging, high-quality environmental education,” said Kathy McGlauflin, senior vice president for education at the American Forest Foundation, in announcing the awards. “They are equipping children and adults with knowledge and skills to meet 21^st century needs.”

The recipients will be honored at PLT’s 31st International Coordinators’ Conference, April 24-27, in Louisville, KY.

Meet Our Teachers

Lori Nicholson: Lori came to St. Marks Wildlife Refuge in Florida in 2005 from the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science. She coordinates the refuge’s wildlife festivals and Nature’s Classroom, a learning center that reaches 15,000 participants each year. She is also active in the League of Environmental Educators of Florida and the Florida Literacy Plan Committees, making her a prominent environmental education leader in the state.

Debbie Fluegel: Debbie works with communities, landowners, and farmers in Illinois to conduct hands-on planting projects to diversify and enhance community forests and to establish and restore native plant areas. She also trains volunteers who, in turn, work with adult and youth groups. She has created new environmental education programs for the state’s vocational agriculture teachers, youth group leaders, and other educators. She has also helped evaluate different training methods for the national PLT office.

Jana Willis: Jana is a professor of instructional design and technology and department chair at University of Houston-Clear Lake. She works with undergraduates who will become classroom teachers, and provides training to current teachers. She conducted groundbreaking research on the integration of technology and environmental education to improve teaching skills. She has also served on national PLT committees related to community forestry, preservice teaching, and technology integration.

Tarneshia Evans: As Children’s Garden Educator at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, Tarneshia plans and carries out nature activities for children and their families. Previously she worked as a pre-K teacher at the Goddard School of Woodlake and instructional assistant at the Martin Luther King Preschool Center in Richmond. She has been a leader in promoting environmental education to strengthen early childhood programs throughout Virginia and to help produce online training programs for the national PLT office.

Steve Scharosch: Steve operates Abacus Enterprises, Inc., a firm that develops and uses quantitative methods for land management planning throughout North America. When he realized the importance of educating young people about the environment, he became involved with PLT. He has presented dozens of environmental education workshops to teachers, youth group leaders, and other educators throughout the state. He has also led Wyoming PLT grant-writing, strategic planning, and other efforts to strengthen the program in the state.

Since the Outstanding Educator award was created in 1994, Project Learning Tree has recognized more than 300 educators from around the country. Most are certified PLT workshop facilitators who volunteer countless hours to lead workshops and teach others how to incorporate environmental education into their curriculum and other programming. Learn more about the PLT Outstanding Educators in your state, or find one based on teaching position.