Opportunities are available for Virginia Beach teachers, both public and private, throughout the year. Virginia Beach Schools Professional Development Program sponsors some training opportunities. Non-VBCPS teachers may still register for PDP programs but must contact Helen Kuhns, Education Coordinator to secure placement. Independently-offered workshops may still be available for PDP credit but credit must be pursued through Alternative Request Procedures.
2011 Teacher Development OpportunitiesFor information, contact Helen Kuhns or call 962-5398.
Teacher Workshops --- Summer 2011
Join one of our summer teacher workshops and add something fun to your summer that
will benefit you throughout the next school year. Open to all public and private school teachers.
Project WILD and WILD Aquatic Teacher Workshop
Wednesday, August 10th and Thursday, August 11th
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: First Landing State Park Trail Center
Cost: Free
Attendance for the entire duration of the workshop is required to receive certificate and workshop materials.
Project WILD and Project WILD Aquatic curriculums are two of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. The Project WILD K-12 Activity Guide offers learning opportunities through a focus on wildlife and habitat, while the Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Activity Guide emphasizes aquatic wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. Each is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our natural world. Emphasizing wildlife because of its intrinsic value, Project WILD addresses the need for human beings to develop as responsible citizens of our planet. For more information about the Project Wild curriculums, visit www.projectwild.org. To register, contact Helen Kuhns at office@lynnhaven2007.com or by calling 757-962-5398. Advanced registration is required no later than August 5th.
Limit 25 teachers.
Project WET Teacher Workshop
Thursday, August 18th
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Location: First Landing State Park Trail Center
Cost: Free
Attendance for the entire duration of the workshop is required to receive certificate and workshop materials.
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is a nationally developed, supplementary water education program for educators -- public and private school teachers, youth club leaders, museum staff and others. Project WET is designed to teach students how to think, rather than what to think. The program shows that wise water management is essential to the future social and economic prosperity of our country. Project WET addresses atmospheric water, surface water, ground water, cultural and historical uses of water, and contemporary water management issues such as nonpoint source pollution. Professionally developed teaching aids are hands-on, self-contained, and user-friendly. For more information about the Project WET curriculum, visit www.projectwet.org. To register, contact Helen Kuhns at office@lynnhaven2007.com or by calling 757-962-5398. Advanced registration is required no later than August 12th.
Limit 25 teachers.
Wetlands 101
Thursday, August 25th
8:30 am – 4:00 pm and Friday, August 25th, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: First Landing State Park Trail Center
Cost: $20
Attendance for the entire duration of the workshop is required to receive certificate and workshop materials.
This one and one half day workshop provides a basic introduction to wetland function and dynamics and includes WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands curriculum guide. Exploring wetland areas, teachers will develop a more in-depth understanding of the crucial role of wetland areas, how wetlands work and will leave with hands on activity you can use in your classroom and on your school grounds. Limit 25 teachers. The course is appropriate for elementary and middle school teachers. To register, contact Helen Kuhns at office@lynnhaven2007.com or by calling 757-962-5398.
Advanced registration is required no later than August 12th. Payment must be received for space to be reserved. Limit 25 teachers.
New Teacher Oyster Gardener Workshop
By Oyster Reefkeepers of Virginia
Saturday, October 15th
Cost: $150
This course will prepare teachers to conduct an oyster restoration project with their students during the upcoming school year. In addition to lectures on oyster reef biology, history, ecology and restoration, this course will also provide teachers with the opportunity to explore a recovering oyster reef, to collect reef-associated fauna, to employ sampling techniques in the field, and to dissect oysters in the lab. For more information about this program, contact Laurie Sorabella at 757-460-1200 or oysterreefkeeper@yahoo.com. Space is limited.
This half-day workshop highlights the oyster’s critical role in the Lynnhaven ecosystem and discusses the successes of the recent oyster restoration effort. The course will include introductory presentations and hands-on activities. Interested teachers are then invited to attend a second training seminar, date TBA, if they would like to involve their students in restoring the Lynnhaven’s oyster population. The course is appropriate for elementary through middle school teachers who are not currently involved in oyster restoration.
Flying WILD Workshop (in conjunction with the 2012 Winter Wildlife Festival)
January 26, 2012, 6 pm – 9 pm
Location: Princess Anne Recreation Center, 1400 Nimmo Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA
Facilitator: Helen Kuhns, LRNow Education and Outreach Coordinator, with Katie Whanger, VB Parks & Recreation
Celebrate birds with Flying WILD, a conservation education guide featuring interdisciplinary hands-on classroom activities along with information for engaging students in a school-wide bird festival. Key concepts include migration, adaptation, the importance of habitat, and bird conservation efforts. Designed originally for middle school teachers and students, the guide contains activities suitable for all grade levels. All participants will receive a copy of the Flying WILD Activity Guide and supplementary materials on Virginia birds. Registration will begin November 2011 at www.vbgov.com/winterwildlife
Going Green: An Introduction Model to Involve Students in Community and Educational Projects
March 22, 2011, 4:15 pm – 7:15 pm
Location: First Colonial High School, 1272 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach, VA
Facilitator: Helen Kuhns
Register through the VBschools.com through the PDP program. Limit 25 teachers.
VB private school teachers must register with
Helen Kuhns directly.
This course is appropriate for elementary and middle school faculty and staff. In this half day program, we will look at ways of “greening” your school, involving your whole school, identifying partners, easy projects and programs to get started and a look at the successes of a couple of local schools on organizing "Green" projects, such as a River Keepers program.
* This course will have a fee
Understanding Watersheds*– This revised two-day course will begin with a classroom component which covers watershed basics, links between land use, runoff and water quality, and related environmental issues. The second day of this course will be spent aboard a Chesapeake Bay Foundation boat investigating water chemistry and its link to water quality. The course will focus on sampling techniques and equipment relevant in an upper school setting. This course is appropriate for high school science teachers.
Date, time, location and cost To Be Determined