Teacher Development Opportunities:

Contact Education@LRNow.org or call 757-962-5398 

Professional development opportunities are available for teachers, in both public and private schools. Follow your school system’s requirements to assure proper credit.

Teacher Adventure Trip – Exploring Albemarle & Pamlico Sounds
Thanks to a grant from the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership , we got to explore the watershed with five teachers from Virginia Beach. CLICK HERE to follow their 2022 adventure

In June, a group of five teachers in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools district took a sailing trip from Elizabeth City, NC through the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds and navigated the intercoastal waterways back to Norfolk, VA. Along the way they met with local experts, learn the history of the area, took water quality analyses, and took in the natural beauty.

In July, another group of teachers gathered for a learning experience on land. Educators from VBCPS from Kindergarten to High School met at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to be immersed in nature and spent the night within False Cape State Park. It was a scientific and historical opportunity that was enjoyed by all!

The culminating activity of this experience was a two day writing workshop where teachers from both workshops combined and developed lesson plans to share information on the Southern Watershed. The lessons developed during this time will go through initial testing and feedback from our educators before they are shared with VBCPS and teachers in North Carolina.

Project WILD and WILD Aquatic Teacher Workshops- available to schools upon request
Project WILD and Project WILD Aquatic 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 curricula, visit  www.projectwild.org.

Project WET Teacher Workshops- available to schools upon request
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 non point 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.

Project Learning Tree Teacher Workshops for K-12 and Early Childhood- available to schools upon request

Project Learning Tree is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12. It is important to get people outside and connected with nature.  PLT does this by:

• Providing educators with the tools, training and resources they need to bring the environment into their classrooms, and their students into the environment.
• Adapting its activities for families to use with children, to help them get outdoors to experience nature and learn about trees and forests.

For more information about PLT curriculums and online resources visit https://www.plt.org/

Teacher Oyster Gardener Workshops – By Oyster Reefkeepers of Virginia
This course will highlight the oyster’s critical role in the Lynnhaven ecosystem and prepare teachers to conduct an oyster restoration project with their students during the upcoming school year. At the workshop, we will provide teachers with a lecture on oyster reef biology, history, ecology and restoration, plus we will guide teachers through construction of oyster gardening equipment and use of water quality monitoring tools. For more information about this program, email Laurie Sorabella or call 757-460-1200. Space is limited. The course is appropriate for elementary through middle school teachers who are not currently involved in oyster restoration.