Over the past two decades, Four Winds’ naturalist-educators have offered scores of professional development workshops for teachers. Our goal is to connect teachers to the local resources they need to help their students engage in science exploration and to connect with nature and with community.
Place-Based, Science Education Curriculum Development: Linkages for Environmental Learning (UVLEL)
Linkages supports Upper Valley pre-K-12 teachers in curriculum development and implementation by connecting them to a vast network of environmental educators, scientists, and researchers who serve as content specialists. Participants submit a short one-page application outlining the place-based instructional unit they are interested in working on and how it supports their required curriculum. (application form)
Four Winds, then, connects them with local resources to enrich student learning. Participants meet together four times through the year to share successes and engage in shared professional development.
In this collaborative learning community, participants engage in inquiry, research, and reflection. The work is current, local, and relevant to both teachers and students.
See the 2024 cover letter and application form.
Linkages is generously funded by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Using the Outdoors as a Teaching Resource
A growing body of research points to the importance of outdoor time for students during the school day. Is there a group of K-6 educators in your district interested in venturing outside for an initial 3-hr session that focuses on using outdoor spaces as a teaching resource for any subject? This initial introduction will set the stage, then, for a teacher-led Professional Learning Community (PLC) to support getting all children outdoors. Four Winds staff will provide 2 hours of coaching, relevant readings, and resources for your teacher-led PLC. Contact info@fwni.org for more information about these workshops!