Educator Extravaganza
Tidings | Sep 26, 2023
Our Education team designed and led a full week of professional development opportunities for dozens of Maine educators.
In August, 69 Maine teachers joined our Education team at The Ecology School in Saco, Maine. The group gathered for a jam-packed week of professional development designed to help teachers support students as they learn about climate change and build new skills working with data.
It's important for students to learn how climate change impacts their own surroundings. Our training makes use of real, locally relevant data to help teachers support this kind of student learning.
Meredyth Sullivan LabVenture Senior Program Manager![]()
Meredyth Sullivan LabVenture Senior Program Manager
Educators immersed themselves in a variety of learning experiences as part of a three-day "educator camp." They conducted fieldwork, experienced LabVenture, played games focused on scientific modeling, and more.
Lori-Lyn, a 7th grade science teacher at Hampstead Middle School left feeling invigorated. "This experience has been the best educational training experience I have had in over 30 years of being an educator!"
More fun followed later in the week, as throngs of Connected Learning Ecosystem (CLE) educators assembled. CLEs are peer communities of librarians, classroom teachers, 4H leaders, and other educators who work together to support STEM learning for youth. Participants strengthened their networks with leaders throughout the state who are developing new STEM programming for youth in Maine.
Reflecting on the experience as part of a follow-up survey, one educator shared, “A major highlight for me was realizing how accessible climate change education can be, even for younger children."
