Last Updated on March 18, 2024 3:10 pm
LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is excited to announce its lineup of four educator workshops, free to attendees, for the 2024 season.
These workshops, provided specifically to environmental educators in various professions, offer opportunities for career growth and professional development by using the wonders of Grandfather Mountain to further participants’ expertise.
Moreover, by participating in these workshops, environmental educators are able to earn North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Credits or continuing education credits for teachers. These workshops are not offered to the general public.
“This is an opportunity to have fun learning in an inspiring setting while earning certification credits as an environmental educator in North Carolina,” said Lauren Farrell, interpretation and education programs manager for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “Education is a huge part of what we do here, and we want to give participants the tools they need to expand upon their knowledge and their curriculum.”
Instructors include Grandfather Mountain’s environmental educators and N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission Outreach Education Specialist Tanya Poole. Workshops are structured with a mix of in-class instruction and outside fieldwork that enables participants to dive right into the subject material. Best of all, the workshops are also held in a collaborative setting that allows the group to share their knowledge and expertise with each other.
Advance registration is required. The workshops will take place at Grandfather Mountain and may include some walking, so participants are encouraged to bring appropriate footwear and be prepared for inclement weather. Attendees are also asked to bring their own lunch, although there is a restaurant onsite.
Workshops include:
WILD About Bears – June 13
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Limited to 25 participants
WILD About Bears will focus on black bears in North Carolina. The workshop will be spent learning about the life history and current research on these creatures, as well as activities that can be incorporated into participants’ programs. This special-topic Project WILD will include a visit to Grandfather’s resident black bears that live in the mountain’s animal habitats. This program is hosted by Lauren Farrell, interpretation and education programs manager for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.
Educators who attend a Project WILD workshop qualify for continuing education credits, training hours or N.C. Environmental Education Certification credit.
Free registration opens April 29. To learn more, visit www.grandfather.com/event/educator-workshop-wild.
Growing Up WILD – July 19
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Limited to 25 participants
Growing Up WILD is an early childhood program that builds on children's sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and their habitats, with an emphasis on promoting aquatic resource appreciation and stewardship. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about nature and lifelong social and academic skills. This workshop is oriented toward formal and nonformal educators who work with children ages 3-7. This course will be instructed by N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission Outreach Education Specialist Tanya Poole and Grandfather Mountain Education Specialist Michelle Malalang.
Participants trained in Growing Up WILD will receive a free Growing Up WILD activity guide and qualify for continuing education credits, training hours or N.C. Environmental Education Certification credits.
Registration for this free event opens June 3. To learn more, visit www.grandfather.com/event/growing-up-wild.
Methods of Teaching Environmental Education – Aug. 3 and 4
Aug. 3: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Aug. 4: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Limited to 25 participants
The focus of this 10-hour Methods of Teaching Environmental Education workshop is to prepare participants from a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences in both the formal and nonformal sectors to use exemplary environmental education teaching methods. Participants will learn about a range of teaching techniques, methods and instructional strategies, and the workshop will include multiple interactive components. Instructors are Grandfather Mountain Education Specialist Michelle Malalang and Interpretation and Education Programs Manager Lauren Farrell.
This is a required workshop for all N.C. Environmental Education Certification candidates as Criteria I credit. N.C. Environmental Education Certification Credit: Criteria I and continuing education credits are available upon completion of the workshop.
Free registration opens June 19. To learn more, visit www.grandfather.com/event/educator-workshop-methods.
BEETLES Workshop – Sept. 14
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Limited to 25 participants
Hosted by Grandfather Mountain Education Specialist Michelle Malalang and Interpretation and Education Programs Manager Lauren Farrell, BEETLES (Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning and Expertise Sharing) provides learning resources devoted to improving the quality of outdoor science education for field instructors, leaders and classroom teachers. The BEETLES learning sessions encourage educators to look at specific aspects of research-based science pedagogy and inspire deeper thought about individuals’ teaching and learning.
Malalang and Farrell will discuss two of the BEETLES professional learning sessions, “Making Observations” and “Questioning Strategies,” and explore how to help students develop observational skills by encouraging curiosity and wonder, as well as how to use questions to spark student exploration and discourse.
N.C. Environmental Education: Criteria I (6 hours) and continuing education credit are available upon completion of the workshop.
Free registration opens July 31. To learn more, visit www.grandfather.com/event/beetles-educator-workshop.
About the Series
Grandfather Mountain began its educator workshop series in 2018 as a way to offer Western North Carolina educators a nearby venue through which to achieve N.C. Environmental Education certification credit.
Such workshops were already being held onsite for members of Grandfather Mountain’s education staff, who are required to possess N.C. Environmental Education certification. As a service to North Carolina educators, the park opened the courses to all teachers in the state pursuing environmental education certification – free of charge.
For more information about the educator workshop series at Grandfather Mountain, visit www.grandfather.com/educator-workshops.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
GMSF_Educator Workshop_Photo by Monty Combs_Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: Grandfather Mountain is once again offering its lineup of educator workshops, free to attendees, for the 2024 season. These workshops, provided specifically to environmental educators in various professions, offer opportunities for career growth and professional development by using the wonders of Grandfather Mountain to further participants’ expertise. They are structured with a mix of in-class instruction and outside fieldwork that enables participants to dive right into the subject material. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation / Monty Combs)
GMSF_School Visit_Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: The BEETLES (Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning and Expertise Sharing) workshop provides learning resources devoted to improving the quality of outdoor science education for field instructors, leaders and classroom teachers. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)
