Seminar Objectives Participants in the seminar packages will:   ·       Participate in hands-on activities in order to increase understanding of and comfort with taking students outside for learning. ·       Consider enhancing the school property with a type of learning laboratory and explore the steps to do so. ·       Successfully do activities with inexpensive everyday items. ·       Plan to integrate outdoor activities with the regular classroom scope and sequence. ·       Brainstorm ways to involve your community members. ·       See examples of other schools’ outdoor areas. ·       Practice solving real problems, requiring the use of the scientific (problem solving) methods. ·       Realize that skills are best learned in a meaningful and relevant environment. ·       Evaluate the classroom program in the light of required state test outcomes and skill and plan outdoor or outdoor-related activities to teach them. ·       Discuss organizational skills for students to successfully work on-task outside. ·       Develop a list of personal objectives to accomplish in outdoor education. ·       Prepare a list fund-raising possibilities. ·       Examine a variety of resources.

Descriptions of Seminar Packages  Deluxe 3-day package

Joan will come to your school at three different times.  At the first contact, she will assist you with the initial planning.  A follow-up consulting day would fine-tune plans, answer questions, and address problems, while the third day would be the actual implementation of the project. Between visits, Joan would be available by phone or e-mail for on-going consultation.  You will gain the most benefit from on-going consultation and assistance.

Suggested schedule: Site Visit  Day One Activities   Meet with Project Director and team Present faculty in-service Evaluate schoolground site Determine initial list of goals Share what other schools have done Suggest possible activities Brainstorm curriculum integration Teach outdoor-related activities to classes Prepare time-line of benchmark activities Plan PR Explore community interactions Investigate fund-raising opportunities Evaluate and rewrite goals Plan outdoor lessons for the school year List monthly activities and lessons that match scope and sequence requirements Provide lesson plans and student activity guides Click here to see the list of Workshop Topics available for students and faculty.

Site Visit Day Two (approximately two months after initial meeting, or at a conveniently agreed-upon date.)         Activities   Present faculty in-service Evaluate time line completion Rewrite and finalize goals Firm up project implementation plans  Prepare communications to community partners Continue curriculum integration plans Analyze present outdoor classroom activities Teach outdoor-related activities to classes Determine fund-raising choices Address problems Click here to go to the list of Workshop Topics. Site Visit Day Three (in May or approximately two months after the second meeting, or at a conveniently agreed-upon date.)   Activities   Present faculty in-service (may be a planting day!) Evaluate time line completion Assess goal achievement Lead students to implement outdoor area Address problems Plan for the future