Professional Development Institutes
Professional Development Institutes
There are several institutions that, while not exclusively devoted to professional development, offer regular instruction sessions for teachers. Many of them grant continuing education credit.
This is not a definitive list. We encourage you to contact the institutions themselves to verify these opportunities. Also, check other institutions in your area not on the list to see what kinds of professional development opportunities they may offer.
The list will be expanded as we find more ongoing education opportunities. If you know of any good opportunities that we have neglected to post, please let us know.
| Institution | Location | Session Offered | Time Period/Notes |
| Smithsonian Museum of Natural History | Washington, DC | Science Education Academy | 3 summer sessions |
| The National Aquarium | Washington, DC | Aquatic and Marine Science Workshops | Ongoing in schoolyear, for DC area teachers |
| American Museum of Natural History | New York, NY | Summer programs | Ongoing in summer |
| Bronx Zoo/ Wildlife Conservation Society | New York, NY | Teacher courses | Ongoing |
| Audubon Aquarium & NOAA | New Orleans, LA | Learning Ocean Science Through Ocean Exploration | 2 part summer course |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | Teacher Tuesdays | Ongoing |
| Bell Museum of Natural History | Minneapolis, MN | Inquiring Minds: Itasca Field Biology Workshop for Teachers | 10 day field workshop in summer |
| Witte Museum | San Antonio, TX | Environmental Ecology Workshops | Ongoing |
| Monterey Bay Aquarium | Monterey, CA | Marine Science Teacher Institute | 1 week in summer |
| Teacher Conservation Series | 4 Saturdays in school year | ||
| California Science Center | Los Angeles, CA | GEMS Summer Workshop Series | 6 half days in summer |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Francisco, CA | Teachers Workshops | Ongoing |
| Exploratorium | San Francisco, CA | Beginning Teacher Program | 2 year program, 4 weekends per semester/summer |
| Summer Institute | 4 weeks in summer | ||
| Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) | Portland, OR | Summer Science Institute | Ongoing in summer |
| Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) | Seattle, WA | Summer Teacher's Institute | Ongoing in summer |
| Park | Location | Session Offered | Time Period/Notes |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Townsend, TN | Science Teacher Institute | 1 week in summer |
| Teacher Escape Weekends | Oct. 2-3, 2010 & Jan. 8-9, 2011 | ||
| Teacher Training Workshops | Ongoing | ||
| Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument | Central Colorado | Summer Seminar Series | 12 seminars in summer |
| Glacier National Park: Glacier Institute | Northwestern Montana | Outdoor Education Courses | Ongoing |
| Great Basin National Park | East Central Nevada | Teachers Workshop | 1 week in summer |
| Harpers Ferry National Historic Park | Harpers Ferry, WV | Teacher Institutes | Ongoing in summer |
| Joshua Tree National Park: The Desert Institute | Southern California | General classes | Ongoing |
| Mt. Rainier National Park | Western Washington | Summer workshops | Ongoing in summer |
| Northern Cascades National Park: Northern Cascades Institute | Northern Washington | Learning center and field programs | Ongoing |
| El Chamizal National Monument | El Paso, TX | Teacher workshops | Ongoing |
