Professional Development Opportunities

Professional Development is a great way to build skills and to learn about the most current information. Some programs might offer continuing education units or even graduate credit.
Do you know of a Professional Development opportunity that should be on our list? Let us know!

Flying WILD Educator Training

Flying WILD's focus on migratory birds is designed to inspire young people to discover more about the natural world. It encourages students to get involved in activities that promote environmental learning and stewardship. The Flying WILD program places special emphasis on reaching urban schools with student populations that traditionally receive few opportunities to participate in environmental education initiatives.

National Conservation Training Center

At the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Center you'll be actively engaged in training from the moment you arrive at NCTC, with some of the most interesting folks around! The student next to you might be a park ranger from Montana, a fisheries biologist from Maine or a timber plantation manager from Mississippi. At NCTC, you will learn with--and from--each other!

Teachers on the Estuary

This course is a pilot for the Teachers on the Estuary program, a research and field-based teacher training initiative of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The goal of TOTE is to improve teachers’ and students’ understanding of the environment using local examples and to provide resources and experience to support the incorporation of estuary and watershed topics into classroom teaching.

Climate Resources

Teachers need accurate information and resources to integrate ocean, coastal, and climate science into local and state curricula. NOAA's Ocean Service Education provides lesson plans, fact sheets and case studies on climate.

Living in the Weather

Teachers need accurate information and resources to integrate ocean, coastal, and climate science into local and state curricula.

What is weather? Is climate different from weather? It doesn’t matter where you live or where you travel, weather influences your daily life. The resources offered will engage you and your students in the exploration and prediction of atmospheric conditions responsible for weather patterns and climatic conditions and investigate how extreme weather impacts people and the environment.

The Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate

Teachers need accurate information and resources to integrate ocean, coastal, and climate science into local and state curricula. The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. The ocean plays a major role in regulating the weather and climate of the planet. The materials offered will help you understand the factors that impact the Earth's weather and climate, and how changes in temperature or air circulation are part of complex, long-term cycles. Understanding the influence of ocean conditions on the Earth’s climate and monitoring changes in ocean conditions are key to predicting climate change.

Estuaries

Teachers need accurate information and resources to integrate ocean, coastal, and climate science into local and state curricula. Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal communities that have adapted to brackish — a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater.

Coral Reefs

Teachers need accurate information and resources to integrate ocean, coastal, and climate science into local and state curricula. Coral reefs are among the oldest and most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Learning about coral ecosystems encompasses many of the 9-12 grade science curriculum standards including life cycles of organisms, biological structure and function of organisms, and the behaviors and adaptations of organisms to their environment.

Wildife Conservation Society's Teacher Professional Development

The Education Division of WCS offers a wide range of professional development opportunities for teachers. Whether on-site at one of the WCS parks across the city, online from the comfort of your home, or through WCS partnerships, teachers can earn credit as they learn how to connect to wild nature. Teacher courses are held at the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Prospect Park Zoo. WCS courses for teachers of grades K–12 help bring a new dimension to your lessons, whether you teach science, math, language arts, or anything in between!

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