Registration for the NC Outdoor
Classroom Symposium is now full.
AGENDA
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - Pre-Symposium Workshops
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Food, Land & People
Paul Green Cabin
Rachel Smith, Adult Environmental Education Program Manager,
N.C. Office of Environmental Education
Shelly Baird, Community Conservation Assistance Program Coordinator,
NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation
Project Food, Land & People is an amazing resource for educators who want to teach about the relationships between agriculture, the environment and people. Whether you already incorporate gardening and outdoor classrooms into your curriculum or not, the Food, Land & People Resources for Learning guide will help you bring new ideas to what you’re teaching. It’s full of 55 hands-on lessons for K-12 students, exploring concepts like nutrition, pollination, soil science, composting, economics, carrying capacity, consumer choices and much more. You’ll come away from this workshop with a huge, new curriculum guide and lots of ideas of how to enhance teaching inside and outside your classroom!
This workshop is supported in part by the North Carolina Division of Soil & Water Conservation.
Take A Closer Look
Classroom II
Nancy Easterling, Associate Director for Education, North Carolina Botanical Garden
Sarah Yelton, PreK-12 Environmental Education Program Manager,
NC Office of Environmental Education
Annie Nashold, Director of Children's Education and Family Programs,
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Using the natural world as a laboratory, this hands-on workshop will provide participants with specific strategies and activity ideas for outdoor learning that help children move along their continuum of development. Activities focus on curiosity, exploration, discovery and classroom integration for grades PreK-2 and are in alignment with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers. Sample activities include Handy Dandy Mud Pies: discovering native North Carolina clay soil types, and Discovering a Dragon’s Life: using the imagination to explore natural materials.
Creating Places for Wildlife and Learning on your School Grounds: Using The Outdoors to Teach Experiential Science (UTOTES)
Classroom I
Mike Dunn, Coordinator of Teacher Education, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh Melissa Dowland, Teacher Education Specialist, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh
The Museum has long been a proponent of the benefits of taking students outside on the school grounds for a variety of learning opportunities. Join us as we share tips on how to increase your observation skills and see your campus through a new set of eyes. We will share some simple activities and equipment that you can use to explore the world outside your classroom. You will also discover some fascinating facts about some common school yard inhabitants from native trees to backyard bugs.
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Naturalized School Grounds by Design: Supporting Outdoor Education, Children’s Health, and School-Community Pride
*AIA or ASLA continuing education credits available
Growing Classroom
Andrew Fox, ASLA, N.C. State University, College of Design
Chris Hilt, ASLA, LEED AP, CLH Design, Cary, N.C.
Robin Moore, MCP, ASLA, N.C. State University, College of Design
Katherine Peele, FAIA, LEED AP, LS3P Associates, Raleigh, NC
The “No Child Left Inside” legislation currently before Congress once again raises the issues of the role of US school grounds and school site design. Are school grounds solely places for children to let off steam during recess (if it still exists) or could they serve a broader function as interdisciplinary educational resources to extend the classroom outdoors? If the latter, how should school grounds be designed to serve this expanded purpose? How can the design of naturalized school grounds support healthy child development and motivate learning across the curriculum? How can the environmental value of school grounds be reinstated and made a priority? These are the primary questions addressed by the workshop. Typically, the natural ecosystem along with its educational potential is “scraped off” as the first step in new school construction. Thousands of such sites need natural restoration to improve their environmental quality to support No Child Left Inside programs – indeed land restoration could be part of this new educational initiative.
Cost effective design strategies will be introduced for both new construction and the retrofitting of school sites in urban and suburban contexts. Creative design responses to financial and regulatory constraints will be discussed. School siting issues such as walkable/bikable access, eco-conservation, and implications for meaningful physical activity will be addressed. Effective approaches and arguments for selling progressive school ground ideas to school system staff and elected officials will be shared. Management, maintenance, and liability issues will be reviewed.
For a detailed program click here.
Friday, October 23, 2009
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Registration, Coffee and Refreshments
Reeves Auditorium A & B
8:30 AM
Reeves Auditorium A & B
Opening Remarks - Peter White, Director of the N.C. Botanical Garden
Opening Plenary - Scaling Up the School Ground Greening Movement: From Deserts to Diversity”
Cam Collyer, Director, Learning Grounds
Concurrent Sessions
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM - Long Sessions
Citizen Science in the Outdoor Classroom
Classroom II
Charles Yelton, Curator of Programs and Technology,
NC Museum of Natural Sciences – Prairie Ridge Ecostation
Connect your students to authentic scientific research. By making observations in and around your outdoor classroom and adding these data to citizen science projects across the country, your students help scientists by contributing to current research projects from a variety of agencies and universities. Two of the many highlighted projects will be the Lost Ladybug Project and the NestWatch Project.
Garden Varieties: Linking the Garden to School Curriculum
Growing Classroom
Kathy Byron, CIS FirstSchool Gardens Program Director,
Communities In Schools of Moore County
The CIS FirstSchool Garden Program supports the development of lifelong nutrition and fitness behaviors by bringing diet, nutrition and food preparation to students in the garden. School gardens are excellent vehicles for connecting children to their food and health as well as conveying important 21st century concepts. The garden is a catalyst for a wide range of lessons from math to history, art, science and language arts. Discover ways to integrate garden lessons into your classroom; the interconnections are endless!
Worm Away Your Food Scraps!
Herb House
Rhonda Sherman, Extension Solid Waste Specialist, NC State University
Food and paper waste from school and homes can be turned into “black gold” for the garden. Learn how vermicomposting and composting can get kids and adults excited about ‘going green.’ In this hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to NC’s 5th grade Vermicomposting Curriculum (it may be adapted for any age) and leave with a bin that is ready to house worms. To check into vermicomposting and backyard composting, go the presenter's website at http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/people/faculty/sherman.
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM - Short Sessions
Ever – Green, Our School
Reeves Auditorium A
Terry Deal, Environmental Education Coordinator,
Evergreen Community Charter School, Asheville
Take a tour of Evergreen Community Charter School and learn about the ways we weave environmental education throughout our curriculum, school culture and physical campus. This past year, Evergreen developed a colorful schematic describing how what we do as a school is connected to the NAAEE standards for the 21st Century. Our Environmental Education Coordinator will talk about the process involved in its creation and about our plans for continued curriculum improvement. In addition, participants will be introduced to the Expeditionary Learning education model, discuss the importance of creating meaningful field work experiences and learn a little about the rain gardens, bioswales, nature trail and adventure PE classes that make Evergreen a unique and exciting place of learning.
Fundraising in Challenging Times
Classroom I
Cassandra Lanier, Grant Writer & Fund Development Specialist for the NC Zoological Society, Inc and The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.
This workshop focuses on fundraising using traditional and non-traditional methods. This short comprehensive workshop will feature issues such as: friendraising, cultivating a donor base, annual campaigns, volunteers, grant writing, utilizing existing resources and the use of social media to enhance fundraising efforts. Particular emphasis will be placed on how to raise funds in the current economic downturn.
Learning Through Nature By Design: Focus on Middle Childhood
Reeves Auditorium B
Robin Moore, Natural Learning Initiative
Learning through nature (as well as about nature) has a mature educational pedigree (Dewey, Montessori, et al) and has been incorporated into progressive, interdisciplinary educational practice for decades. Application in the UK, in particular, continues to inspire a transatlantic effort to tackle similar middle childhood educational issues. The presentation will focus on a five-dimensional curricular approach and method (Curriculum Switchboard) aligned with the re-emerging focus on outdoor learning. The role of landscape design in creating viable natural leaning environments will be stressed.
Schoolyard Demonstration Projects with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program (APNEP)
Paul Green Cabin
Lori Brinn, Community Specialist, Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program
Bill Crowell, Director, Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program
Since 2005, the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program’s (APNEP) Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) has solicited proposals for School Yard Based Demonstration Projects to address environmental and natural resource issues in the region. This session will provide an overview of this successful program, examples of previously funded projects and details about the upcoming grant cycle. For more information about APNEP, please visit
http://www.apnep.org
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM - Short Sessions
Creating a Sustainable Outdoor Classroom: “A real life experience”
Reeves Auditorium A
Charles H. Purser, Associate Professor and Head of Architecture Department,
College of the Albemarle
Carole G. Purser, 4th grade teacher, Hertford Grammar School, Hertford
Learn how Hertford Grammar School in Perquimans County and the College of the Albemarle have collaborated on building an outdoor learning space with special consideration for design, funding, and building. Special emphasis will be placed on using sustainable materials and technology constructed and funded through donations and volunteers.
Gardening With Youth
Reeves Auditorium B
Santos Flores, DIG and Community Garden Coordinator SEEDS, Durham, N.C.
Santos Flores manages the Durham Inner-City Gardeners (DIG) program at SEEDS. DIG aims to teach Durham’s youth about organic gardening, sound business practices, healthy food choices and food security values. Santos will show how DIG accomplishes this—by engaging teens in managing an organic, sustainable market garden. Produce from the DIG garden is sold at the Durham Farmers market, giving students the complete experience of the local food system.
Play Leaders: Reconnecting Kids to the Outdoors
Classroom I
Linda Kinney, Education Public Programs Coordinator, NC Zoological Park
Jessica Hoffmire, Visitor Educator, NC Zoological Park
This session explores the importance of the adult in a child’s play process and how to be a Play Leader in an outdoor setting. We will look at ways children engage in and benefit from outdoor play and how Play Leaders can enrich those experiences. Participants will explore the value of movable objects for enhancing play opportunities and investigate ways to initiate play. This session combines informal discussions and hands-on interactions.
Themed Gardens for Your Schoolyard
Paul Green Cabin
Matt Gocke, Greenhouse and Nursery Manager, N.C. Botanical Garden
Interested in creating a garden on your school grounds but not sure where to start? Come learn about some of the possibilities for themed gardens that work well on school grounds. Learn some of the basics of creating a pollinator garden, a bird garden, a rain garden, native habitat gardens, and more. Participants will be provided with plant lists for these gardens, and will get a jumpstart on determining the most appropriate type of garden for their schoolyard.
LUNCH
12:40 PM – 1:25 PM Short Sessions
Dillard Academy Charter School: “The Trash Bag Garden”
Classroom I
Cheryl L. Alston, Garden Curriculum Coordinator, Dillard Academy Charter School
Using the K-4 North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) in Mathematics, Reading, and Science, participants will demonstrate the growth of seeds in a bag. This growth process is a great way to have a fabulous indoor or outdoor garden. With regular watering and occasional fertilizer, plants will grow year round.
The materials needed are grow-bags, potting soil, seeds, plants, a sunny area and water.
Improving Nutrition and Health through Outdoor Learning
Classroom II
Alice Ammerman, DrPH, RD, Professor – Department of Nutrition, Director – Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, UNC-CH
Gain tips to use outdoor learning experiences to help your students appreciate the potential nutrition benefits of gardens and the contribution of agriculture to a healthy environment. Learn how gardening and food preparation can increase students' willingness to try new foods and improve their understanding of how local sustainable food systems can improve the environment and support communities.
Selecting Native Plants for your Outdoor Classroom
Reeves Auditorium A
Chris Liloia, Habitat Gardens Curator, North Carolina Botanical Garden
Weather permitting, we'll roam through the Garden and use the collections to illustrate concepts like choosing the right plants for your site and selecting plants that fulfill your educational goals. Topics will be driven by participant's interests and may include things like how to provide pollinator resources, how to develop habitat gardens, how to take advantage of wet/dry/sunny/shady sites, and how to attract birds.
National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitats: A How-To Guide
Reeves Auditorium B
Sabrina Thompson, Park Manager, Bass Lake Park, Holly Springs Parks and Recreation, NWF Habitat Host Site
An introductory tool for schools and other education organizations interested in restoring or creating a wildlife habitat on their school grounds. Included are the basics of gardening for wildlife, using the schoolyard as an educational tool, involving the school community, inventorying the schoolyard, creating a budget and project plan, acquiring resources, and sustaining the project. Practical tips and activities will guide you through the successful completion and use of a Schoolyard Habitat site as an outdoor classroom for hands-on teaching, experimental learning, and as a resource for the entire school community.
Earth Partnership for Schools: Creating Native Plant Gardens on School Grounds
Growing Classroom
Laura Webb Smith, Public Outreach Coordinator, City of Durham Stormwater Services
Earth Partnership for Schools is a unique program designed to train teachers to create native plants gardens for school grounds, and to use those gardens as outdoor classrooms. In addition to learning more about this program, you will participate in a fun EPS activity designed to help students layout their native plants garden.
The Value of Having a Bog Garden at Your School
Herb House
Stephen L. Houser, Jr., Talent Development Teacher and Outdoor Learning Coordinator, Providence Spring Elementary School, Charlotte, NC
A bog garden provides students with numerous experiential learning opportunities in all curricular areas. It is also a beautiful addition to your school’s landscape. The presenter will share his experiences in establishing bog gardens, as well as the value of teaching lessons in this outdoor learning area.
Who Else Goes to Our School?
Paul Green Cabin
CC King, Regional Education Specialist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Who wanders through the schoolyard when we are not looking? What do they find there that meets their needs? Join Wildlife Educator, CC King to discuss common tracks and sign of urban wildlife, create track and scent stations, and go home with a few tracks. Then, review structures and appropriate building plans your class can use to construct shelter for wildlife on your schoolgrounds. Dress for the weather and walking outdoors.
1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Plenary - Innovation for Action: Moving the Outdoor Classroom Agenda Forward (Panel Discussion)
Reeves Auditorium A & B
Cam Collyer,
Evergreen, Canada
Brian Day, Executive Director, North American Association for Environmental Education
Robin Moore, Natural Learning Initiative, N.C. State University
Beverly G. Vance, N.C. Department of Public Instruction
Dilafruz Williams, Portland State University
Moderator: Dave DeWitt, North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC
Experts in education, community development, and design, in school- and community-based outdoor environmental education, will share experiences and ideas about how to circumvent barriers, gain political traction, and attract community support to move the outdoor classroom agenda forward. What are the key supporting arguments? – No Child Left Inside? Children’s health? Global warming? Wise management of local resources? Environmental quality? Multiple learning styles? Motivation to learn? Improved attention functioning? Added value to the school experience?
2:45 PM – 4:25 PM – Long Sessions
Farm to School: The Outdoor Classroom Connection
Classroom I
Molly Nicholie, Program Coordinator, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
This session will offer strategies for using outdoor classrooms as a tool to build positive relationships with fresh local food. Learn about the components of farm to school (local food in school cafeterias, farm field trips, school gardens and local food cooking) and how to integrate them into your program and curriculum.
The Victory Garden Project: Growing great kids and vegetables in the outdoor classroom
Growing Classroom
Liz Driscoll, 4-H Specialist, Crops, Horticulture and Soil Science, NC State University
Lisa Forehand, Extension Associate, Center For Environmental Farming Systems,
NC State University
Kale that can be used for a walking stick, carrots with coats of purple, squash that turns into noodles; vegetables offer an interesting and tasty way for youth to learn about life in the garden. Explore the agricultural world by grazing on easy to grow heirloom vegetables, play with fruit and learn seed-saving techniques and create your own salad-bowl garden to take home.
Nature Journaling
Paul Green Cabin
Jane Eckenrode, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Liz Baird, Director of School Programs, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Come ready to observe, write, and draw as you explore ways to use nature journaling as a teaching technique. Discover how to engage your students while you build confidence in your journaling skills. Dress for the weather and bring any favorite art supplies. Basic supplies will be available.
Gardening with Raised Beds
Herb House
Ginger Zucchino, The Gardener’s Kitchen
This workshop will be focused on how to set up a year round raised bed organic garden. Including how to select your garden site, properly prepare garden beds and soil, select cost effective supplies and materials, choose and sow vegetables, maintain and sustain your plants and soil, manage pests without pesticides, harvest your vegetables at their peak of freshness. All educators - no matter what gardening skill or knowledge level - will benefit from this workshop. Gardening novices who may be concerned that vegetable gardening is too expensive or complicated will quickly discover that with an affordable initial investment and a little sweat equity anyone can produce wonderful organic vegetables to eat year round.
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – Short Sessions
The Hawbridge School - Outdoor Classroom Heaven
Reeves Auditorium A
Dr. Marcia Huth, Principal, The Hawbridge School
Dr. Norma Johnson, Science Teacher, The Hawbridge School
Kevin Meehan, Teacher, The Hawbridge School
Matt Steible, Teacher, The Hawbridge School
At the Hawbridge School, we are blessed with an extraordinary location next to the Haw River which includes garden, forest, pond, and stream, thus the environmental focus of the school. We will illustrate how our teachers conduct their interdisciplinary lessons in various outdoor settings, concentrating on those lessons which can be widely used. In addition, we will mention our outdoor skills program including: backpacking, canoeing and rock climbing.
Introduction to Trail Design
Reeves Auditorum B
Tony D'Amico, Assistant Park Manager, American Tobacco Trail, Harris Lake County Park
This session will demonstrate trail building techniques, design, tools, safety practices and many other aspects of trail building practices. Elements covered include sustainable trail design theory, modern construction practices, long term maintenance techniques, efficient and safe crew leadership training, managing impacts, designing the trail and laying out the trail.
Where there's a Will, There's a Way-Station
Classroom II
Ina Warren, Freelance Naturalist
Join us for an illustrated talk to learn about the fascinating life cycle of the monarch butterfly, their fall migration to Mexico (and western monarchs to central California) and how the loss of summer breeding habitat threatens the monarch’s survival. Free seeds of locally native milkweed (their sole larval food source) are provided to participants to start a “Monarch Waystation” More info is available at: www.monarchwatch.org/ws
3:40 PM – 4:25 PM – Short Sessions
Now What Do We Do With All of This Food?!?!? Cooking With Kids From School Gardens
Classroom II
Mollie McDonald and Kate Fisher,
Isaac Dickson Elementary School, Asheville
Learn a little about our cooking successes (and some of our failures) in our adventures in cooking with children. We will talk about how we use the produce we grow in our school garden, what the kids have loved and how we feel it has impacted our school eating habits. We will talk recipes and cooking strategies, and show off how we use our Earth Oven to use up all those fabulous tomatoes. Our 4th graders get into the act by providing some statistical analysis of our recipes in the cookbook that comes from our School Community garden. We promise a few yummy things to taste.
Myths & Barriers to Learning Outdoors
Reeves Auditorium B
Janet McGinnis, N.C. Office of School Readiness
Greg Flynn, N.C. Department of Public Instruction
Anna Carter, Division of Child Development
Ed Norman, Children’s Environmental Health
Research tells us that it is essential for children of all ages to spend time outdoors in order to grow, learn and develop healthy lifestyles. Administrators, teachers and families, however, face many barriers to providing time outdoors in appropriate and safe outdoor learning environments. A panel of experts will be available to help dispel myths and get into the down and dirty of going outside. Representatives from the NC Department of Public Instruction, NC Division of Child Development (child care licensing), and Children's Environmental Health Branch of NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources will be available to address questions about safety and risk as well as how time outdoors can be embedded into existing curriculum.
Current Research on Children and Nature: The Need for Restorative School Grounds Reeves Auditorium A
Nilda Cosco, Natural Learning Initiative
There is a growing body of research showing that contact with nature supports children’s healthy development. According to recent studies, contact with green environments fosters attention functioning, promotes self-discipline, encourages positive social interactions, and may even prevent eye sight problems (myopia). It has been demonstrated that after a walk in the park, children perform better in academic tasks. How can this knowledge be used to plan restorative school grounds? How can the school community (administrators, PTOs, teachers) apply these findings to advocate improving the learning environment?
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Closing Plenary - Celebrating the Whole Child: Life’s Lessons, the Learning Environment, and Policy
Reeves Auditorium A & B
Dilafruz Williams, Portland State University
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Dee Freeman, Secretary, N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Brian Day, Executive Director, North American Association for Environmental Education
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM
Tour of the N.C. Botanical Garden (Optional)
Saturday, October 24, 2009 - Tours
The Saturday Outdoor Classroom Tours provide the opportunity to participate in guided tours of Triangle area schools, community gardens and farmer's markets. Participants will see various ways of utilizing the outdoors for learning and will view local food systems in action.
This is a tentative schedule. Some locations may change and individual tours may be cancelled or combined depending on the number of registrants.
*Dress appropriately for walking outdoors and on uneven terrain. Water bottles and sunscreen suggested. The tours will take place rain or shine, unless conditions are severe enough to endanger participants at the sites or while traveling.
1. Cary:
Penny Road Elementary
Yates Mill Elementary
Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
Willow Springs Elementary
2. Chapel Hill/Carrboro:
Frank Porter Graham Elementary
Carrboro Elementary
Carrboro Farmers Market
3. Chatham County:
The Hawbridge School
Community Independent School
Central Carolina Community College
4. Durham:
Emerson Waldorf School
Forest View Elementary
SEEDS gardens (South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces)
5. Garner/Clayton:
East Clayton Elementary
Clemmons Educational State Forest
White Deer Park and Nature Center
6. Hillsborough/Durham:
Hillsborough Farmers Market
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
George Watts Elementary
7. Raleigh:
Wiley Elementary International Magnet
Leesville Elementary
Prairie Ridge Ecostation
Agenda At-A-Glance
Printable Agenda
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