Click here for the flyer or scroll down for details and registration.

Training dates span January through April 2021.

GREEN Program Training and Virtual Resources: Self-paced module plus live Q&A

GREEN program logistics and pandemic adaptations will be communicated via a series of videos. After viewing the program videos, discuss your 2021 needs with mentors and the program committee at the mentor meetup on April 7th.

REQUIRED for new GREEN teachers. All teachers welcome.

Optional Live Mentor Meetup and Program Q & A: April 7th @4 pm

Asynchronous program training workshop: March 5th—26th.

Guest Presenters:

• Darren Bagley, MSU-Extension
• Tom Hutchings, City of Flint
• Tom Jones, Genesee County Drain Commission
• Lee Ann Slosar, GM

REGISTER HERE for GREEN Program Training

History of the Flint River: Self paced module

A virtual adventure that begins with the geological formation of the watershed and propels the learner through time to modern day. Work at your own pace through an interactive slide show notebook built as a resource for teachers to later use to engage students in the river’s history through multiple modes of learning.

Asynchronous workshop beginning January 15th

REGISTER HERE for the History of the Flint River 

Bridges: Backwards Mapping and Team Planning:

This workshop is designed for Bridges teachers only. Teacher teams will continue to work through their planning documents alongside coaches to map their path to student stewardship projects in response to the current education climate. Explore new content area resources and a take a fresh glimpse at backward design.

Monday, February 8th @ 4:00—6:30 pm

Guest Presenter: Becca Neilson, Education Specialist and Program Advisor, SEMIS

REGISTER HERE for Backwards Mapping

GIS & Geospatial Literacy for Use Across Content Areas (2 part):

This workshop series will introduce geographic information system (GIS) technology and cartographic and geographic representation, explore geoliteracy principles, and offer lessons to use across content areas. Attend one or both.

Part 1 GIS & MapFlint: Wednesday, February 17th @ 4:00—6:30 pm

GIS Part 1 REGISTER HERE

Part 2 Geoliteracy Resources: Saturday, February 20th @ 9:00—11:30 am

GIS Part 2 REGISTER HERE

Guest Presenter: Troy Rosencrants, GIS Center Manager, UM—Flint GIS Center

All workshops and materials are virtual and free to teachers who also register for the 2020—2021 Flint River GREEN program thanks to our generous program sponsors:

IMPORTANT GREEN DATES:

Spring 2021 GREEN Testing Window:  April 26th —May 14th           

Virtual Student Summit: May 17th—May 27th

SCECHs are pending for all training events.

Click on the image to view the report or click here to print.

If you are a teacher in the Flint River watershed interested in Flint River GREEN for the 2020-2021 school year, please fill out this REGISTRATION FORM to save your place and sign up to receive updates on upcoming training opportunities, material acquisition, stream sampling logistics, and the (now virtual!) Student Summit.

Example of an interactive virtual slide created for remote Flint River GREEN students and teachers.

The GREEN program team has been hard at work adapting the program for a variety of situations. We will rely on our expert water quality mentors to assist with virtual field trips, drop off water samples to schools, and connect virtually with students this year as needed. We will also be providing additional teacher training and resources for virtual and face-to-face participation. No matter your situation, there are still engaging ways to connect students to the Flint River. We look forward to working with you!

REGISTER TODAY! 

If you have questions or are a teacher outside of the Flint River watershed interested in water chemistry testing, or if you are an environmental expert wishing to help mentor a Flint River classroom this year, please email Autumn Mitchell, Education Program Manager.

Flint River GREEN Bridges: Year 1 Complete!

The 2019-2020 school year was an exciting roller coaster of events! In our first year of our expanded program, we faced public health issues that kept our students indoors and learning in new ways beyond the intended Bridges curriculum. Bridges is a 10-week, robust, interdisciplinary watershed education curriculum for 6th – 8th grade students and is paired with ongoing teacher professional development opportunities which assists educators in providing meaningful watershed education experiences for youth. The program hinges on water quality monitoring at a local stream and allows students to explore their communities and work together with community partners to explore stewardship action.

In the fall of 2019, our community was struck with a mosquito-borne illness called Easter Equine Encephalitis (EEE) which prevented all but two of our schools from implementing their fall plans. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent school closures further prevented our remaining five pilot schools from implementing the Bridges program during the 2019-2020 school year.  Program staff worked diligently to provide teachers will complimenting distance learning materials and three teachers were able to assign these lessons virtually for their students in the spring of 2020.  Despite all of these complexities, fifteen teachers progressed through the training opportunities and speak favorably about the potential for this program. We are pleased to have received such positive feedback in our pilot year evaluation report.

Check it out for yourself here: Evaluation Report: Bridges Pilot Year 2019-2020

Flint River GREEN partners with the Genesee Intermediate School District’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program

The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and supported by the U.S. Department of Education, has awarded us as one of 29 environmental education organizations across the nation to receive funding to provide enriching after school watershed-related STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) projects. These Watershed STEM Education Partnership Grants allow environmental education organizations to collaborate directly with the 21st CCLC sites on the design and implementation of locally relevant, out-of-school-time programs that develop students’ environmental literacy and leadership skills as they improve their communities. The funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by NAAEE.

Students in our program will learn about STEM and watershed stewardship while also building leadership and advocacy skills by participating in exciting hands-on learning activities and connecting to nature. We will facilitate this program in partnership with Discovering PLACE, Genesee County Parks, and Civic Research Services, Inc.. Due to current public health guidelines, the program is still being designed and is evolving quickly. Our program launch is anticipated for the fall of 2020.  Over the summer, we offered professional development opportunities co-designed by our partners as we became familiar with each others’ programs in an effort to design the best-fit experiences for our local youth participants. Activities will include an exploration of the local community at Genesee, Mt. Morris, and Atherton schools along with water quality monitoring and a culminating youth-led action project. 

These grants are part of eeBLUE, NAAEE’s effort to build collaborative partnerships that support the mutual STEM education goals of NOAA and the U.S. Department of Education. More information to come soon! 

Stewardship At Home

Teachers, students, and families will find easy ways to take care of their watershed from any setting with our new and developing resources found at our Social Distancing Stewardship in the Watershed page.

• Ideas for easy action projects
• Virtual learning activities
• Water quality lesson plans for teachers
• Links to other great resources