Strategy Share: Inspiring Action During Out of School Time

Join us this Spring for a series of free webinars to learn from National Geographic Education Fellow Willie Buford and other experts on how you can safely conduct a BioBlitz and incorporate Social Emotional Learning strategies in afterschool and Out-of-School time programming. A BioBlitz is a great way to connect with nature while social distancing, and can be done individually or in groups, outside or … Continue reading Strategy Share: Inspiring Action During Out of School Time

Teaching in a Time of Crisis: Connection, Community, and Curiosity at a Distance

This post was written by 2020 Education Fellow Kim Young. I’ve never experienced anything like this. Disruptions in teaching are frequent, both big and small. Every day we come to school with a plan but often something totally different happens. As we find out where our students, community, and administrators are at, we adjust our plan throughout the day. But in my 16 years of … Continue reading Teaching in a Time of Crisis: Connection, Community, and Curiosity at a Distance

Educator Spotlight: A Student-Led Exploration of Local Species

Andrea Sayler fostered her students’ curiosity of the natural world by holding a BioBlitz in the nature preserve near their school. A BioBlitz is an event that brings together community members to find and identify as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. Andrea’s students used the data they gathered to develop research projects on flora or fauna that interested them. They shared their findings with their school community. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: A Student-Led Exploration of Local Species

Educator Spotlight: Discovering Biodiversity Close to Home

Judy Joung teaches 9th-grade biology at Schurz High School in Chicago, IL. She took students on a field trip to a state park, where they completed a modified BioBlitz and shared their findings using iNaturalist. A BioBlitz is an event that brings together community members to find and identify as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Discovering Biodiversity Close to Home