Our mission and vision are strengthened by our active teacher education programs. We offer three Certificate programs for Georgia teachers. These include: Garden Earth Naturalists, the Endangered Plant Stewardship Network and Our Shared Forests. We embrace the theory that by educating one teacher we reach hundreds of children who are the future stewards of our planet. Below is information about these three projects. Upcoming teacher workshops are posted on the Garden's registration site.
Garden Earth Naturalist After-School Clubs
Investigating and restoring your school site ecosystem
Garden Earth Naturalist (GEN) provides fun, informal, environmental education programming for children, grades 3-6, in after-school settings. GEN supports teachers and 4-H agents in extending science instruction with training workshops, activities that address state standards and a kit of club resources. GEN helps children understand earth's ecosystems, value the services provided by ecosystems, and take positive actions through service learning projects to protect ecosystems right on their school site! A two year sequence of Club modules is provided. To participate, teachers or 4-H leaders attend a workshop in early Fall with a follow-up session in Spring. Science Night kits are available on loan to support this program. 3-5 Professional Learning Units (PLUs) are awarded upon completion of the workshop.
Project Partners:
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia, UGA
- Georgia Museum of Natural History, UGA
- Georgia 4-H Foundation, UGA
- Georgia Partnership in Science and Math, UGA
Supported with grants from:
- Georgia's Improving Teacher Quality Higher Education Program, part of No Child Left Behind Act
- Jackson County EMC
- Walton County EMC
The Endangered Plant Stewardship Network
Growing a network while connecting kids and plants
Georgia students are caring for endangered plants right on their school site through their work with the Endangered Plant Stewardship Network (EPSN). The education staff has worked closely with the research and conservation staff at the Garden to develop this program. The professional development component for educators emphasizes rare plants, threatened habitats, and conservation biology as a training ground for science education. 1-2 PLUs are awarded upon completion of the workshop.
Project partners:
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia, UGA
- Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance
Supported with grants from:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Teacher Quality Program for the Improvement of Math and Science Education
Our Shared Forests
Connecting local education to global conservation!
Our international migratory bird partnership, Our Shared Forests (OSF), promotes stewardship of earth's resources while highlighting sustainability issues in Georgia and Ecuador. This multicultural environmental education program provides lesson plans, Science Nights kits, and opportunities for fundraising with shade grown, fair-trade coffee. Neotropical migratory birds, the forests they share in common, and the importance of intact habitat on both continents are highlighted in the education resources. One PLU is awarded upon completion of the workshop.
Project Partners:
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia, UGA
- Georgia Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
- Maquipucuna Foundation, Ecuador
- Institute of Ecology, UGA
- Georgia Environmental Education Alliance
Major funding:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- World Bank, Global Environment Fund
For additional information on Educator Programs and Resources, please email Anne Shenk at ashenk@uga.edu.
