Adaptation Exploration Summer Academy

Adaptation Exploration Summer Academy

Program Type: Free professional development summer academy for K-12 educators

Status: Active program

Cost: Free to attend

Partner: Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

Target Participants: K-12 educators and teachers

Focus Areas: Outdoor STEM education; environmental learning; place-based education; adaptation of teaching standards to outdoor settings

Program Philosophy: Teachers can incorporate outdoor/natural environments into classroom instruction; emphasizes experiential learning in nature

Key Components:

Instruction on planning STEM lessons outside the classroom

Use of schoolyard as outdoor learning laboratory

Adaptation of classroom teaching standards to outdoor/natural environment settings

Learning how to explore the natural environment to meet academic standards

Methods for engaging students in STEM learning through outdoor exploration

Program Goal: Help teachers find new and engaging ways to teach STEM by incorporating outdoor natural environments; show students exciting ways to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math

Contact Information:

Pam Bonee, Director of Communications: (865) 603-5142, Pam.Bonee@orau.org

Wendy West, Manager of Communications: (865) 207-7953, Wendy.West@orau.org