Adaptation Exploration Summer Academy

Adaptation Exploration Summer Academy

Funder: Oak Ridge Associated Universities Inc (ORAU)
Program Partner: Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

Program Description:
A free annual summer professional development academy for K-12 educators that focuses on outdoor and nature-based STEM education. The program teaches teachers how to incorporate outdoor learning environments and natural settings into their STEM curriculum.

For Educators

Target Audience:
• K-12 teachers
• Classroom educators seeking professional development
• Teachers interested in outdoor and environmental education

Program Features:

Cost: Free to attend

Focus: Outdoor and nature-based STEM education

Emphasis: Teaching STEM standards through outdoor/schoolyard learning

Duration: Summer academy format

Learning Outcomes:

How to plan lessons outside the classroom in natural environments

Strategies for incorporating the schoolyard into STEM instruction

Ways to adapt teaching standards and classroom lessons to outdoor settings

New and exciting approaches to STEM education

Methods for increasing student engagement through outdoor learning

Program Content

• Outdoor STEM education methodologies
• Schoolyard exploration techniques
• Adaptation of teaching standards to natural environments
• Hands-on outdoor instruction strategies
• Environmental STEM connections

Location

• Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
• Natural/outdoor settings

Contact Information

Communications Team:
• Pam Bonee, Director of Communications: (865) 603-5142, Pam.Bonee@orau.org
• Wendy West, Manager of Communications: (865) 207-7953, Wendy.West@orau.org

Background

The program addresses the need for educators to find new ways to keep students engaged with classroom lessons. By leveraging outdoor and natural environments, teachers can create compelling learning experiences that connect STEM concepts to real-world ecological and environmental contexts.