K-12 Education & Teacher Training
Studies show that school age students exposed to hands-on environmental learning opportunities are more likely to develop an interest in learning more about the environment. UMCES provides education programs focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subject areas, which provide both K-12 student learning experiences and teacher professional development.
Through these programs, the Center reaches more than 12,000 students and 50 teachers annually, helping school districts comply with Maryland's environmental education requirements. Programs are designed to meet the schools’ needs, offering students and teachers the opportunity to learn about the environmental resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
Several UMCES faculty have developed training programs designed to help teachers open their students’ minds to environmental science.
The Appalachian Laboratory Environmental Science Education (ALESE) program promotes environmental science literacy and understanding of ecology and environmental issues of the Appalachian region and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. ALESE provides:
- Teacher professional development
- Education and outreach products
- Environmental science outreach to schools and other groups
The Horn Point Laboratory’s Environmental Science Education Center includes computer, microscope, and wet lab rooms, trails that wind through woods, marsh, and the shoreline of the Choptank River, dorms for summer students, and canoe facilities. The Education Center regularly hosts local students during the school year and offers a Kid’s Bay Adventure program as well.
The COSEE Coastal Trends program offers professional development opportunities for educators through week-long institutes consisting of an integrated set of activities which address the Ocean Literacy Principles. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the goal of these institutes is to reach a broad audience and to use the “train the trainer” model for multiplicative dissemination.