Professional
Development
Tenafly
Nature Center is a
registered provider with the NJ
professional development provider directory and offers workshops to train
Pre K - High school teachers, scout leaders, pre-service teachers, camp
counselors, and everyone who works with children to use various environmental
education resources. Our New Jersey professional
development provider number is #6959.
Our staff can provide training workshops on
many topics for
teachers and group leaders with a particular focus (i.e. plants of New Jersey).
Click here to contact the education director to discuss topic
availability, check when the next workshop will be held, or schedule a workshop
for your school/organization either here or at your location.
Our staff members are certified to facilitate the
following nationally recognized EE curriculums:
-
Project WILD:
A workshop designed to
train educators of all grades in a curriculum of wildlife appreciation
and fun, hands-on activities. The activities assist students of all ages in
developing awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment to result in informed
decisions, responsible behavior and constructive actions concerning wildlife and
the environment upon which life depends. These programs are conducted in
cooperation with the National Project WILD office and the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection. The curriculum is based on the premise
that young people and their teachers have a vital interest in learning about the
earth as home for people and wildlife. Project WILD can help prepare young
people for decisions affecting people, wildlife and our environment. The Project WILD Activity Guide contains
hands-on activities that teachers can use with their preK-12 students, and
relevant background information for the teacher. The activities are engaging and
educational. Some can be done in a classroom, while others are intended to be
done in a schoolyard or other outdoor area. 
Activities are designed to be
incorporated into most major subject areas, strengthening basic skills while
teaching about wildlife. Many of the activities can be used to meet
NJ core curriculum standards. Project WILD is an award winning program,
thoroughly tested and evaluated.
-
Growing Up WILD:
A program for exploring nature with children ages
3 – 7. This program builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and
invites them to explorewildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range
of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD
provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about the
natural world and lifelong social and academic skills. Participants will
receive a full-color activity guide that includes age-appropriate crafts,
art projects, music, conservation activities, reading and math connections
and much more.
-
Project Learning Tree: Environmental
Experiences for Early Childhood: Released in 2010, Project
Learning Tree's Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood is
designed especially for educators and adults working with children ages
3-6. Activities highlight the importance of kinetic learning and
differentiated instruction, including opportunities to incorporate music and
movement. Whether you are a formal or informal educator, the guide
includes background information on facilitating experiences for the early
childhood learner, how to guide children in learning about nature both
indoors and outdoors, and clear objectives and benchmarks to assess
learning. It also includes suggestions for activities that families
and friends can conduct to enhance their child's learning experiences at
home. Correlated to national standards for preschool education by
three major early childhood accreditation programs. All activities meet the
National Association for the Education of Young Children criteria for
curriculum, the North American Association for Environmental Education's
Early Childhood Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence, and the
Head Start's Child Outcomes Framework.
-
Project Learning Tree:
An award-winning broad-based
environmental education program that provides teachers with the tools to
help students learn how to think, not what to think. Incorporating a
variety of learning styles while developing skills in critical and creative
thinking PLT helps young people gain awareness of the environment and their
place within it. Whether you are a formal or informal educator, PLT
activities will engage your students in interdisciplinary, hands-on
experiences that can help them develop skills in problem solving, evaluation
and research. Participants will receive the PLT guide with over 100 lessons
included that can be used to meet NJ core curriculum standards.
Eco
Tour to Curacao
Teachers can earn professional
development hours in Science and Social Studies. For Life Science hours, attend
small-group lectures about coral reef ecology, marine mammal biology and the
ecosystems of the tropical ocean, and meet the ocean’s inhabitants up-close
while snorkeling or scuba-diving. For Social Studies hours, learn about the
history, geography, and culture of the island nation of Curacao, its importance
in the slave trade and its modern-day connections to Africa, Europe and the New
World. Learn activities and techniques that you can use in your own classroom.
For prices and more information click
here.
Lectures and field trips are led by
Jennifer Kleinbaum, Executive Director of the Tenafly Nature Center, dive-master
and experienced educator. Local guides familiar with the island’s wildlife
provide additional support.
Participants receive credit for up to
30 hours of professional development recognized by the NJ
Department of Education and a guide with copies of all lesson plans for the
week.
Click here for a hour-by-hour syllabus.
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