Virtual PD Sessions, Apps for the Outdoors, and a Special Student COVID-19 Story

We're kicking off this issue of the newsletter with a special announcement about some upcoming professional development opportunities. GSNN will be hosting two virtual professional development sessions in June, one for middle school teachers and one for elementary school teachers. The three-day, four-hour sessions will focus on curriculum development based on a P3BL (place-, project-, and problem-based learning) framework. You can learn more about these sessions and find links to register under Learn with Green Schools National Network.
 
With summer on the horizon, we know that many of you (and your students!) are itching to get away from your computer screens and get outdoors! With that in mind, we have rounded up a selection of mobile apps for our virtual learning resources page that encourage users to interact with and learn about nature. You can use these apps in conjunction with curriculum units or just for fun (or both)! Check out the blog post below to learn more.
 
Speaking of our blog, we are featuring a very special student voice this month. Morgan Walker, a high school senior in Michigan, shares her experiences dealing with COVID-19's impact and how she hopes to use the pandemic as an opportunity to lift up her community. You will also find two more stories about student entrepreneurship - we hope you are just as inspired as we were!
 
Last month, we mentioned that we are developing a special issue of the Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly that is devoted to the importance of green, healthy, and sustainable K-12 schools in a post-COVID-19 world. Production of the issue is underway - be on the lookout for this issue's release in late June.
 
Under normal circumstances, the end of May is a time to celebrate not just the end of the school year, but the accomplishments of our graduating seniors. However, these are not normal times. Regardless, here's to the Class of 2020! Though their send off into the world may be unusual and not what they expected, they still deserve to be recognized and congratulated for all their hard work and accomplishments. And to you, their teachers - thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of your students during this strange time. You are appreciated, each and every one of you.

The GSNN Team
Feature Articles
Get H(app)y! Outdoors: Tech Tools to Connect Educators and Students with the Natural World


Freaky Friday: How COVID-19 is Shaping One Michigan High School Senior's Present and Future




The Three P's: How High School Students are Reinventing the Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability in Business




A Journey to Plant 1,000 Trees


Learn with Green Schools National Network
We All Live in a Watershed: The Earth's Hydrosphere and Its Impact on Living Systems
 
Who: Middle School Educators
When: June 17 - 19, 2020, 12:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Cost:  Free for Catalyst Network members; $50 for non-network participants

Registration limited to 24 participants
Registration deadline is June 10 (5:00 pm ET)
 

This virtual PD workshop for middle school teachers explores the central role that water plays in all life. Over the course of three, four-hour sessions, attendees will take part in synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences that demonstrate how "We All Live in a Watershed!", connecting backyards, schoolyards, and communities. These learning experiences were designed using a rubric for place-, project-, and problem-based learning and leverage real-time, online data sources that provide watershed information and resources. Experiences can be replicated with middle school students and support mastery of science, math, and ELA standards.

 
Birds, Bees, and Butterflies: Pollinators All Around Us!
 
Who: Elementary School Educators
When: June 24 - 26, 2020, 12:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Cost:  Free for Catalyst Network members; $50 for non-network participants

Registration limited to 24 participants
Registration deadline is June 10 (5:00 pm ET)
 
Register at this link.

This virtual PD workshop for elementary school teachers explores the diversity of pollinators that can be found in backyards, schoolyards, and parks. Over the course of three, four-hour sessions, attendees will learn how to translate their students' observations into burning questions that will help them understand the importance of pollinators in an ecosystem and in our food system. These learning experiences were designed using a rubric for place-, project-, and problem-based learning, can be replicated with elementary students, and support mastery of science, art, math, and ELA standards.
Green Schools National Network | in fo@greenschoolsnationalnetwork.org