Outdoor Learning Workshops
NO COST OUTDOOR LEARNING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES
For K-12 Educators & Community Based Organizations
Offered by OSPI STEM Lighthouse School South Whidbey Elementary School and Community Partner Organizations
Spaces are limited for these no cost professional development workshops being offered to K-12 teachers and community based organizations. Workshop participants will receive:
- No Cost Clock Hours
- Hands on learning experiences with experienced educators and organizations
- Funds to cover substitute costs for participants
- Lunch and snacks provided for participants
- Relevant lesson plans and curriculum provided to participants
- Ongoing support for development of outdoor learning programs for your students.
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Outdoor Education & Social Emotional Learning
Organic Farm School, Langley, WA
Friday, March 28, 2025: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Join special education and general education teachers, community partners and Ann Linnea, a well known writer, educator, mentor and guide for this powerful hands on workshop. Ann’s life has been dedicated to sharing the wonders of the natural world with people of all ages to support physical, social and emotional health. She and our other presenters Andi Kopit and Amanda Pitts will model with you ways to support your students' social and emotional well being and experience powerful learning. This workshop will include:
- Facilitating Outdoor Circles and Building a Sense of Place
- Sensory Seeking and Sensory Avoidance - Making Outdoor Learning accessible and meaningful for all students
- The Use of Nature Journaling & Sit Spots
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/qDFcK2gCwuQ4QcZJ9
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Exploring the Salish Sea - in partnership with Whidbey Camano Land Trust
WCLT Keystone Land Preserve, Coupeville, WA
Friday, April 11, 2025: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Join teachers from the South Whidbey School District, biologist and community based educator Andi Kopit, Whidbey Camano Land Trust staff and volunteers. During this hands on workshop at the Land Trust’s historic keystone property, participants will engage in the following learning activities - as well as how to plan similar experiences for your students:
- Experiencing a Sense of Place
- Supporting Treaty Rights
- Working with your local Marine Resources Committee
- Field Methods and data collection for Hands on Science
- Molt Search
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/8JdyA2BcZjdMA8Mu6
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Developing Meaningful Overnight Community Based Learning Programs
Camp Casey Conference Center, Coupeville, WA
Thursday, April 24: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Join South Whidbey Elementary School 4th grade teachers and students for an opportunity to engage in portions of our Camp Casey program.
- Participants will engage in hands-on learning rotations with SWES 4th grade students at the beautiful Camp Casey campus.
- In the afternoon, participants will meet with principal Susie Richards and long time science educator Terry Welch to engage in an overview of the nuts and bolts of developing similar programs for your students.
- Topics covered will include funding models and grant opportunities, volunteer processes, working with community partners, risk and liability overview and other relevant resources to plan your own overnight learning program.
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/
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Creating Powerful School/Community Partnership to Support Student Social, Emotional and Academic Learning
Wednesday, April 30, 2025: 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Washington State Parks (as well as county and local parks) can serve as powerful community partners and learning sites for your school. Join Deception Pass Park Interpretive specialist Joy Sullivan, teachers and principal Susie Richards from South Whidbey Elementary School, community partner Chris Burt and others to engage in a state park learning experience - and gain information on creating your own! Learning experiences will include:
- Service Learning / Stewardship experience
- Developing Nature Journaling and Sit Spot experiences
- Habitat and food web learning experiences
- Native plants and indigenous perspectives
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/uYH7re5D2FGr1EEc6
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South Whidbey School Farms in Action
South Whidbey Elementary School Farm, Langley, WA
Friday, May 9, 2025: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Spend a day at the South Whidbey Elementary School Farm program and see a fully working school farm program in action. The farm program was started in 2014 and is a K-12 program teaching farm-based and culinary education on the farms where the students grow the food. The organic produce grown is eaten by the students during farm and culinary classes, in school lunches, the Elementary School snack program, at school events, and is also shared with local non-profits. In addition to vegetables, the school farms also have fruit and nut trees, insectivories, bees, dye plants, herbs and native plants. During this workshop, you will engage with an elementary school class to experience a typical class on the farm. Participants will then have focused time with our school farm teacher Jay Freundlich, School Farm founder Cary Peterson, School Farmer Brian Kenney and our Americorps volunteers who support our school farm program. Participants will gain valuable strategies launching and sustaining a powerful school farm program.
