Educator Workshops


Program name: Educator Workshops

Field station name: Highlands Biological Station

Outreach program type: Data collection & sharing (e.g., citizen science, BioBlitz), Special event/s, Guided tour(s)/walk(s), Lecture(s), Field trip(s), Open house(s), Other

Years active: 11-15 years

Frequency: seasonally; about 4 times per year

Course credit: Yes


Outreach program characteristics

[✓ = applies to this outreach program, ✗ = does not apply to this outreach program]

Outreach Goals

  • Build community
  • Disseminate place-based knowledge and/or skills
  • Encourage conservation or environmental stewardship
  • Inspire curiosity
  • Make field station resources available to the public
  • Promote STEM careers
  • Raise awareness of the field station's work
  • Raise money
  • Reach a particular audience
  • Teach about the environment generally
  • Teach researchers how to communicate with the public

Outreach Content

All topics are directly tied to the place where the program is situated.

  • ✓ Animals
  • ✗ Archeology
  • ✗ Art
  • ✗ Astronomy
  • ✓ Biodiversity
  • ✓ Biology
  • ✓ Botany
  • ✗ Chemistry
  • ✓ Climate
  • ✓ Conservation
  • ✓ Ecology
  • ✓ Ecosystems
  • ✗ Engineering
  • ✓ Environment
  • ✓ Environmental Philosophy
  • ✓ Evolution
  • ✓ Field Science
  • ✗ Fungi
  • ✓ General Science
  • ✗ Genetics
  • ✗ Geographic Information Systems
  • ✓ Land management
  • ✗ Leadership
  • ✗ Learning about Technology
  • ✗ Limnology
  • ✗ Marine Science
  • ✗ Mathematics
  • ✗ Microorganisms
  • ✓ Natural History
  • ✗ Paleontology
  • ✗ Physics
  • ✓ Plants
  • ✓ Preservation
  • ✓ Science Communication
  • ✗ Social Sciences
  • ✓ STEM Career Awareness
  • ✓ Using Technology
  • ✓ Water
  • ✗ Other

Outreach program implementation and planning

People Involved

Leaders

2 program leader(s):

  • ✓ Professional scientists
  • ✗ Graduate students
  • ✓ Professional educators
  • ✓ Field station staff
  • ✗ Volunteers
  • ✗ Other

Scientists have the following roles:

  • ✓ Organizers
  • ✓ Teachers/Facilitators
  • ✓ Participants
  • ✓ Guest speakers
  • ✗ Content reviewers
  • ✗ Not involved
  • ✗ Other

Leaders have the following credentials:

  • ✓ Formal training in education (a university degree)
  • ✓ Formal training in science (a university degree)
  • ✓ Teaching experience (K-12 or University)
  • ✓ Relevant certification: Environmental Education
  • ✗ None
  • ✗ Other

Leaders are prepared in the following ways:

  • ✗ One day or less of training
  • ✗ Apprenticeship
  • ✓ Self-taught or learned from experience
  • ✓ Trained in communicating science
  • ✓ Trained in educational practices
  • ✓ Scientific training
  • ✗ No training
  • ✗ Other

Participants

15 participants on average per event.

Participants are recruited in the following ways

  • ✓ Word of mouth/flyers around town
  • ✓ Schools (any type)
  • ✓ Social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
  • ✓ Organizational communication (e.g., listservs, newsletters, emails, pamphlets)
  • ✗ Free local media (e.g., radio)
  • ✗ Paid advertisements (e.g., newspapers, journals)
  • ✓ Partnership with a particular group: NC Dept of EE
  • ✗ Other

Participants are from the following demographics:

  • ✗ Youth (under 14 years)
  • ✗ High School Students
  • ✓ University Students
  • ✓ Graduate Students
  • ✓ Adults (18 years and older)
  • ✗ All ages/Families
  • ✓ Retirees
  • ✓ Professionals
  • ✗ Other

The following groups are recruited:

  • ✗ Hispanic or Latinx
  • ✗ African American/Black
  • ✗ American Indian
  • ✗ Alaska Native
  • ✗ Pacific-Islander-American
  • ✗ Urban, low income community
  • ✗ Rural, low income community
  • ✗ Immigrant community
  • ✗ Persons with disabilities
  • ✗ Women/girls
  • ✗ Men/boys
  • ✗ Other

Preparation & Implementation

The program is described in the following ways:

  • ✗ We put a great deal of planning into implementing this program.
  • ✗ This program has learning objectives.
  • ✗ We rely on outside groups to plan and implement this program.
  • ✗ Participants are guided through each part of the learning experience with instructional materials or a leader.
  • ✗ The program includes lectures or presentations.
  • ✗ Participants are given little or no instruction.
  • ✗ Participants choose for themselves how to spend their time.
  • ✗ We evaluate participants on what they have learned.
Both the field station and participants provide equipment.

  • ✓ Writing materials (e.g., pencil, pen, paper)
  • ✓ Field notebooks
  • ✗ Art supplies (e.g., scissors, paints, crayons, markers, glue, twine)
  • ✓ Cameras (of any type)
  • ✓ Apps on smartphones
  • ✗ Computers
  • ✗ Software/programs
  • ✗ Compasses
  • ✗ GPS devices
  • ✓ Collecting equipment (e.g., nets, traps)
  • ✓ Observation equipment (e.g., hand lens, binoculars, microscopes)
  • ✗ Sensors or monitoring equipment (e.g., buoys, weather stations)
  • ✓ Books
  • ✗ Other

Desired Learning Outcomes & Determining Success

Desired learning outcomes of the program are:

  • ✗ Participants experience an increase or change in knowledge of the topic.
  • ✗ Participants experience an increase or change in interest in the topic.
  • ✗ Participants improve their data collection or field skills.
  • ✗ Participants improve their data interpretation skills.
  • ✗ Participants change aspects of their behavior and/or attitude.
  • ✗ Participants learn the difference between anecdotal and empirical evidence.
  • ✗ Participants express an interest in returning to the field station.
  • ✗ Participants are more excited to spend time outdoors.
  • ✗ Participants are more aware of STEM careers.

Success of the program is determined by the following:

  • ✓ Attendance levels (i.e., how many participants are there?)
  • ✓ Participation levels (i.e., how engaged are participants with the program?)
  • ✓ Observation/perceptions
  • ✓ End-of-program survey/questionnaire
  • ✓ Review of participants’ work
  • ✗ Tests/formal assessment
  • ✓ Participant feedback (unsolicited)
  • ✓ Ongoing or followup contact with the participants
  • ✗ Other