2023-24 Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship (ESTF):
Revive and Recharge: Our Students, Ourselves, Our Planet
The 2023-24 Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship (ESTF) honors the need for teachers to revive and recharge themselves, their students, and the planet, while also learning how to incorporate solutions to climate change into their curriculum and teaching practice. The fellowship will include classroom and outdoor nature experiences and is available to TK-12 teachers at every grade level and subject area. At different times in the program, participants will have the opportunity to connect with colleagues in smaller, more job alike settings: TK-2, 3-5, 6-12 by subject area, and secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE, which is a special focus area this year - focusing on green careers).
Stipends and Continuing Education Units Available!
First-Time Fellows ($1,000 stipend)
Senior Fellows: Return participant - transition to instructional leader and coach
($1,500 stipend for San Mateo County Senior Fellows)
THREE (3) CEUs available from St. Mary's University
PROGRAM FOCUS AND SCHEDULE
Key Focus: San Mateo County communities are experiencing climate change issues first-hand, including high heat, droughts, and storm-based flooding. How do teachers address the topic of climate change in their standards-based curriculum, and create solutions-based opportunities to empower students to think globally and act locally on the climate crisis? This fellowship will not only empower teachers to lead students through design challenges to create their own solutions to the climate crisis, but it will also give teachers a chance to engage with the outdoors as a healing practice, and as an enrichment opportunity for their students. The focus will also include community partners who can provide curriculum and field trips in the outdoors, as well as connections to local, sustainable businesses to learn about green careers.
Requirements: Choose ONE of the following:
Develop and implement a solutions-based unit (minimum 5-15 lessons) that integrates an environmental topic: climate change, environmental justice, energy, food, waste, ecosytems, green careers (CTE focus), etc.
Integrate environmental/climate literacy and solutions-based teaching throughout the school year.
Summer Institute
(In-Person)
3 Days
July 17 - 19, 2023
9:00am - 4:00pm each day
Location: SMCOE Office
101 Twin Dolphin Drive
Redwood City, CA 94065
First-Time Fellows
Complete Pre-Learning
Attend Foundational Workshops and one morning Field Trip
Develop and implement a unit or curriculum map that integrates environmental/climate literacy and solutions-based teaching and learning.
Senior Fellows
Same as First Time Fellows and:
Support First-Time Fellows as they create their units
Community-Based Partners Field Trips and Workshop
(In-Person)
July 19, 2023
During Summer Institute
All Fellows
Attend a field trip of your choice at a local environmental education community partner location (Meet at field trip location. 9am - 11:30 am)
Return to SMCOE for lunch (12 - 1 pm)
Attend local community-based partner rotations (1 pm - 4 pm)
Attend supplemental community-based partner rotations (1 pm - 4 pm)
Guided Support
Coaching TBD
First-Time Fellows
Attend a minimum of three coaching sessions between September - February
Senior Fellows
Facilitate at least three coaching sessions between September - February for a First-Time Fellow, using the Senior Fellow Coaching Guide
Saturday Workshop
(In-Person)
September 30, 2023
9:00am - 3:30pm
Location: Huddart Park
1100 Kings Mountain Road
Woodside, CA 94062
All Fellows
Experience Sharing Nature activities and healing practices at beautiful Huddart Park in Woodside.
This list of resources will help fellows and others implement Sharing Nature practices as part of their solutionary units or yearlong curriculum.
For fellows who were not able to attend the Sharing Nature Day, this make-up assignment provides resources to help teachers understand the philosophy of Sharing Nature as well as activities that can be used in or outside the classroom for students of all ages. The deliverable for this assignment can be submitted via Google Form and is due on January 1, 2024.
Community of Practice
January 23, 2024
(Required)
4:00 - 6:00 pm
November 13, 2023 (Virtual- optional)
4:00 - 5:00 pm
All Fellows
Come together to build a sense of community, identify common issues, develop skills and strategies, and share best practices in a safe environment for problem-solving.
Past fellows will present their case studies and offer tips on incorporating environmental and solutions-based concepts into curriculum
Tour a national Green Achiever Green Ribbon School at the required January Community of Practice.
Capstone Event
(In-Person)
March 28, 2024
4:00-7:00pm
Location:
SMCOE Office
101 Twin Dolphin Drive
Redwood City, CA 94065
All Fellows
Share Reflection Case Study, present to your ESTF colleagues and celebrate!