The 2021 Watershed Forestry Institute for Teachers will be a hybrid of virtual and in-person programming.
 
Eligibility: This FREE institute is for 6-12th grade teachers and non-formal educators teaching in NYC or the upstate NYC Watersheds.
 
Requirements: Participants must: 1. Attend all 5 Zoom sessions (marked with *asterixis below) and at least 1 virtual fieldtrip and 1 in-person fieldtrip over the course of the program; 2. Come to each Zoom session prepared to engage in meaningful discussion with guest speakers and peers; 3. Develop and present an Action Plan that outlines how you plan to incorporate select WFIT content and practices into your teaching during the upcoming school year. 
 
Zoom Sessions: Focus on experiencing hands-on demonstrations, engaging with a variety of guest speakers, and collaborating with peers to synthesize information and discuss and plan how to incorporate WFIT content and practices into your teaching. Sessions will run 9:30am-12pm (2.5 hours).
 
Fieldtrips:
  • Virtual fieldtrips: Held Thursday mornings 9:30-10:30 via ZOOM from various NYC Watershed locations. Must attend at least 1 over course of program.
  • In-person fieldtrips: Held Saturdays 10:30-3:00 at locations in NYC and the NYC Watershed. Participants must provide own transportation and lunch. Must attend at least 1 over course of program.
Schedule:
 
1. *Tuesday, June 29, 9:30-12:00 - Kick-off ZOOM session
2. *Tuesday, July 13, 9:30-12:00 - Core content ZOOM session #1
3. Thursday, July 15 - 9:30-10:30 - Virtual fieldtrip #1
4. Saturday, July 17 - 10:30-3:00 - In-person fieldtrip !1
5. *Tuesday, July 20, 9:30-12:00 - Core content ZOOM session #2
6. Thursday, July 22 - 9:30-10:30 - Virtual fieldtrip #2
7. Saturday, July 24 - 10:30-3:00 - In-person fieldtrip #2
8. *Tuesday, July 27, 9:30-12:00 - Core content ZOOM session #3
9. Thursday, July 29 - 9:30-10:30 - Virtual fieldtrip #3
10. Saturday, July 31 - 10:30-3:00 - In-person fieldtrip #3
11. *Choose 1 of several offered dates in August (Action Plan Share-out ZOOM session)
 
Homework: Between each live session you will be assigned 1.5 hours of homework: 1-hour of content exploration (through pre-recorded presentations, videos, readings, websites, etc.) to prepare you for our live session activities and guests; and 0.5-hours of fieldwork during which you will complete outdoor activities that help you investigate your local environment through a watershed forestry lens. 
 
CTLE credits: Participants who complete all program requirements will earn approximately 30 CTLE credit hours.

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* 1. First Name:

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* 2. Last Name:

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* 3. School/Organization:

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* 4. Is your school Title 1?

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* 5. In what NYC borough or upstate town is your school/organization located?

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* 6. What grade(s) will you be teaching during the 2021/2022 school year?

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* 7. What subject(s) will you be teaching during the 2021/2022 school year?

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* 8. How many years have you been teaching?

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* 9. What other grades and/or subjects have you taught in the past?

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* 10. Primary Contact Information (Be sure to provide your home address and an email address you will be checking over the SUMMER)

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* 11. Teachers from the same school or organization are encouraged to apply. Individual teachers are also welcome. If applicable, list the name(s) of your colleague(s) who are also applying:

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* 12. How did you find out about the Watershed Forestry Institute for Teachers?

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* 13. Why do you want to participate in the WFIT?

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* 14. Which (if any) of the programs below have you participated in? Check all that apply.

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* 15. Our goal is to provide you with a highly useful program.  To help guide our planning, please rate your current level of familiarity with the following topics, as well as your level of interest in learning more about each one.

  My level of familiarity My level of interest
The Water Cycle
Stream Ecology
Forest Ecology
Forest Management
Pollution, Erosion and Water Quality
Water Conservation
NYC Watershed History & Engineering

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* 16. Do you currently teach about any of the core WFIT themes (i.e.  watersheds, the NYC water supply system, and forests)?  If so, please describe.

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* 17. How do you plan to connect one or more WFIT themes (i.e. watersheds, the NYC water supply system, and forests) to content you are teaching? 

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* 18. How have you applied previous science and/or environmental education professional development experiences to your teaching?

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* 19. What personally interests and excites you about nature? (Note: This does not need to relate directly to water or forests.)

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* 20. The WFIT provides an opportunity to connect and share with fellow educators over multiple days. In what ways will you uniquely contribute to our group learning experience? (e.g. specific experiences, perspectives, skills, resources, knowledge to share, etc.)

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* 21. TEACHER’S COMMITMENT: Please read the following statement and check the boxes below.

If selected to attend WFIT 2021, I agree to:

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* 22. OPTIONAL: What questions do you have about the WFIT at this time?

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