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HIGH RIDGE, Mo.—Teachers can enjoy their summer too, and further their education at the same time. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is joining the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and Project Learning Tree (PLT) to host a three-day teacher outdoor education workshop Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 7-9.
The Outdoor Teacher Training Workshop will take place at Discovery Base at Beaumont Scout Reservation in High Ridge. Beaumont provides personal development experiences in leadership, teamwork, outdoor and equestrian skills, and sustainability. The 2,355 acre facility located in St. Louis County boasts a wide array of resources to support the programs that teachers and students love.
The first day will provide training and certification in PLT which is widely recognized as one of the premier environmental education programs in the world. Through hands-on, interdisciplinary activities, PLT doesn’t’ tell students what to think, but rather helps young people learn how to think about complex environmental issues. PLT provides strategies and techniques to teach topics such as forests, wildlife, water, community planning, recycling, and energy.
On the second day, MDC Conservation Educators will lead a range of activities sampled from MDC’s Discover Nature Schools (DNS) conservation education programs. These will be outdoors, hands-on, interactive, fun, and adaptable to use with students of all ages both in the schoolyard and during field experiences at Beaumont. A variety of MDC conservation education resources, programs, and opportunities, provided at no cost to Missouri schools, will be covered.
“This is like summer camp for teachers! It’s an excellent way for teachers to tap into resources and become energized about the importance and benefits of outdoor engagement with students in the coming school year,” said MDC Conservation Educator, David Bruns.
The third day will feature a broad range of site-specific, outdoor, activities including equine education, a climbing tower, initiative games, challenge course leadership and teamwork, as well as education about indigenous cultural heritage and sustainability.
The workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on each of the three days. A $60.00 registration fee will be collected by the Greater St. Louis Area Council of BSA at the beginning of the workshop. Scholarships may be available for eligible educators. Deadline for registration is July 9.
Graduate-level credit will be offered through Southwest Baptist University for additional tuition fees. The tuition for one hour credit is $200.00, and $355 for two hours of graduate credit. College credit candidates must attend all three days and write a reflection paper.
The Outdoor Teacher Training Workshop is free but advance registration is required. To sign up, teachers should visit the MDC Teacher Portal at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4PE and register through their existing accounts. To set up a new account, go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZyP.
For questions, contact David Bruns at David.Bruns@mdc.mo.gov, or 314-301-1506, ext. 4212.
Beaumont Scout Reservation is located off I-44 at 6480 Beaumont Scout Reservation Drive.
