Untitled design - 2024-05-01T114139.344.png

2025 Teacher Institute for Watershed Science and Conservation

The Teacher Institute for Watershed Science and Conservation, sponsored by Poland Spring®, educates the next generation of environmental and water stewards by inviting educators from around the country to participate in leading-edge professional development.

The Teacher Institute for Watershed Science and Conservation sponsored by Poland Spring® will be offered to two cohorts:

July 14-17 and July 24-27

Fill Out The Application Form Here

The Institute

The Institute through the application of The Ecology School’s pedagogy and teaching techniques developed through 25+ years of award-winning place-based and outdoor science instruction, teachers are challenged to explore water’s connection to human systems and its impacts on the environment. Immersed in field-based ecology lessons, teachers have opportunities to network and collaborate with colleagues from schools around the country to reimagine their teaching to include outdoor learning, place-based experiences, and community partners.
All attendees receive stipends for participation, travel reimbursement, and are eligible for additional stipends and scholarships, hoping to remove barriers to entry and provide a more accessible opportunity for anyone interested in attending.

Attendees whose applications fit these parameters will be considered first:

Kindergarten - 8th teachers (high school teachers welcome!)
Ability to implement water and/or landform curriculum
Have not attended a professional development event hosted by The Ecology School before
Work within historically underserved, underrepresented, and under-resourced communities
Black, Indigenous, and Educators of Color

Other applicants are welcome to apply! Please contact Meg directly for more information (nonprofits, school administrators, early childhood and college-level teachers, etc.)

Location

Location The Ecology School at River Bend Farm is a historic 313-acre farm located on a scenic bend in the Saco River, just twenty minutes from the Maine coast and the bustling city of Portland. At River Bend Farm, we strive to live, learn, work, and play in ways that are restorative to the world around us. Our campus will rise to the “Living Building Challenge” that asks for spaces to give more than they take from the environment around them. Learn more!

Our Why

Throughout the world, water is a natural resource that impacts our lives every day. From the driest deserts to bustling city grids, water is ever present in our lives whether in abundance or scarcity, and connects human and natural communities. However, these connections are often overlooked in conventional explorations of natural and economic systems. Understanding the ecology of water — and how climate and water resilience are connected — is a critical skill for teachers and students to explore together.