The Little Cities of the Forest Collaborative engaged in four Environmental Careers Learning Projects during 2010 with Trimble High School, Miller High School (2) and Millcreek Elementary, all located in the Little Cities microregion. These projects exposed students to environmental professionals working in, or near, the school districts where the students live. Students shadowed the professionals in hands-on projects that benefited the environment of the Little Cities microregion. A curriculum consultant worked with Collaborative member organizations and the classroom teacher in developing plans that were tied to Ohio’s Academic Content Standards, or the curriculum for the classes that participated. Below are the plans developed by teachers in conjunction with environmental professionals in the microregion:
Water Quality Monitoring Station on West Branch of Sunday Creek
Vernal Pools At The Trimble Township Forest
Wayne National Forest Natve Plants & Pollinators
North Country/Buckeye Trail Trail Building
In addition to these four projects the LCF Collaborative hosted an Environmental Expedition for teachers in the microregion to familiarize them with the environmental assets and environmental challenges of the place where they teach, and to recruit additional teachers to conduct “place-based, public benefit” lessons that are tied to standards and connect students to the place where they live. The project also conducted a Environmental Careers Fair in conjunction with the School of Natural Resources at Hocking College, the 2-year community college in the Little Cities microregion. Finally, a year-ending retreat gathered participating teachers, LCF Collaborative members and partners from Hocking College and Ohio University in looking forward to future environmental learning projects with the LCFC and individual member organizations of the LCFC.
The project was made possible by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund, a program of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
