The next FFEC program will take place in 2009. Please see the information below for an overview of the program, benefits of participation, and general registration information. Complete information about the 2009 program will be available in the fall of 2008.
The following information about A Forest for Every Classroom (FFEC) is included on this page. Click on the title to view each segment, or scroll down the page to view all information.
A Forest for Every Classroom (FFEC) is a year-long professional development series for middle and high school educators, aimed at providing the inspiration, knowledge and skills required to transform classroom teaching into effective and exciting place-based education. Teachers who participate in FFEC develop their own curriculum to increase student literacy skills and foster student understanding of-and appreciation for-the forested lands in their communities. These curricula integrate hands-on study of the natural and cultural resources of the local community, addressing concepts in ecology, sense of place, civics, and forest land management and stewardship.
FFEC objectives are as follows:
Place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, math, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum. Emphasizing hands-on, real world learning experiences, this approach to education increases academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhances student appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as active contributing citizens. (David Sobel, Standing Strong in My Rightful Place, 2003)
"This course has re-kindled my soul and passion for teaching. It has made it meaningful again. I am so grateful for the vision, the inspiration, the follow-through, and the commitment and knowledge that the partners have channeled through us." (FFEC participant)
This workshop offers you the following.
Each participating team of educators will be responsible for developing a curriculum unit that meets NH's curriculum frameworks and the literacy needs of their school. Units must be based on real-world learning experiences within their local communities. Each team of teachers will develop a service-learning project that brings the school and the community together, where teachers and students learn about local forestry issues and pertinent forest research, and become involved in a viable community-based project.
You should be willing to:
Come as part of a team of teachers, with the strong support of your school or district administrator - INCLUDE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATOR AS PART OF THIS APPLICATION.
Participate in ALL eleven training days.
Develop a forest-based teaching unit that uses the local landscape and meets the goals of your school action plan and state curriculum frameworks, exemplifying the best practices of Place-Based Education.
Include service learning in your students' experience.
Provide written documentation of your curriculum for possible inclusion in a model program to be disseminated nationally.
The all-inclusive registration fee for this yearlong series is $350 per person. This includes eleven days of professional development, extensive curriculum materials, three nights' accommodations in the White Mountains, great food, implementation grants up to $200, and much more. Scholarships may be available upon request. PSU graduate credits are available for an additional fee.
Send application and registration fee to:
NHPLT
54 Portsmouth Street
Concord, NH 03301
Attn: FFEC
For more information, call Sara
at (603) 226-0160 or info@nhplt.org
A Forest for Every Classroom was initially developed by a unique partnership of public land management agencies and nonprofit organizations in Vermont in 2000. These partners have entered into an agreement with several New Hampshire-based public agencies and nonprofits, in order to replicate the program here, beginning with the 2006-07 program. Rigorous evaluations of the Vermont-based programs have been conducted and are available at www.peecworks.org/PEEC/PEEC_Reports/.
A Forest for Every Classroom: Learning to Make Choices for the Future of Our Forests is an educational program developed by the National Wildlife Federation, Shelburne Farms, the Green Mountain National Forest, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, and the National Park Service's Conservation Study Institute. This professional development model is being replicated by the New Hampshire partners with permission and support of this founding collaborative.
In New Hampshire, A Forest for Every Classroom is sponsored by the following partners. Clicking on an organization's name will open their website in a new window.
New Hampshire Project Learning Tree (www.nhplt.org)
Hubbard Brook Research Foundation (www.hubbardbrook.org)
Northeast Natural Resource Center - The National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org)
White Mountain National Forest (www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain)
USDA Forest Service's State and Private Forestry Branch, Northeastern Area (www.na.fs.fed.us)
USDA Forest Service's Northeastern Research Station (www.fs.fed.us/ne)
Thanks to the following sponsors for their generous support in making this program possible!
The Jane B. Cook 1992 Charitable Trust
Walker Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation
Math Science Partnership through the NH Department of Education
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Institute
USDA Forest Service