Phase II: Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for K-12 Educators
Description – The Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for K-12 Educators (SI) is an annual four-day teacher professional development conference that introduces Texas K-12 educators to new curricular materials that explore the critical interrelationships between human health and the environment. The SI began in 2001 and serves as a dissemination mechanism to introduce new curricular materials and pedagogy to teachers throughout the state of Texas.
Workshops – While EHS curricula are available and accessible to teachers, penetration into Texas classrooms has been less than adequate. This is due, in part, to a lack of resources, focused training in the subject area and familiarity of teachers with new curricular materials and concepts. The SI is unique in that it provides comprehensive training on the effects of and risks to human health from environmental exposures. Texas teachers are trained to use EHS curricular materials in day-long workshops focusing on a variety of environmental topics, such as indoor and outdoor air pollution case studies, lead poisoning case studies, water quality, toxicology, cancer, risk-assessment, genetics and cell biology. Workshop trainers also provide valuable information on different pedagogical approaches and strategies to address the education needs of a variety of different learners, including those in special education programs. Workshops are facilitated by curriculum developers, classroom teachers and scientists. Over 30% of all SI trainers are active research scientists, thus stimulating interactions between these professionals and teachers, and also encouraging a direct translation of the latest in cutting-edge research to classroom learning.
Teachers attend the workshops free of charge and receive free curricular materials, training and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. A Travel Award Program (TAP) supports attendance by educators from all over the state of Texas by defraying the costs of lodging and transportation. The TAP particularly supports participation of educators from low-income and distant, rural districts. Annually, almost 50% of all SI attendees take advantage of the TAP. The location, the Thompson Conference Center on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, was chosen because of its central location and the availability of excellent transportation and housing facilities.
COEP Director, Dr. Robin Fuchs-Young, leads teachers in a discussion on phenotyping during a session on SCREAM.
Teachers learn how to integrate theatre into environmental health science.
Teachers have attended the 2001-2004 SI from 77 counties in Texas.
For more information and to register please visit: k12summerinstitute.mdanderson.org
