Brooker Creek to Host ECO Teacher Training Workshop

TARPON SPRINGS, FL – Educators and educators in training will have an opportunity to educate themselves about Florida’s various ecosystems during the ECO Teacher Training Workshop 2016.

The workshops, which take place July 25-29 at Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs, look to provide participants with tools and information to interpret the natural world and teach the need for resource conservation to their audience.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and St. Petersburg College have partnered to offer the nationally award-winning environmental education workshop for pre-service elementary and ESE education students; current elementary and ESE educators; and non-formal educators, such as nature center or non-profit employees.

Participants will be given activities and resources to help foster environmental knowledge and environmental stewardship in their students using local, state and national curricula that correlate to Florida academic standards.

Each day of the workshop will feature different professional speakers lecturing on different environmental subjects:

• Monday, July 25: Nature Connections
• Tuesday, July 26: Project WILD
• Wednesday, July 27: Schoolyard Wildlife
• Thursday, July 28: Nature’s Classroom
• Friday, July 29: Project Learning Tree

Workshop sessions will conclude with a reflection and evaluation of the day’s activities. Certificates will be awarded for the completion of certain portions of the training as well as a final certificate for the overall workshop.

The ECO Teacher Training Workshop 2016 will take place at the Booker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs. The exception will be the day spent at Nature’s Classroom, 13100 Verges Road in Thonotosassa.

The workshop is free for all participants and registration is required by Monday, July 18 on the Brooker Creek Preserve’s Eventbrite page. There is an option on the registration page to donate to support the UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension natural resource programs.

For more information, call the Brooker Creek Preserve at (727) 453-6800.

Image via the Pinellas County government website.

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