Program Elements
Phase 1: Planning
The planning process engages both administrators and teachers, ensuring greater buy-in and commitment to new, innovative and sustainable projects and creating a school culture that places a priority on student involvement in meaningful outdoor learning, and increasing mobivation on the part of both administrators and teachers to maintain projects in subsequent years.
Our staff works intensively with individual partners to facilitate a strategic planning process to include administrators, teachers, and local resource partners from the community. We work with new partners to
- identify school and school district curriculum needs and priorities
- address logistical concerns for field-based learning experiences
- target specific training needs to create individualized programs targeting learning priorities
- recruit local resource partners
- identify local biodiversity monitoring site location(s)
The planning process is designed to out line strategies for information-sharing and communication&mdashteacher to teacher, teacher to administrator, and educator to scientist—not only within an individual school or school district, but also with other school and resource partners in the Biodiversity Monitoring Project.
The planning process begins after a school or school
district submits an application to become a partner.
Learn
how to apply to be a partner.
Phase 2: Training
The 
Introduction
to Biodiversity Monitoring
Training Workshop is offered annually to
new and current school partners.
The course includes classroom and fieldwork in conservation theory and field techniques for monitoring, as well as a section on the use of remote sensing and GIS (geographic information systems) in conservation. Special emphasis is placed on using authentic student inquiry as a basis for engaging learners in ecological studies.
In addition, we host short courses on a wide variety of conservation science and biodiversity monitoring topics throughout the year.
Phase 3: Implementation
The CRC Education Office has several resources available to our school partners that make implementing innovative biodiversity monitoring activities with their students a reality.
Equipment and supplies: Biodiversity monitoring kits are available to school partners, containing the basic tools and technology to implement field projects with their students. These kits include: aerial photographs and remote sensint materials, field guides, field equipment (30-meter tape measures, DBH tapes, compasses, meter sticks), flagging, leaf press, and "swiss cheese game" materials.
Survey and census of monitoring plot: School partners are offered assistance in surveying a one-hectare biodiversity monitoring plot on or near school property, as well as assistance with the initial tree census.
Phase 4: Information-sharing and evaluation
Online resources: A special Zoo web section featuring each school partner and their student activities. School information, including their unique strategic plan, site report, student projects, and monitoring data are posted on this site. Also included on-line are correlation to standards of learning, lesson plans and activities, Forest Plotter software, and links to relevant Smithsonian science and education initiatives.
Student Symposiums: Special student symposiums are organized throughout the year to allow student partners to gather and exchange data and results about research projects related to a specific taxa. Students present their results and receive feedback from their peers and Smithsonian scientists.
Other services:
Speakers’ Bureau
for classroom lessons, career days, in-service training,
special events, etc.
Biodiversity
Summit: During the summit, students will
participate with their peers in a small group with Smithsonian
scientists and other natual resource professionals to
address ideas and challenges about school-based environmental
research projects.
Small
Grants Program for school partners.
