The transformational professional learning program will welcome a new group of educators in 2024

The impacts of climate change on our watershed are many; take, for example, how December’s flooding spread invasive knotweed along Vermont’s rivers. Extreme storms and heavy rains like those that happened in 2023 underscore the urgent need for place- and climate-based education that prepares the next generation of leaders for the future. “We are seeing the impacts of climate change on the watershed both locally and globally. In order to meet the moment, we need to connect students to their local waterways and build skills for a climate-resilient future,” says Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools professional learning facilitator Emily Schaller.

A Watershed for Every Classroom will provide an opportunity for educators to learn about and strategize around these goals. The program is, truly, for every educator in the Lake Champlain Basin. “Every subject can be connected to the watershed: science, math, English Language Arts, history, social studies, you name it. The watershed touches everything,” explains Schaller. Through A Watershed for Every Classroom, teachers learn the stories of the Lake Champlain Basin, ultimately gaining new ways to engage their students in learning about their place to understand where they live and nurture a sense of belonging and stewardship.

The year-long learning opportunity is presented by The Champlain Basin Education Initiative (CBEI), a community of organizations engaged in watershed education that includes Shelburne Farms. For the past three decades, CBEI has offered workshops, forums, and experiences with lasting impact on hundreds of teachers and thousands of their students.

Educators in the Lake Champlain Basin region of Quebec, New York* and Vermont are invited to apply. The program is best suited for educators working with grades 4-9, but is applicable to all subject areas and grades. Applications are being accepted now through March 10.

*For New York teachers, note Lake Champlain Sea Grant is recognized by the New York State Education Department's Office of Teaching Initiatives as an approved sponsor of CTLE for Professional Classroom Teachers, School Leaders, and Level III Teaching Assistants. CTLE certificates of completion will be offered for educators in attendance for the full duration of the program.