Empowering Eco-Literacy
At EarthLab, we aim to empower learners with the naturalist skills and relational knowledge that foster a lasting connection to our local flora, fauna, and ecology. Our expertise in place-based, experiential education is designed to reconnect learners with the natural world, build authentic learning experiences, and create lasting impact across classrooms, grade levels, communities, and beyond.
Ready to bring eco-literacy to life in your educational community or organization? Learn more about our services and reach out to see how we can support you.
Custom Outings
We offer custom one-day programs or multi-day series for K-12 schools and homeschool groups, with a focus on adolescents, and non-profit and community organizations looking to offer nature-based team building. Beyond simply a guided hike, our programs take an exploratory approach and build a foundation of skills that participants can use to continue their learning beyond our time together. Sample past outings include:
- Making Birding Cool for High Schoolers
- Forest School for Grown-Ups: Get to Know Native Trees
- Intro to Nature Journaling
Professional Learning
Integrating environmental literacy into your classroom is possible, even with everything else on your plate. We offer practical professional development rooted in ours years of experience teaching and coaching. All our sessions include a field-based component and provide you with tools and ideas you can start implementing tomorrow. Sample topics include:
- Schoolyard Ecology to help learners engage in community science and find awe in nature, right on campus.
- School Gardens to help your school establish and utilize the garden for community building and instruction across subject areas.
- Cultivating Mindfulness in Nature to strengthen students’ and teachers’ mental and physical wellbeing.
- Resource and Lesson Planning Workshops, tailored to your standards including booklists, documentary guides, activity ideas, and more.
- Building Community Partnerships to enhance experiential pedagogy and foster real-world connections.
Consulting
EarthLab’s customized educational consulting services help educators, school teams, and organizations infuse eco-literacy into every aspect of learning, no matter their context. With a wealth of experience in schoolyard ecology and gardens, family-community engagement, and PBL for eco-literacy, EarthLab can help you take meaningful steps toward creating eco-literate students and sustainable schools. We start with an initial consult, tailored to your context and then offer ongoing support to meet your standards and goals. Options are included, but not limited, to:
- Curriculum Audits to identify opportunities for vertical and horizontal alignment with your school’s goals. We can work with you to align to Virginia SOL standards or your existing curricula.
- Asset Mapping for place-based, authentic learning opportunities nearby.
- Project-Based Learning (PBL) Guidance to develop hands-on, interdisciplinary, thematic units.
- Family Engagement Support to bring the whole school or grade-level community into your eco-literacy initiatives.
- Support for Student Voice and Shared Leadership to integrate student-led environmental initiatives into decision-making processes.
- Grant Writing Support to help you identify and secure funding for initiatives, when funding is a barrier.
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