|
|
||||||||||
|
Project Summary During 2002 and 2003 the Illinois team created a statewide infrastructure they called Centers of Regional Environmental Education (CORE2). During the coming two years the IL team plans to strengthen the ability of the five regional centers to provide professional development in EE for in-service teachers. They will also promote EE professional development opportunities to all in-service teachers in Illinois by fostering collaboration and networking between EE providers and Regional Offices of Education. They will use a statewide electronic database to facilitate the sharing of programs and workshops among regions. |
|||||||||||
|
What's the latest? Illinois Updates Strategic Plan with New Additions With support of the EETAP grant, the Illinois environmental education community is in the process of updating the state strategic plan: Environmental Literacy for Illinois (EL for IL). In late May representatives from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the State Board of Education, the state EE association (EEAI), the consortium (IEEAC), and the Illinois EPA met to begin the update. A revised draft will be available online at www.ieeac.org by the end of August. Illinois EETAP Project Manager Mary Rice said that this updated plan will include projects that were developed during the EETAP grant. One of the goals is to make the searchable database usable for all citizens, not just teachers. Another step forward includes the integration of the CORE2 concept of virtual regions into the state strategic plan. For more information, contact IL EETAP Project Manger Mary Rice at (847) 985-2100 or marice@parkfun.com Illinois Hosts Tools Train the Trainer Reunion The Illinois EETAP team will host a Tools Train the Trainer Reunion Workshop February 9-10, 2005 at Starved Rock. 20 people who went through Illinois� original Tools Train the Trainer Workshop will attend this reunion, which serves as a refresher course. The refresher course will help current trainers to hone their skills and discuss areas of opportunities with other trainers. The IL EETAP team has also begun the evaluation of their tools workshops, to judge the effectiveness of the workshop. They will be interviewing trainers and attendees. For more information contact IL EETAP Project Manager Mary Rice at (847) 985-2100 or marice@parkfun.com.
Illinois Announces Professional Development Checklist The Illinois EETAP team is excited to announce the publication of its professional development checklist, �Elements of a Coordinated Approach to Professional Development for Educators.� This checklist will be distributed to EE professional development providers in all of Illinois� CORE2 regions. CORE2 is based on the existing regional structure of the Environmental Education Association of Illinois (EEAI) and consists of teams of environmental educators working to promote the state strategic plan, Environmental Literacy for Illinois (EL for IL). The current emphasis of CORE2 is coordinating professional development opportunities for environmental educators throughout the state. The checklist describes what a coordinated approach would look like. Mary Rice, IL EETAP Project Manager, thanks the EETAP states and EETAP partners who provided input into this document. She encourages other states to use and adapt this document as needed. It can be found at http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/neeap/programs/EETAP_states/IL.htm. For more information: Mary Rice, IL EETAP Project Manager at (847) 985-2100 or marice@parkfun.com.
Illinois' Database Goes Live On-Line The Illinois database is up and running! Find it at www.illinoisee.org. Individuals can search for teacher resources, providers of workshops or field trips, information on organizations, and events. This searchable database also provides help with correlation to the state standards. Chicago Wilderness provided a $50,000 grant to create and distribute a marketing piece, that will be distributed to teachers throughout the state, as well as members of the Illinois Science Teachers Association. Make sure your organization or resources are part of this database, and your state contacts in Illinois know about this resource. |
|||||||||||
