K-12 Partnership Fall Workshop 2025

Thursday, Nov. 6 from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Location: In-person at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, MI 49012 (link to directions)

Audience: K-12 teachers and in/non-formal educators

Compensation: Free! Includes lunch, lodging, personal stipend ($75 stipend) OR sub-cost reimbursement to your district, continuing education hours and access to resources

Click here to REGISTER by Oct. 24!

Teachers and educators of K-12 are invited to the K-12 Partnership’s fall workshop to close out our year of connecting to plants! This workshop will offer tours of the gardens and prairie restoration plots at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and the choice of supported writing time (ex. grants, lessons, etc.) OR a session focused on nature-based lessons from across the popular curricula Project Learning Tree, Project WILD and Project WET.

Before registering, please review the agenda below and decide which in-depth session you plan to attend – A or B?

AGENDA 

8:30am – doors open

9am Welcome and Orientation

9:30 – 12:30 Choose Session A or B

Session A: Facilitated Planning Session & Supported Work time –Facilitated by: Kara Haas — Choose quiet or collaborative work spaces to work on writing a grant, lesson plans, labs, activities or planning collaboratively with colleages. Kara will support each participant in setting goals and plan of work for the afternoon.

OR

Session B: Seeds of Wellness: Restore and Lead with Nature as the Classroom 

Facilitated by:

Amanda Syers, Michigan PRoject WET Coordinator, Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University

Natalie Elkins, PreK-12 Education Specialist, MI Dept. of Natural Resources

Andrea Stay, Volunteer and Engagement Specialist, MI Dept. of Natural Resources

This session is specially designed to bring forward wellness themed activities across the popular curricular resources from Project Learning Tree, Project WILD and Project WET. Whether you are new to the Projects or have had the books on your shelf – join us to get (re)invigorated through a wellness lens!  During the workshop, participants will:

• Recognize the value of nature in education
• Learn practical strategies for outdoor instruction
• Experience how to encourage comfort in nature for students
• Try out practices to restore and recharge yourself and your students
• Apply hands-on activities across grade levels using curated resources from Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Project WET
• Collaborate and share ideas with peers

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30 – 3pm Guided Walk and Talk in the Bird Sanctuary’s Native Gardens and Prairie Restoration Plots

3-3:30pm Closing and Evaluation

BONUS: Attend the Dessert with Discussion event to hear Dr. Lauren Sullivan share A Day in the Life of a Seed – click here for details and registration

What to Expect

In-person: Dress to be comfortable inside and outside. Bring a refillable water bottle.  Lunch, snacks, networking and reflective time are offered throughout your day.

About the KBS K-12 Partnership

The KBS K-12 Partnership is funded through the KBS Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) and the Michigan State University Graduate School. The KBS K-12 Partnership is a network of educators and scientists that come together to learn about the latest science at KBS and innovative pedagogies for classroom and outdoor teaching. The K-12 Partnership Leadership Team guides and coordinates this programming. The 2025 Team includes: Jenny Brenneman (Parchment); Shirley Brezzell (Detroit); Lauren Sullivan (MSU faculty); Gabriel Knowles (Whitehall); Kara Haas (MSU teacher educator); Liz Schultheis (KBS LTER, MSU); Misty Klotz (KBS Outreach); Melissa Frost (Buchanan); Sara Syswerda (Pierce Cedar Creek Institute); Torrey Wenger (Bloomingdale)

Questions? Email our team, k12partnership (at) kbs.msu.edu

Join our mailing list to keep up to date on K-12 Partnership happenings!

KBS K-12 Partnership offers professional development in science teaching! Learn more about the KBS K-12 Partnership.