Teacher Trainings
Explore your Environment with Alaska Project Learning Tree
May 30 – June 2
Denali National Park and Preserve
$175
Explore your environment in Denali National Park with Alaska Project Learning Tree! In this place-based workshop for formal and non-formal K-8 educators, we will learn about the unique ecosystem of Denali while experiencing inquiry-based learning activities from Project Learning Tree. Throughout the workshop, we’ll explore the boreal forest and tundra, learning about the natural history and local environment while being immersed in outdoor teaching and learning techniques. You’ll go home with Project Learning Tree’s recently updated, NGSS aligned, Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide ready to integrate the lessons with your students or programs.
The low cost of this course is made possible through Alaska Project Learning Tree with funding from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
Hiking will be off trail over uneven tundra, forest, and river bar terrains, covering distances of approximately 3-5 miles round trip with as much as 1,500 feet of elevation gain. We will likely encounter wet tundra / forest conditions and stream crossings with water levels that are above hiking boots. Participants must be in good physical condition.
Like any outdoor activity, there are inherent risks associated with our field courses yet we actively manage our exposures and depend on you to play a role in our risk management. Read more here.
One professional development credit is available for this course through the University of Alaska Anchorage for an additional fee of $79. Information on the credit requirements, including how to register and pay for the credit through UAA, are available from the links below.
If you have never taken a class with the University of Alaska system before, start by opening the “new to UA System” document and following the directions on pages 1-3 to set up an account with the University.
Kenai Fjords Floating Teacher Workshop: Sea Kayaking
June 2 – 9
Kenai Fjords National Park
Members $850, Non-Members $925
Are you looking for authentic STEM learning experiences to engage students in science while teaching critical skills like scientific reasoning? During this professional development course, teachers will spend three of their six days in the field working directly with researchers as ‘bio-techs’ helping to make observations and collect data while learning about monitoring protocols and data gathering methods. Teachers will learn about the ecological relationships of the nearshore environment and how the oil spill and its ongoing legacy impacted those relationships and processes. While in the field, research teachers will have time to kayak, hike, and explore the wonders of Kenai Fjords National Park.
This course is presented with NPS Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center and led by a Kenai Fjords National Park Service Education Staff. After our initial two days of training and marine education workshops in Seward, the remainder of the course will take place on the charter boat Dream Catcher, deep in the Kenai Fjords. The group will live aboard the 97 foot vessel Dream Catcher, a remarkable way to experience the beauty of the Kenai Fjords National Park!
First review of applications will take place on February 10th. Payment due after notice of accepted application. Course credits from UAA ($119) not included in registration cost.
Participants must be in good fitness and health and equipped for sudden changes in weather. Participants must be able to walk short distances over uneven coastal terrain carrying up to 25 pounds of personal and group gear, and longer distances with day pack. Optional kayaking activity – no previous kayak experience is necessary, but participants must be capable of getting in and out of a kayak, and of paddling a kayak for a few hours. Please see course overview for more information.
Like any outdoor activity, there are inherent risks associated with our field courses yet we actively manage our exposures and depend on you to play a role in our risk management. Read more here.
Three professional development credits are available for this course through the University of Alaska Anchorage for an additional fee of $119. Information on the credit requirements, including how to register and pay for the credit through UAA, are available from the links below.
If you have never taken a class with the University of Alaska system before, start by opening the “new to UA System” document and following the directions on pages 1-3 to set up an account with the University.
Exploring Prince William Sound: Sea Kayaking
June 6 – 12
Chugach National Forest
Members $750, Non-Members $825
Explore the scenic heart of Prince William Sound by kayak and by foot to encounter glaciers and whales, sea lions and shorebirds. Share new ways to bring the natural world into your classroom while developing curriculum with other Alaska educators. Spend six days camping, kayaking, and discovering with Chugach National Forest Wilderness Manager Tim Lydon. The main purpose of the course is to inspire teachers to connect their students to nature. The human relationship to nature will be a central theme, with an emphasis on America’s public lands and our idea of wilderness. Topics will include the area’s Alaska Native history, early Euro-American activities, evolution of the Chugach National Forest, 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the local effects of global climate change. The group will also learn about the area’s flora, fauna and glaciers while base camping at one beach camp for the duration of the program. Educators from communities effected by the Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS) are highly encouraged to apply and have priority during registration.
First review of applications will take place on February 10th. Payment due after notice of accepted application. Course credits from UAA ($119) not included in registration cost.
Participants must be in good fitness and health, equipped for long exposure in variable weather, prepared and fit for off-trail uneven hiking, and potentially camping with tents on snow. There are very few low-strenuous activity options on this trip, with the exception of class time. No previous kayak experience is necessary, but participants must be capable of getting in and out of a kayak, and of paddling a kayak for several hours at a time in conditions that could change suddenly. Participants must be able to walk short distances over uneven coastal terrain carrying up to 45 pounds of personal and group gear. Please see course overview for more information.
Like any outdoor activity, there are inherent risks associated with our field courses yet we actively manage our exposures and depend on you to play a role in our risk management. Read more here.
Three professional development credits are available for this course through the University of Alaska Anchorage for an additional fee of $119. Information on the credit requirements, including how to register and pay for the credit through UAA, are available from the links below.
If you have never taken a class with the University of Alaska system before, start by opening the “new to UA System” document and following the directions on pages 1-3 to set up an account with the University.
The Nature of Fire: Project Learning Tree and Fire in Alaska
July 24 – 27
Denali National Park and Preserve
$175
While gaining a sense of place, we’ll explore Denali National Park’s boreal forest and tundra and the role wildfire plays in these ecosystems. Joined by fire professionals, we’ll examine an older burn site within the park to understand fire ecology including the effects of climate change on interior Alaska’s fire regime and what current data trends are telling us. Throughout the workshop, we’ll be immersed in outdoor teaching and learning techniques as you become familiar with activities from PLT’s multi-disciplinary Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide. We’ll also become familiar with the many resources available to teach fire education for K-12 in Alaska – including fire kits available for check out around the state, as well as an introduction to the Fire in Alaska curricula. You’ll go home with the PLT activity guide, the Fire in Alaska curricula, and new inspiration that comes from spending a few nights immersed in nature with a community of educators!
The low cost of this course is made possible through Alaska Project Learning Tree with funding from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
Hiking will be off trail over uneven tundra, forest, and river bar terrains, covering distances of approximately 3-5 miles round trip with as much as 1,500 feet of elevation gain. We will likely encounter wet tundra / forest conditions and stream crossings with water levels that are above hiking boots. Participants must be in good physical condition.
Like any outdoor activity, there are inherent risks associated with our field courses yet we actively manage our exposures and depend on you to play a role in our risk management. Read more here.
One professional development credit is available for this course through the University of Alaska Anchorage for an additional fee of $79. Information on the credit requirements, including how to register and pay for the credit through UAA, are available from the links below.
If you have never taken a class with the University of Alaska system before, start by opening the “new to UA System” document and following the directions on pages 1-3 to set up an account with the University.
This course is currently sold out. Please email courses@akgeo.org to be placed on the wait list.
All Field Courses are Accredited for Teachers
All of the field courses are accredited through the University of Alaska-Anchorage for Professional Development Credit. Scholarships are available in January of each year. These field courses are very popular with teachers willing to self-direct their study and application of the subject matter. Each field course has an option for one professional development credit. See a sampling of field courses on our field course page.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations and/or substitutions that occur 60 days in advance of the course start date will be refunded the course fee, less a processing fee of $35 per space. For cancellations and/or substitutions within 60 days of the course start date, the entire fee will be retained unless we can fill your space. Registration fees are not transferable to future years. If we have to cancel a course, your entire fee will be refunded. Refunds will be credited to the credit card used during the original transaction if less than 60 days since the original transaction. All other refunds will be made through a mailed check. All membership purchases are non-refundable and non-transferable.