MDC hosting Discover Nature Schools teacher training workshop in Columbia on May 29

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Teachers, are you interested in receiving free training to improve conservation education in your Missouri classroom, home-school class, or youth group? The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites teachers for grades K-2 interested in MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program to attend an upcoming training class Friday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MDC Central Regional Office, 3500 East Gans Road in Columbia.

“The Discover Nature Schools program is an excellent way to get students of all ages outside and to enrich their learning through outdoor experiences focused on Missouri plants, animals, and natural systems,” said MDC Conservation Education Consultant Kim Cole.

This workshop will prepare educators to teach the hands-on, grade level expectation K-2 unit, Nature Unfolds, which includes a field-tested teacher guide, science notebooks for each student, and classroom copies of the student book See How the Turkey Grows.

“Learning in nature benefits children in several ways, including improving physical and mental health, improving standardized test scores, reducing attention-deficit problems, and teaching problem-solving, synthesis and other higher-order thinking skills,” Cole said.

MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program provides no-cost curriculum units to teachers and schools in the state of Missouri. Curriculum units are available for preschool-12 and are aligned with Missouri state standards in order to help teachers and students meet required learning expectations. Currently, approximately 90% of school districts in the state participate in the program.

For questions or to register for the workshop, contact Cole at Kim.Cole@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7900, ext. 3964. You can also register online at http://goo.gl/forms/3g4b3az4oT.

For more information about MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/9019 .