summer institute

July 12 - 19, 2009
Summer Insititute 2009
Southern Environmental Center, Birmingham Southern College - Birmingham, Alabama
The Legacy Summer Teacher Institute is a comprehensive, hands-on training course for Alabama teachers interested in learning about environmental topics and issues. The participants are trained to integrate topics, such as pollution prevention, ecology, waste management and natural resources into their classroom curriculum. The Institute is designed to equip teachers with hands-on teaching strategies, field experiences and content material relevant to protecting our environment. The teachers participate in hands-on activities, presentations by classroom teachers, educational and exciting field trips, and content presentations by environmental experts. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and Professional Development Hours, CEUs from the State Department of Education and many FREE classroom materials. The number of participant slots is limited. Click here for the application.

 mini workshops

The Legacy Mini-Workshops are designed to give teachers the opportunity to experience Legacy and our environmental education programs in shorter, more topic-focused trainings.

April 28 - May 1, 2009
Coastal Discoveries
Camp Beckwith - Fairhope, Alabama
Head south for the spring and join a team of energetic, knowledgeable leaders for an adventure in learning! Through classroom and field studies, we will explore content knowledge, teaching techniques, and classroom activities to help your students learn about the wonders of the Gulf Coast. Topics include bays, coastal forests, deltas, estuaries, watersheds, wetlands, and the diverse wildlife that accompany these rich ecosystems. Teachers will receive in-service hours and/or CEUs for their participation in this comprehensive workshop. Teachers will be trained in the nationally recognized wildlife conservation education programs of Project WET, Project WILD, and Project Aquatic WILD and receive curriculum guides and many other environmental education materials. The number of participant slots is limited. Click here for the application.

June 8 - 10, 2009
Growing Roots: Connecting Teachers and Their Children with Nature
Camp McDowell - Nauvoo, Alabama
Teachers will bring their own children to this workshop and, together, they will explore their natural world, leading them to a sense of responsibility for it. The teachers and children will participate in hands-on and minds-on activities, giving them the greatest opportunity to learn about themselves and their environment. A few of the learning explorations will be canyon and forest hikes, medicinal and edible plant studies, water studies, canoeing, night skies, and folk art. The number of teacher participant slots is very limited, and he/she may bring only 2 children to the workshop. Children attending must have already completed first grade. Click here for the application.

September 30 - October 2, 2009
Down Under in North Alabama - Caves
Paint Rock Valley Lodge - Estille Fork, Alabama
Join spelunking experts on an exciting adventure exploring caves and learn about the biodiversity of North Alabama's karst topography. Find out how caves are formed and what creates the beautiful cave formations. During our cave explorations we will see endangered aquatic cave life and bats. One exciting part of the workshop will be a visit to an Alabama State Park, Cathedral Caverns, where we will see the world's largest cave opening, the world's largest stalagmite and the world's largest frozen waterfall. We will also investigate a few of the wild caves in northeast Alabama. Through classroom and field studies, we will explore content knowledge, teaching techniques, and classroom activities to help your students learn about the wonders of caves. Workshop Concepts: caves and water quality, Alabama geology, biodiversity, geodiversity, cave endangered species, cave ecosystems, cave distribution, types of caves and cave formations. Teachers will receive professional development hours and free classroom materials. No caving experience is needed. The number of participant slots is limited. Click here for the application.

June 17 - 19, 2009
Living Streams
Camp McDowell - Nauvoo, Alabama
While participants wade the streams and ponds of Camp McDowell, they will study the macro-invertebrates who live in the waters. They will not only gain knowledge for themselves, but learn to make it fun and interesting for their students. Teachers will also become certified by Alabama Water Watch to do bio-assessments of streams in their local area and can use the free materials they take home with their students. Among the free materials will be Macro Mania games, collection nets, specimen containers and so much more. Living Streams is a collaboration of many qualified partners including Legacy, Alabama Water Watch, McDowell Environmental Center and Sierra Club. The number of participant slots is limited. Click here for the application.

All Legacy workshops are free. A deposit is required, but is returned upon completion of the workshop.

Lodging, meals, and materials for the workshops are provided. Expenses not covered are substitute teachers and travel expenses to and from the workshop location.

Any K-12 teacher currently teaching within the State of Alabama, any person about to or who has already graduated with an Education Degree, graduate students with an Education Degree or other environmental educators may apply to attend.

Contact Legacy at 334-270-5921 or info@legacyenved.org for more information.

Please Note: To download any of the Legacy applications and materials, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this program you may click the link below to go to Adobe's web site and download this FREE program.