Project EXPLORE

Project EXPLORE

(Experience Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) is a free, citizen science-driven school outreach initiative developed by The North Carolina Arboretum. Over the past five years, the program has reached more than 120 teachers and 6,700 students through engaging environmental education and monitoring practices at students’ own schoolyards.

“Master new ways of teaching and facilitate student engagement and learning”

Aerin W. Benavides, Ph.D., Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

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About

The Arboretum’s professional environmental educators provide modeling of outdoor education techniques for teachers as they guide students through an introductory lesson at the beginning of the school year, offer support to teachers as needed throughout the school year, and lead a discussion and wrap-up activity incorporating the N.C. Standard Course of Study with students in the spring. Teachers also receive a small grant award to purchase materials and borrow field equipment for the school year.

 

Teachers conduct weekly field observations with their students on one of three projects: 

Tree phenology
Squirrel population density
Bird population occurrence

In April, each class presents their data at the Arboretum’s annual Mountain Science Expo, an official expo of the NC Science Festival. Applications are due in early August and can be found at projectexplore.education/apply. 

Teachers wishing to learn more about Project EXPLORE can contact Trudie Henninger, Citizen Science Coordinator, at projectexplore@ncarboretum.org or 828-665-2492, ext. 625.

For more information visit: www.projectexplore.education.

North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grants $1 million to expand The North Carolina Arboretum’s youth education programs statewide

Thanks to a generous grant from the North Carolina
GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, The North Carolina Arboretum will
expand its three K–12 project-based outdoor education
programs.Project EXPLORE, ecoEXPLORE, and OWL (Outdoor
Wonders and Learning) to all 100 North Carolina counties
over the next five years.

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