CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wildfires, droughts, floods, unprecedented storms, and other daily news that inevitably appear on the nightly news are stark reminders that we need to pay more attention to our environment. will give you

The Cuyahoga Soil and Water Reserve offers educators the opportunity to do just that and share their newfound knowledge with students.

The First Rings First Fellowship program offers professional development, graduation credits, classroom facilities, excursion support, numerous excursions to inspiring natural areas, and many other rewards.

The program is open to teachers throughout Cuyahoga County, but priority is given to teachers in First Ring communities who often lack the resources to provide such offerings.

In addition, the fellowships are primarily for, but not limited to, high school classes and teachers in STEM fields.

“We’re looking at place-based education and what we call ‘meaningful watershed educational experiences’ — actually putting kids in a stream, touching the water, and having experts test and monitor water quality.” We want to create new opportunities that mean using some of the equipment we use to And then we tie some of that to the concepts we’re learning as part of the school curriculum,” said Christine Hall, Executive Director of the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District.

Space is limited, so please apply early if you are interested in applying for a fellowship. No dates have been confirmed yet, but registrations are expected to close in September or October, with the first activities taking place in the coming weeks.

Programming tends to take place on weekends and sometimes even on weekday evenings, but instructors are aware that busy teachers may not be able to attend everything. You want to make the most of the many opportunities and rewards.

Workshops and tours at Cleveland Metropark’s Brecksville Reservation, Akron University Field Station, Cleveland Lakefront Nature Reserve, West Creek Reservation’s Watershed Stewardship Center, Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and Cleveland Museum of Natural History are sure to educate. provide. , inspiration and fun.

In addition to excursions, training for programs such as Wonders of Wetlands is offered. Project Learning Tree: Green Schools, Green Jobs, Where We Live. Project WILD and Aquatic WILD. And Project WET is an acronym for “Water Education for Teachers.”

Educators can take advantage of a $300 scholarship, complete three graduate degrees at Ashland College, receive water quality monitoring equipment for their classrooms, and yearly membership in the Educator Resource Center at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. You can secure funding for or participate in this opportunity. Prizes are included for attending the 2023 Student Symposium and Career Fair.

The first session was recently completed successfully. Hall attributes much of its success to the bonds among educators.

“One of the highlights for the participating teachers was the interaction with other teachers, being able to share experiences and have that solidarity among them. It was something they thought was really valuable,” Hall said.

For more information or to apply for a First Ring First Fellowship, please contact Jackie Zevenbergen (jzevenbergen@cuyahogaswcd.org), the district’s Rainwater Education Program Manager. Or call us at 216-503-1338.