CREST Professional Learning Institute for K-12 Teachers
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CREST Teams
Atlanta
Public Schools |
Cherokee Co
School District |
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Fulton County
Schools |
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Team Leaders
Atlanta Cherokee Co Cobb Co DeKalb Co Fulton Co Muscogee Co Independent
Dr. Warren Edwards
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Dr. Erin Jacobs
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Alana Davis
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Kyla Sankara
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Nicole Ford
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Dr. Melissa Niemi
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Dr. Amy Gilbert
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CREST Facilitators
Dr. Reagan Biwott
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Dr. Donna Barrett
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Karan Wood
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Dr. Amy Gilbert
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Jerry + Penny Hightower
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Stefan Moss
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Part 1: Orientation
Welcome webinars (CREST orientation sessions) were held March 12 and 13, 2025, at 12:00, 4:00 or 6:00, and on Wed April 2 at 4:00 and 6:00. Team members, leaders, and facilitators attended any one of the eight sessions.
After Orientation, the next steps included:
- taking a Diagnostic Self-Assessment
- using results of the Self-Assessment to choose professional learning (PL)
- personalizing a CREST Portfolio / Digital Notebook
- recording and reflecting on the PL you take, in your Portfolio
Part 2: Professional Learning Selections
CREST team members were invited to participate in any professional learning opportunities suited to their needs and experience, with the goal that everyone arrive at the Summer Institute proficient in the theories (if not the implementation) of 3-Dimensional Science, Outdoor Learning, and Climate Trends and Impacts.
IN-PERSON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WORKSHOPS RELATED TO
TEACHING 3-DIMENSIONAL SCIENCE
ECO-Educator Workshops
CoOL Schoolyards Challenges
IN-PERSON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO
TEACHING OUTDOORS
Adopt-a-Stream Certification
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Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is the state's volunteer water quality monitoring program. Volunteers (often class groups) select a site along a local stream, wetland, lake, or estuary to adopt. They regularly monitor their site and submit monitoring data to our online database. Types of monitoring include chemical, bacterial, macroinvertebrate, visual, and amphibian monitoring. Teachers can get trained and certified for free, through programs in every part of the state.
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Monarch Joint Venture: Ask an Expert
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Join the Ask the Expert event featuring monarch butterfly research and conservationists: Dr. Karen Oberhauser and Dr. Anurag Agrawal. This live event offers the opportunity to hear from both experts as they answer your questions, share insights from their careers, and explore the science behind monarch biology, ecology, and conservation. Space is available to submit questions during registration.
Dr. Karen Oberhauser is the founder of Monarchs in the Classroom and Director Emerita of the UW–Madison Arboretum. With decades of experience leading monarch research and citizen science efforts, she has dedicated her career to understanding monarch population trends and engaging communities in conservation. Her work bridges rigorous science with education and outreach, making her a champion for both monarchs and the people who protect them. Dr. Anurag Agrawal is a professor at Cornell University and the author of Monarchs and Milkweed, a groundbreaking book that explores the evolutionary relationship between monarch butterflies and their host plants. His research focuses on plant-insect interactions, chemical ecology, and the ecological dynamics that shape monarch populations. Through his scientific leadership, Dr. Agrawal brings a deeper understanding of the complex natural systems monarchs depend on. |
To be Rescheduled . . .
Environmental Education Techniques & Chattahoochee River Corridor Study
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Project WET & Project Learning Tree Certification, Water Quality Testing Training, & River Corridor Study by Raft
Presented by the National Park Service, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and Chattahoochee National Parks Conservancy WHEN: To be rescheduled when water levels allow WHERE: CRNRA Chattahoochee River Environmental Education Center 8615 Barnwell Road, Johns Creek, Georgia 30022 COST: Workshop is free with $25.00 deposit for materials (paid by EEA) Join the National Park Service for a fun and informative workshop using nature, wildlife, and the forest as an exciting vehicle and catalyst for interdisciplinary curriculum enhancement. Project WET and Project Learning Tree are teacher-tested, nationally recognized teacher training programs for environmental education that include ready-to-use curriculum guides. |
VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO
TEACHING ABOUT CLIMATE
Project Drawdown - Climate on Our Plates: Rethinking Food and Farming
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When it comes to climate trends, energy gets much of the attention. But what about what we eat? In the Drawdown Ignite webinar, Project Drawdown Executive Director Jonathan Foley and a panel of experts had a far-ranging discussion focused on the climate impacts of food, agriculture, and land use. There are sixteen webinars in the series.
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Georgia Climate Solutions Tracker - Available NOW!
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The brand-new Drawdown Georgia Solutions Tracker, developed by the Climate and Energy Policy Lab at Georgia Tech, is an interactive online tool that provides county-level data on 16 of Drawdown Georgia’s 20 climate solutions, including energy-efficient transportation, large-scale solar, electric vehicles, composting, and more. It’s designed to help local policymakers, planners, business leaders, advocates, and students identify where solutions are scaling—and where strategic investment could deliver the greatest return.
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The Tracker features two types of interactive maps:
- The first map shows how prevalent a specific solution—like rooftop solar, heat pumps, or LED lighting— is across Georgia’s 159 counties.
- The second map compares a variable chosen to reflect infrastructure or demographic conditions that affect a solution’s adoption, such as income, population density, or percentage of land area devoted to crops or forests.
VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO
ACCESS & CONNECTION TO NATURE
ACCESS & CONNECTION TO NATURE
Bird Joy Podcast
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Dexter Patterson and Jason Hall, self-described as a couple of Bird Nerds, host this podcast series about the joy of birding. Check out the latest: an interview with Dr. J. Drew Lanham in Season 3, Episode 2, or explore any of the earlier podcasts available on the Bird Joy website. Regardless of where you live or what your schoolyard is like, birding offers a wonderful way to connect kids with nature.
"Whether you're a seasoned birder, or a newbie curious about what makes birding so magical, the Bird Joy Podcast is your place to discover, learn, and celebrate the feathered wonders around us. Are you ready to find your flock and soak in some Bird Joy? Let's go!" |
Field Inclusive
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Students, researchers, and community scientists who collect data, sample natural resources, and conduct field work often report feeling vulnerable, apprehensive or threatened. In addition to the physical and natural risks, there are also social field safety concerns. Field Inclusive has identified common issues and developed resources, protocols, workshops, and checklists designed to create safer environments and to support and amplify the needs of ALL field researchers.
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VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FROM EEA
21 Day Professional Learning Challenges
What is a 21 Day Challenge? This professional learning option offers daily (M-F) emails for four weeks, followed by a virtual webinar to compare notes with other participants. Each email provides a briefing along with a suggested action. Collectively, the emails are intended to incorporate information and inculcate habits that prepare educators to implement outdoor learning with trees. Here are the 21 Day Challenges for Fall 2025.
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Finding Phenomena al Fresco
Instilling H.O.P.E.
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Overcoming Obstacles to
Outdoor Teaching 
eeResource Round-Up
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Teaching with Trees
Overcoming Obstacles to Outdoor Teaching: strategies for addressing the challenges and fears that keep classes inside
Finding Phenomena al Fresco: observable, real world phenomena in trees and the schoolyard to anchor "3-D science"
Instilling H.O.P.E: success stories and authentic problem-solving opportunities for combatting students' eco-anxiety
eeResource Round-Up: explore EEA's curated collection of professional learning and teaching resources related to trees
Teaching with Trees: tree planting, tree care, and lessons that focus on trees as living labs for student investigations
VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
FROM EEA PARTNERS
Green Schoolyard Design Lectures & Community of Practice Meetings - monthly
Community of Practice: 3rd Thursdays at 2:00 PM
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Schoolyard Forest Design Lectures: 1st Thursdays @ 2:00 PM
The Schoolyard Forest Design lectures, hosted by Green Schoolyards America, provide technical, design-focused guidance for creating and stewarding high-quality green schoolyards and schoolyard forests. All webinars are free and recorded. This series is particularly relevant for school district facilities staff, schoolyard designers, landscape architects, architects, public agency staff, and others who are involved in creating green schoolyards and schoolyard forests or want to learn more to join us for this interdisciplinary series.
The "Community of Practice" monthly discussion forum (featured at left) is intended to share information as schools establish campus forests, and to build a collegial national network. These free, interactive meetings feature engaging presentations and small group conversations to encourage networking, sharing of best practices, asking questions, and building relationships among practitioners. |
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Fall 2025 Webinars on Outdoor Learning Select Tuesdays this Fall at 7:00pm Eastern
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Environmental Action Civics
School Gardens with Ease - an Introductory Workshop with Written Guides
Self-Paced eeCredential Courses and Learning Modules
eeLearning Modules from NAAEE
eeLearning Modules from NAAEE
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5 free self-paced modules with certificates:
What is Environmental Education (EE)? The History of EE Research and Evaluation Civic Engagement for Environmental Issues Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences |
eeCourses in Fall '25: self-paced professional learning
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Teaching with Trees This self-paced online course focuses on the CoOL Schoolyard Collection of tree-related, standards-based lessons for grades K-12. Available Fall 2025.
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Greening the Schoolyard This self-paced online course focuses on planting trees, creating arboreta, and greening schoolyards. Available Fall 2025.
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Sustaining Outdoor Learning Spaces (SOLS) This self-paced online course focuses on maintaining, and sustaining outdoor learning spaces and related programs. Available Fall 2025.
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Regional Professional Learning Events
Fees apply - expenses not covered by the CREST Challenge
Conferences
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SEEA / EEAA Conference March 12-14, 2026
The Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance Conference will be hosted by the Environmental Education Association of Alabama (EEAA) on March 12 - 14, 2026 in Gulf Shores, AL. |
RECENT EVENTS - Thanks for attending!
WAWA Urban Forest FestThe West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA) Urban Forest Fest and Service Learning Saturday offers ideas for effectively engaging a community in environmental stewardship. The events take place in three locations throughout 2025: the Outdoor Activity Center, Lionel Hampton - Beecher Hills Park, and Cascade Springs Nature Center. Register using the link below.
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Part 3: Summer Institute
Location: Jekyll Island Villas by the Sea Conference Center
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A 4-day, 3-night immersive CREST Summer Institute took place on Jekyll Island at the Villas by the Sea Conference Center with lodging also at the Villas. Expenses for the Summer Institute were covered for participants except travel to and from Jekyll Island. |
Agenda
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During the Summer Institute, professional learning sessions were presented to increase the capacity of teachers to engage students outdoors, using trees and natural phenomena
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Part 4: Implementation / Fall 2025
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Team members will implement 3-D Outdoor Learning with their students or redeliver professional development to teachers in their districts during Fall of 2025. There will be periodic online charrettes throughout the fall, when CREST participants present short videos showing how they implemented the program, and explaining what successes and challenges they faced. Fellow participants will provide feedback, only if requested to do so. |
REGISTER HERE for the date and location where you would like to present a very short (4-5 min) video of yourself teaching outdoors, focusing on your successes and obstacles. These "charrettes" will offer a fun and supportive atmosphere for colleagues to discuss what's working, and what's not. Options include:
- Oct 13 @ 4:00 via Zoom
- Nov 4 during Lunch at Outdoor Learning Symposium
- Dec 2 @ 4:00 via Zoom
Part 5: Refining the Model / 2026
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Based on evaluations, charrettes, and program outcomes, the CREST Challenge model will be assessed and refined in 2026. Vetted lessons and resources will continue to be added to the collection, for use by CREST participants. |
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Environmental Education Alliance, Inc.
P.O. Box 801066 | Acworth, GA 30101 EEA does not does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its program , activities, or employment. For more information on EEA's non-discrimination commitment click here . Grievance officer may be contacted at [email protected] |