Join the Wade Institute for Science Education and our collaborating partners for a unique, graduate level course that will engage you in hands-on, minds-on, inquiry-based investigations and increase your STEM content knowledge! Connect with scientists, engineers, and STEM professionals, and work with educators at our collaborating partner institutions to explore real-world phenomena through standards-aligned, hands-on, minds-on investigations that you can bring back to your classroom. Earn PDPs and optional graduate credits. 

For Grades 3-8 Educators

PIONEER VALLEY REGION
Rivers to Range: Exploring the Geology of the Pioneer Valley
Dates: July 18th – 22nd, 2022
Known for its basalt flows, mountain ranges, dinosaur footprints, and fertile soils, the Pioneer Valley exhibits a rich history of geologic change. Explore opportunities for integrating science and math as you learn about the geologic history of the Pioneer Valley. Visit local field sites, delve into museum collections, investigate the traces that animals can leave in sediment, learn how rivers can shape a landscape in geological time, participate in inquiry-based investigations and discover how your modern landscape can provide clues to a very different past.

BERKSHIRE REGION
Investigating Watersheds: From the Mountains to the River Basin
Dates: July 25th – 29th, 2022
What affects water quality in rivers that flow through your community? How do scientists measure watershed health? Visit local rivers and the lands that surround them to explore a variety of methods for investigating a watershed. Put science and engineering design practices to work as you participate in citizen science projects that you can use with your students to protect watersheds in your area.

For Grades 6-12 Educators

CENTRAL REGION
Nature and Design: Connections Between Science, Engineering, and the Natural World
Dates: July 11th – 15th, 2022
When designing and constructing our built environment it is imperative to consider the impact on the natural environment. Examine how buildings and landscapes work together and how nature inspires us to create. Delve into the concepts of green design and biomimicry. Explore the features of a LEED certified building and design elements that support nature, such as solar fields, rain gardens, and pollinator gardens. Use your new knowledge to design a public green space within an urban environment.

SOUTHEAST REGION
Utilizing Your Local Ecosystems as Laboratories for Investigations
Dates: July 18th – 22nd, 2022
Learn how to integrate field research and data collection into your science curriculum. Experience multiple entry points for hands-on, place-based science and participate in collaborative projects with professional scientists. Explore wetland, estuary, marine, and forest habitats and participate in authentic data collection. Consider how this data can tell us stories about these living laboratories and the plants and animals that dwell there.

All institutes offer 40 PDPs and optional graduate credit for an additional fee. Institutes cost $475 per participant with discounts for teacher teams. Registration is now open! Learn more at https://www.wadeinstitutema.org/spdi-k12.