BIORETS: Engaging Teachers in Ecosystem Science for a Changing World

该BIORETS网站授予位于纽约州米尔布鲁克的卡里生态系统研究所，将在夏季为9名教师提供6周的培训，并在学年期间额外提供2.3周的培训。三批教师将在2024年1月至2027年的三年时间里被招募。Cary BIORETS项目旨在让不同的教师群体为不同的学生服务。参与的学校将涵盖少数民族人口较多的中等城市地区，以及服务低收入和移民社区的农村地区，这两个社区往往缺乏获得高质量专业学习经验的机会。通过促进反思、团队合作和教师领导的合作研究项目和专业发展活动，Cary BIORETS计划旨在提高教师建立学生生态知识的能力，并提高他们对科学实践的熟练程度。该项目将培养和支持教师的领导力，使其影响超越参与教师课堂的直接范围。每位教师将根据他们的研究和经验制作教学材料并为教育出版物撰稿。他们将有机会参加区域或国家会议，并得到支持，在学校内举办讲习班，分享他们的创新课程和从RET经验中产生的其他知识。虽然正式的项目持续一年，但这个BIORETS项目将在致力于在当地和全国推广生态素养的教师和科学家之间建立持久的联系。在我们快速变化的世界中，迫切需要提高生态素养。中等教育是推进生态环境教育的重要舞台，因为它是我国教育体系中所有学生参与科学学习的最后一个地方。为了确保关键生态现象的曝光，该项目侧重于培训和支持教师的研究经验，这将有助于他们采用全球变化课程，提高生态素养。具体而言，教师将与一系列Cary科学家一起参与项目，涉及(1)生态系统变化，转型和恢复力，(2)人类福祉生态学，和/或(3)生物多样性的功能。参与的教师将进行科学研究，合著出版物，开发课程，并将有专业发展的机会。所有参与者（如导师和教师）将接受负责任的研究行为方面的培训。与项目评估人员的合作将有助于实现项目目标并确保成功的参与者体验。对教师的资助包括津贴、教师演讲的会议旅行以及实施他们新设计的课程的教室资金。申请通过NSF ETAP系统接受。有关该计划的更多信息可访问http://www.caryinstitute.org/biorets，或联系PI （Jane Lucas博士lucasj@caryinstitute.org）或联合PI （Alan Berkowitz博士berkowitza@caryinstitute.org或Rebecca Van Tassell vantassellr@caryinstitute.org）。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

This BIORETS Site award to the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, located in Millbrook, NY, will support the training of 9 teachers for 6 weeks during the summer and an additional 2.3 weeks during the academic year. Three cohorts of teachers will be recruited over the course of 3 years from January 2024 – 2027. The Cary BIORETS program aims to engage diverse cohorts of teachers serving a variety of students. Participating schools will span across mid-sized urban districts with significant minority populations, to rural districts serving low-income and immigrant communities, two communities that often lack access to high-quality professional learning experiences. Through collaborative research projects and professional development activities that promote reflection, teamwork, and teacher leadership, the Cary BIORETS program aims to enhance teacher capacity to build the ecological knowledge of their students and increase their proficiency with science practices. This program will cultivate and support teacher leadership that extends its impact beyond the immediate confines of participating teachers' classrooms. Each teacher will produce instructional materials and contribute to an education publication based on their research and experiences. They will have the opportunity to attend regional or national conferences and be supported in conducting workshops within their schools to share their innovative curricula and other knowledge generated from their RET experience. Although the formal program lasts for one year, this BIORETS program will establish a lasting connection between teachers and scientists committed to promoting ecological literacy locally and nationwide. There is a pressing need for increased ecological literacy in our rapidly changing world. Secondary education serves as a crucial arena for advancing ecological and environmental teaching, as it represents the last place in our nation’s system where all students engage in science learning. To ensure exposure to key ecological phenomena, the program focuses on training and supporting teachers in research experiences that will aid in their adoption of global change curriculum to improve ecological literacy. Specifically, teachers will engage in projects with an array of Cary scientists that address (1) Ecosystem Change, Transformation and Resilience, the (2) Ecology of Human Well-being, and/or (3) Functions of Biodiversity. Participating instructors will conduct scientific research, co-author publications, develop curriculum and will have opportunities for professional development. All participants (e.g., mentors and teachers) will be trained in responsible conduct for research. Collaboration with a program evaluator will help reach programmatic goals and ensure successful participant experiences. Funding to teachers include a stipend, conference travel for teachers to present, and classroom funds to implement their newly designed curriculum. Applications are accepted through the NSF ETAP system. More information about the program is available by visiting http://www.caryinstitute.org/biorets, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Jane Lucas at lucasj@caryinstitute.org) or the co-PIs (Dr. Alan Berkowitz at berkowitza@caryinstitute.org or Rebecca Van Tassell at vantassellr@caryinstitute.org).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.