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Learn from the Lake

Four adults stand or squat on a large white vinyl map laid out on a floor.

January 21, 2025 – April 15, 2025

Free

Bring the lake into your classroom! Join us for Learn from the Lake, our free hybrid professional development course for teachers on January 21–April 15, 2025 with a stipend for all participants. This professional development experience combines virtual sessions, in-person experiences, and the Museum’s Giant Lake Champlain Map to immerse you in the experience of learning from the Lake Champlain Watershed in ways that you can replicate in your classroom. 

Virtual class sessions will showcase a variety of sensory-rich, outdoor experiences that you can implement to get students outside and experiencing the watershed, as well as resources and strategies that will help your students engage with the lake and lessons. We will focus on pedagogical frameworks such as project-based learning and service learning as well as practical strategies to choose an effective field and keeping students safe on or near the water. In-person class sessions will utilize the Giant Lake Champlain Map, the Museum’s truly giant map of the Lake Champlain Watershed, and other resources to explore ways to augment outdoor educational experiences for students of all ages. The culminating project of this course will be to write two lesson plans that incorporate both the Giant Map and an outdoor field experience to get students outside, interacting with the watershed.

This class is a three-credit course through Vermont State University. Registration is free and all participants will receive several books and a $500 stipend in addition to course credits. Registration is limited – sign up ASAP!

Register Here!

Course Highlights

  • 7 sessions: 3 in-person and 4 virtual
  • 3 FREE credits from Vermont State University 
  • $500 stipend for each participant
  • Participants will gain a stronger relationship with their watershed that they can share with students, be introduced to new resources to use in their teaching, and develop new partnerships with local partners, other educators, and resources.

Course Schedule Details

  • Virtual Sessions:
    • Held on Zoom
    • 3:30-5:00 PM
    • Tuesdays, January 21, February 18, March 4, April 1
  • In-Person Sessions
    • Location to be announced to participants
    • 4:30-6:30 PM
    • Tuesdays, February 4, March 18, April 15

January 21, 2025 , 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm