In 2023, the City of Spokane received a USDA USFS Urban Forestry grant aimed at expanding tree canopy, with a goal of reaching 30% coverage city-wide by 2030. The focus is on planting in low-canopy neighborhoods and maintaining existing trees. As part of this initiative, Urban Forestry is
California has one. So does Virginia. But when Sageview High School science teacher Amanda Helland went looking for a Career and Technical Education (CTE) framework for teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Washington State, she came up empty. “GIS has always been embedded into other courses,” says Helland,
Teachers attending a Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS) program workshop in May had an energizing start to their first day when an Emmy Award-winning geologist provided the keynote address. Central Washington University professor Nick Zentner, host of the ‘Nick on the Rocks’ PBS-TV geology series, provided a
Tricia Goode has heard the message before: find community partners to supplement your classroom instruction. Often, it comes with no practical tips on where to look or how to get started. Fortunately, during a Forest as a Classroom Workshop in Yacolt Burn Forest this May, she found herself
Megan Klinich has attended multiple professional development workshops where participants debated the merits of teaching about forestry. As an Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher in the process of creating a forestry course from scratch, she found those discussions counterproductive; she already knew the relevance of this critical industry
Hannah Gomes and Emma Sweazy are just freshmen at Onalaska High School, but they’ve already presented at a statewide conference, sharing their experience as part of the school’s aquaculture & fisheries Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. “We want more people to know that this program is a
The word ‘engagement’ is right there in the title of Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS). Students who participate in YESS contribute to their local watersheds, forests and marine ecosystems through three to six weeks of project work, guided by industry professionals. In March, students from four YESS
At its best, professional development doesn’t just introduce content, it inspires teachers while providing them with clear strategies and resources they can use right away. Even better, it includes potential avenues for student civic engagement. That’s what middle school teacher Kate Schrock took away from a March workshop
In 1999, a national study found that 59% of Americans didn’t know what the term ‘watershed’ meant. Even today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) notes that approximately 80% of Americans in urban areas are unaware of the networks of urban creeks and waterways that run through their
Technology in schools, aka digital learning, has increased an astounding 900% since 2000. A 2025 national New York Times survey found that 99% of teachers said their school provided devices to students for use in class, and another eight in ten teachers reported that students at their school
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