The Hidden Connection Between Cows + Beer

ClimeTime

Do Ellensburg Cows Taste Like Beer?And Other Questions from PEI’s Food Waste Workshop

‘A group of teachers’ walks into a bar’ sounds like the setup for a groan-worthy joke, probably involving a pun. However, if the teachers in question just finished PEI’s Asynchronous Food Waste workshop, they might just be on a research mission.

We hear you scoffing, but let us explain.

PEI’s Food Waste storyline workshop is among the most popular of our climate science education series because of its relatability for both students and teachers (everyone eats) and its simple demonstration of how quickly collective food waste can add up. Sixteen teachers from ten school districts attended the most recent asynchronous Food Waste Storyline workshop which ran from February through May.

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Culturally Responsive Learning

How the Braiding Sweetgrass Workshop Inspired Reflection and Gratitude

One of the rarest gifts a teacher can receive is time. Amid the relentless demand to deliver content, meet standards, attend meetings, manage behavior, and communicate with parents, opportunities to dive deeply into reflective practice or connect in meaningful ways with colleagues are scarce. 

Which is why PEI’s recent extended workshop series was designed to lean into Robin Wall Kimmerer’s reminders to slow down and remember stories of abundance. From February to May, 35 teachers from Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties met virtually to discuss the principles and practices of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s seminal book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Wisdom of Plants and spend time planning to implement their learnings.

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Career-Connected Learning

What’s in a Tree? Urban and Community Forestry Team Explores Personal and Cultural Connections

Whether you climbed a neighborhood apple tree as a child or enjoy visiting your favorite magnolia in an urban park, you probably have some connection to trees. Thinking about those connections was a logical starting place for PEI’s recent Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) framework writing workshop. The goal was to create a statewide career-connected learning framework for middle and high school students. “We started with the team thinking about their relationships with trees through their family or other life experiences,” says PEI’s Associate Director of Green Jobs Heather Spalding.

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Guest Columnist

Cispus Works its Magic for Chehalis Students and Teachers

Orin C. Smith Elementary School teacher Jordan Duncan was PEI’s FieldSTEM Teacher of the Year in 2023. Here he recounts a memorable visit to Cispus Learning Center for Chehalis students and teachers.

It is Sunday afternoon, and we are roughly 3.5 hours past the end of our Cispus experience - plenty of time for reflection. There is both good and bad. To start with the bad: the Outdoor Schools October workshop at the beach is no longer my favorite school memory from the past ten years. And also, many kids were upset that we couldn't stay another day.

The good? I'm not sure words do justice to the experience 49 humans just shared together ( -1 sick and unable to go.) From drop-off Friday morning, and their gear being bagged and tagged by their counselors, the energy was electric. Not just with the students and counselors, but with the teachers as well. Fortunately, we were just barely able to fit all students, gear, and Costco items (it didn't seem like as much until we tried to put it in the vans) into the three vehicles we took - the bus and two vans. I had considered canceling the second van. Hindsight says that would have been a very bad idea.

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PEI Partner News

New Website Highlights Tribal Voices on Climate Change

The Indigenous Climate Project has launched a newly designed website that highlights oral histories and traditional ecological knowledge of Northwest tribal leaders, unveils a connected middle school curriculum and a new documentary highlighting tribal leaders talking about the impacts of climate change and potential solutions. The project is a partnership between THIS IS INDIAN COUNTRY (TIIC), an indigenous led nonprofit; Washington Wild, a statewide conservation nonprofit; and the Pacific Education Institute (PEI). The project is funded primarily by the BECU Foundation and can be viewed at https://thisisindiancountry.org/climate-project-1.

“Tribes didn’t cause climate change, but they have been leading the way in responding to it,” said Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, and President of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (serving 57 Northwest tribes.) “There has been a growing realization that the experience and traditional knowledge tribes generated over thousands of years, combined with their contemporary science, have much to offer in terms of sustainable environmental management.”

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Special Event

PEI FieldSTEM Celebration 2024

Mark your calendar! Join PEI's 2024 FieldSTEM Celebration this September to celebrate the people and organizations bringing FieldSTEM to life throughout our state.

Register Here

Tools & Tips for Teachers

Family Friendly Outdoor Learning Activities

School may be out for summer, but that doesn’t mean learning and exploring has to stop! Get your learners outdoors this summer to connect with nature with these engaging and educational activities perfect for families.

Not only will they provide a fun break from screen time, but kids can continue developing their observational skills and appreciation for the natural world around them. When children spend time outside, it can improve their creativity, imagination, and overall physical and mental health, among many other positive things.

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Source: Project Learning Tree

Upcoming Events

Date	Workshop	Location
July 10-12	Engaging Communities in Forest Education: Fire Ecology	North Cascades Institute, Sedro Wooley
August 5 + 6	This is Indian Country: Protecting the Circle	Hibulb Cultural Center, Tulalip
August 5-9	Explore the Salish Sea: CREST	WWU, Bellingham
August 12-14	Engaging Communities in Climate Education: Forestry & Carbon Sequestration	NatureBridge, Port Angeles
August 13 +14	Engaging Communities in Forestry Education	Grays Harbor County
August 14	Sustainability Course	Port Townsend
August 14	Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife: Wild Washington	Statewide

Visit PEI's calendar for more information.

With Gratitude

Thank you to June's donors and funders!

Bill Monahan

Gareth Waugh

John Ison

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

The McGregor Company

Tim Garchow

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