Civic Engagement

Why These 6-year-olds are Such Good Engineers

This spring, a team of engineers gathered to tackle an urgent environmental challenge: how to keep food waste out of the water that eventually ends up in our soil. They created prototypes using materials like plastic and fabric to filter out harmful substances, experimented with charcoal, and shared their recommendations with the public.
 
Their ages ranged from 5 to 7. 

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Forestry Education

Workshop Introduces K-12 Teachers to Forest Education 

Twenty-three K-12 educators from nine school districts in Spokane, Pend Oreille, and Stevens Counties spent two days this June at Kalispel Tribe Indian Creek Community Forest for an Engaging Communities in Forest Education workshop. Pacific Education Institute, Kalispel Natural Resources Department, and Pend Oreille Conservation District hosted and designed the workshop for teachers to gain a deeper understanding of forest resource science and management, learn from forestry professionals, and prepare to bring forest education into the classroom. 

FieldSTEM School of the Year

Ida Nason Aronica Elementary School

FieldSTEM Community Collaborator of the Year 

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (MCFEG) 

Collaboration is key at MCFEG. They coordinate efforts to protect and restore wild fish populations and habitat with state and federal agencies, tribes, local conservation organizations and more. Education is also an essential aspect of their work and they have been a strong partner of PEI’s YESS program from the beginning.

“MCFEG is the main community partner for our Yakima YESS program,” says Green Jobs Coordinator Chelsea Trout. “They are great to work with because their YESS program is nearly self-sustaining with little support from PEI, and considerable support from existing relationships with other agencies and organizations. They are great team players, year-round, always looking to expand.”
 
Education and Riparian Outreach Coordinator Tori Wood believes reaching young people through programs like YESS, which MCFEG calls the Careers in Conservation Summer Program, is critical. “Bringing in young people who are still impressionable and getting them to enjoy being outside and connecting with nature and also learn about the nitty gritty of human impacts is so important for ensuring that this work has a future,” she says. Learn more about this impressive nonprofit’s work at the FieldSTEM Celebration!
 
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Special Event

PEI FieldSTEM Celebration 2024  

Tools & Tips for Teachers

PEI's Career Profile Cards   
  

PEI’s Career Cards are a great way for students to explore outdoor-based jobs in conservation and natural resources. Each card includes a profile of a person in a specific job, a description of their work, a typical day, the pathway they took to get there, and the tools they use, along with a quote from that person and several photos.  

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Thank you to July's donors and funders!