Pigeons and Veteran Teachers Take Center Stage in November

Statewide Training

All Hail the Pigeon Guillemot! And Other Perks from October’s Outdoor School Training

The pigeon guillemot took center stage at the October Outdoor School Washington (OSW) training on Whidbey Island. Described by The Cornell Lab as ‘an attractive auk with velvety dark brown plumage,’ the bird was celebrated in dance, drawing, and skits.

“Throughout the week, the pigeon guillemot kept getting mentioned in different ways,” says Lydia Geschiere, PEI’s East Sound FieldSTEM Coordinator. “People made up silly bird dances as a team, and it came up as part of our carbon cycle conversations. We were talking about the history of Camp Casey and where we see evidence of climate change. The pigeon guillemot is part of that ecosystem.”

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FieldSTEM Introductory Series

PEI Newcomers Connect with Veteran Teachers at Introductory Workshop Series

For every teacher who felt daunted by the sheer volume of resources and training opportunities PEI offers during November’s introductory workshop series, a seasoned veteran was there to talk about how they use PEI materials and the difference they make.

“While some new people were thinking, ‘Wow, this is overwhelming. How do I use this in my classroom?’ others who have been with us were talking about the support they get and the resources PEI has,” says Megan Rivard, Associate Director, Columbia Basin & Coast Region. “We love having our champions there.”

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Career and Technical Education

PEI Shares Culturally Relevant Curriculum Process at Statewide CTE Conference

Since Time Immemorial tribal sovereignty curriculum (STI) has been mandated in Washington State schools since 2015, but many Career and Technical Education (CTE) directors still feel intimidated about where to begin the integration process, especially if they don’t already have relationships with local tribes.

In October, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) Tribal Engagement Specialist Shandy Abrahamson invited PEI to present its method of embedding indigenous perspectives in statewide CTE frameworks. PEI’s Executive Director Kathryn Kurtz and Associate Director of Green Jobs Heather Spalding led two sessions, one at the Washington Association of CTE Administrators (WACTA) and another at a post-conference government-to-government training for CTE directors. Titled ‘Building Culturally Relevant CTE Frameworks Through Tribal Partnerships’, the presentations aimed to make the integration process less daunting.

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Student Voices

The Teacher's Science Camp

By Violet B. and Joseph B.

This story comes from Viking View, the Willapa Valley Elementary School newspaper created by 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade students. This is their reporting on their teachers’ experience at PEI’s Engaging Communities in Forestry Education workshop at NatureBridge.

Over the summer Miss Berry, Ms. Sowa, Ms. Chavez, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Keeton looked and measured trees. The pancakes there were extraordinary! Ms. Keeton is an amazing driver there on the way to the science camp. They also read on the dock and they said it was very fun! Mrs. A taught Ms. Berry and Ms. Keeton how to play Nertz. They also learned about carbon sequestration in old growth forests. That is how much carbon trees hold. That is what science camp is about.

Enjoy the full publication here.

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Join PEI’s Annual Campaign

PEI’s Annual Campaign starts the day after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for highlights from 2024/25 school year and summer programs and opportunities to invest in our work in the coming year. Thank you in advance!

Tools & Tips for Teachers

Take a Gratitude Walk

All the hustle, bustle, and busyness during this time of year often feels overwhelming. As schools wind down before the holiday season, the activities ramp up—spirit weeks, dress-up days, festivals, parties galore…all the things! Your organization might be wrapping up programming for the year, preparing to go full steam ahead in January.

Which is why right now is the perfect time to refuel and recharge yourself (and your learners) by taking a Gratitude Walk.

A Gratitude Walk helps us pause, reflect, and give thanks for every person and every living thing in our natural world.

While Indigenous Nations across North America differ in many ways, one commonality they share is that other beings, not just humans, are considered our relatives in the web of life. This is not only honoring and showing respect to one another but also to the plants, animals, insects, water, and other sources of life on our planet. We are all interconnected and rely on each other.

A Gratitude Walk helps remind us of this.

Source: Project Learning Tree

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Upcoming Events

Date	Workshop	Location
December 3	FieldSTEM Introduction for Leadership	Statewide
December 11	FieldSTEM Implementation for Leadership	Statewide
February 25 + March 11	FieldDesign	Statewide

Visit PEI's calendar for more information.

With Gratitude

Thank you to November's donors and funders!

Bill Monahan

Career Connect Washington

Gareth Waugh

Manulife

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

Rayonier

Stimson Lumber Company

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