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WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites teachers to sign up for upcoming Discover Nature Schools (DNS) workshops at the Ozark Regional Office in West Plains. DNS is a free Missouri-based curriculum for all teachers that comes with a teacher guide and student guides and books for every student every year. Other highlights of the program include school-wide grants up to $1,000 for supporting curriculum and field trips, grade-level based curriculum units and ongoing teacher trainings.
“We work to make sure our teachers are set-up for success by removing any barriers or challenges to helping students discover nature,” said Mary Beth Factor, MDC education consultant. “To help, we offer $500-$1,000 grants for classroom materials to teach our DNS units, as well as yearly travel reimbursement to support teachers in taking their students to local state parks, conservation areas, or even their local pumpkin patch.”
In teacher trainings, teachers take part in practical environmental lessons that they then take back to their classrooms. Science journaling, seed dispersal, studying animal tracks and water quality are examples of workshop activities. Factor said she invites all teachers in the Ozark Region to sign up for these upcoming free workshops:
Teachers can contact Mary Beth Factor at (417)256-7161 for more information or to sign up. For general information about DNS, go online to www.mdc.mo.gov/dns.
