Current Opportunities

Citizen Science in Classrooms Teacher Professional Learning Opportunities

Join us for a combination of independent work, online meetings, and an in-person field day, that will guide you through a citizen science investigation that you can bring to your classroom and out into the schoolyard this fall. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute supports a growing set of citizen science projects investigating the changing ecosystems across the Gulf of Maine Watershed. Projects include: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Intertidal Crabs, and Invasive Plants. Each project comes with wrap-around curriculum to support students in developing ecosystem concepts.

The workshop includes two afternoon online meetings and one in-person field day at the location of your choosing the week of August 16.

• Monday, August 16, 1:00 pm: Online meeting
• Tuesday, August 17, 1:00 pm: Portland Area
• Wednesday, August 18,1:00 pm: Midcoast
• Thursday, August 19, 1:00pm: Northern Maine
• Friday, August 20, 1pm: Online meeting

What participation looks like:

• Engage in authentic science investigations designed for students independently from your own home
• Share reflections and plans for implementation with other educators.
• Participate in two online meetings
• Come together for in-person fieldwork at one of the times and locations listed above, or choose to do fieldwork in your own area
• Provide feedback through short surveys

Benefits to participation:

• Connections to other educators
• Full curriculum resources ready to carry into the classroom
• $150 stipend, travel reimbursement

Register here

*All GMRI staff and participants at in-person gatherings agree follow current CDC health and safety guidelines.

Findings from the Field Teacher Professional Learning Opportunities

Join us for a combination of independent work, online meetings, and an in-person field day, that will guide you through developing scientific observations with your students. Learn about resources, tools, and processes to support students in making meaningful observations, writing and review, and submitting Nature Notes for publication in GMRI’s Findings from the Field.

Join us for two morning online meetings and one in-person field day:

• Monday, August 16, 10am: Online meeting
• Tuesday, August 17, 10am: Portland Area
• Wednesday, August 18, 10am: Midcoast
• Thursday, August 19, 10am: Northern Maine
• Friday, August 20, 10am: Online meeting

What participation looks like:

• Engage in authentic science work as your learners would
• Share reflections and plans for implementation with other educators
• Participate in two online meetings (Monday, August 16 and Friday, August 20)
• Join us for in-person fieldwork at one of the times and locations listed above, or choose to do fieldwork in your own area
• Provide feedback through short surveys

Benefits to participation:

• Connections to other educators
• Full curriculum resources ready to carry into the classroom
• $150 stipend, travel reimbursement
  
  

Register here

*All GMRI staff and participants at in-person gatherings agree follow current CDC health and safety guidelines.

LabVenture 2021 Summer Teacher Workshop

For many of Maine’s fifth and sixth graders, the LabVenture field trip is one of the highlights of their year. Join us for the day (in-person in Portland) to experience the LabVenture program for yourself just as your students do and explore the supporting curriculum resources. Spots are limited in order to follow CDC guidelines. Preference given to teachers who are scheduled to bring their students to GMRI during the 2021-2022 school year.

Join us on Wednesday August 11th, 2021 8:30-4:00 (some pre-work required).


Register here

*Stipends and travel reimbursement will be provided to participants.

Regional Teacher Community Opportunities

Regional Teacher Communities (RTCs) are groups of grade 5-8 STEM teachers who meet throughout the year to learn with and from one another. During these gatherings, we focus on how to engage students in more authentic STEM investigations. We currently have four established communities in Western Maine, Washington County, Aroostook County, and in Hancock/Midcoast Maine, and are planning to launch a fifth community in Southern Maine this fall.

Interested in joining an RTC near you, or want to see what an end of year celebration is like first? Register for a celebration near you and hear from your fellow educators!

• Register here for the Hancock/Midcoast RTC EOY celebration.
  • June 22nd, 10 AM - 12 PM, at Moose Point State Park.
    
• Register here for the Western Maine RTC EOY celebration.
  • June 23rd, 9 AM - 11 AM, at the University of Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond.
    
• Register here for the Washington County RTC EOY celebration.
  • June 24th, 9 AM - 11 AM, at Cobscook Bay State Park.
    
• Register here for the Combined Aroostook County and Southern Maine RTCs virtual EOY celebration.
  • May 24th, 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM, on Zoom.

If you would like to join one of these communities or have any questions, please email Molly Auclair.

Regional Teacher Community 2021-2022 Statewide Kick-off

Join in on Monday August 23 from 3:00 - 4:30 PM for this virtual meeting. This virtual launch event will kick off a week of local, outside, in-person launch events for all the Regional Teacher Communities (RTCs) from across the state (Aroostook County, Washington County, Hancock/Midcoast, Western Maine, and Southern Maine).

There will be a combination of full group presentations/activities, breakout sessions, and offline time that support collective learning around authentic STEM investigations and community building among and within RTCs.


Register here

Local Regional Teacher Community Launch Events

Following the virtual statewide kick off, each RTC will gather for their own, outdoor, local launch gatherings. All of these gatherings will occur during the week of August 23. Specific dates, times, and locations TBD.

For more information on the in-person, outdoor, local gatherings email Molly at [email protected]

Self-Paced Professional Learning Opportunities:

LabVenture Professional Learning Module:

Educators build knowledge of climate and ecosystem change and the components of data and science inquiry that help us investigate those changes through a four part module (each part will take 60-90 minutes). This work features local datasets that add to the story of climate driven ecosystem change in the Gulf of Maine and connects these local stories to global patterns. Check out the module here.