Dr. Robert Boutilier is a professor of geology at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. He has organized a three year effort, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Audubon Society, to help local school districts develop outdoor science education as an integral part of their elementary school science curriculum. Approximately 120 teachers will have two-week summer workshop experiences at one of several Audubon nature centers, where they will learn to develop instructional activities based on outdoor habitats close to their schools. Staff from the College and nature centers will work with these teachers during the academic year to help them refine their use of local environments for instructional purposes. The region covered by this project will include much of southeastern Massachusetts, extending from Boston through Brockton, New Bedford and Fall River to Cape Cod. The proposed teacher enhancement project will establish an in-the-environment science curriculum for southeastern Massachusetts. Teachers will receive training in the content and instructional methods necessary to help design and implement this new curriculum. More than 32 local school districts will benefit from this project. Cost sharing amounts to 33% of the NSF contribution to the project.
