Dresner 9619052 In each of three years 40 middle and high school teachers from the Pacific Northwest will participate in field-based experiences in forest ecosystem functioning. The teachers' institute begins with one week of background study in forest ecology at Portland State University followed by four weeks of field research at a National Forest site. The final week of the summer session includes teachers meeting with participating agencies (National Forest sites) near their school who have agreed to be partners. Teachers receive 8-units of graduate credit from PSU. The summer teacher teams are from the same school, and during the academic year their students will do research and collect data for use in their science classes and by the Forest Service. During the second and third summers teachers who have completed a year in the program will work as leadership teachers for the new participants. This forest research project for teachers will become institutionalized as it becomes a permanent part of PSU's new Masters in Science Teaching Program. Partners on this project are US Forest Service scientists and faculty from PSU, Oregon State University, and the Oregon Institute of Technology.
