With assistance from Marshall’s College of Education and Professional Development, the June Harless Center for Rural Educational Research and Development and the Marshall College of Science, this modular curriculum will include elements of mathematics, science, social studies and literacy, and will be taught through green sustainability concepts and nature-based activities.
The Green Sustainability Education Modules (GSEM) would be specifically designed for integration into existing county-adopted curricula and standards, according to Eve Marcum-Atkinson, research and community outreach assistant for the Sustainability Department.
“Through the lens of sustainability education, our vision is educate and empower students to help them become ‘Citizen Scientists’ by participating in our learning expeditions using our MU Green Trail and other locations; ‘Citizen Researchers’ who will analyze the impact of lesson components; and ‘Citizen Advocates’ who will proactively use what they learn to make a difference in their homes and communities,” Marcum-Atkinson said.
Dr. Suzanne Strait, biology professor and director of the West Virginia Science Adventures program at Marshall, said the program offers interactive learning challenges through summer camps and individual home-school sessions. Strait said the funding from the Dunn Foundation would allow for the program to expand to weekend activities and family night events.
“Since 2014, the West Virginia Science Adventures Program has provided an opportunity for local K-12 children to experience fun, hands-on activities that enrich their educational development. We don’t do worksheets and lectures here, we provide much more,” Strait said. “The partnership with Marshall’s Sustainability Department is so important for future collaborations related to our youth’s consciousness of planet sustainability. We need them to care about making a difference.”
Straight said the first series of weekend activities will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., March 13, April 3 and April 10, all of which are Sundays, in the Science Building on Marshall’s Huntington campus. To learn more about the West Virginia Science Adventures program, visit www.wvscienceadventures.org. For information about the Dunn Foundation, visit www.dunnfoundationwv.org. To learn more about Marshall’s Sustainability Department and its MU Green Trail, visit www.marshall.edu/sustainability.
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Photo: With funding from the Dunn Foundation, students enrolled in the West Virginia Science Adventures Program will have opportunities to participate in sustainable, nature-based activities through the GSEM (Green Sustainability Education Modules) developed by Marshall’s Sustainability Department.