Registration is now open for the Pierre Women in Science conference for girls in middle school and high school. 

Date: Tuesday, April 29
Location: Ramkota River Centre, Pierre
Hours: Registration opens at 8:00AM.  The conference concludes at 5:00PM after a reception at the SD Discovery Center across the street.

To register: Please call or email Kristie Maher with following information:
Contact Name:
Phone number:
Email:
School:
Number & Grade Level of Girls (ex. 10 middle school girls, 50 high school girls):
Number of adults (including contact):

Women in Science is a one day event to connect girls with careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).  Girls who attend Women In Science will participate in hands-on career explorations, meet and mingle with professional women role models and learn about STEM related educational and professional opportunities.  Girls will also learn the importance of following course of study in high school that includes science, technology and math classes.

Women In Science Conferences include:

Breakout sessions led by women in a variety of STEM professions where the girls practice a skill utilized in that career.

A keynote speaker at lunch of national or statewide prominence.

Exhibit hall with exhibitors from employers, colleges and technical schools.

In addition to the exposure to career and post-secondary opportunities, girls gain experience in networking and attending a conference (an important career skill; there's more to it than showing up). 

Educators and youth leaders who currently monitor water quality or want to monitor water quality with their students are invited to participate in this seminar to connect and network. Find out what other teachers are doing, discover new resources, and learn new tips and techniques. 

The purpose of this seminar is not to start a new program but rather create a sustainable network of educators involved in monitoring. The purpose of the network is to build the capacity of the local educator to incorporate water quality monitoring in his or her practice, reconnect former monitoring groups, and provide a point of contact to the larger monitoring community (volunteer and agency).

Youth development staff who work in extension are invited to participate as well.

This meeting can be extended into a credit opportunity by staying an extra day for a Healthy Water, Healthy People workshop (with kayaking field session) or you can attend the Space Science workshop.

Can't get away to attend?  We will set aside time for a web meeting to allow educators from around the state to participate in the status session.

Dates
May 27 10AM - 5PM
SD Discovery Center, Pierre
Mileage reimbursed for out-of-area attendees (including those who stay for additional professional development)

To Register:
Phone: 605-224-8295
Online: Professional Development Registration
 

DDN: Trees & Wildlife
5PM - 8PM Central/4PM - 7PM Mountain
Project Learning Tree: March 3 & 17
Project WILD: March 13 & 27.
Incorporate inquiry based, hands-on learning about the environment using award winning curricula from Project Learning Tree and Project WILD. The only way to get these classroom tested resources is through the six hour training, now offered at a convenient location to you via DDN.
To Register:  Contact Kay Gannon of the Outdoor Campus at kay.gannon@state.sd.us or call 605-362-3524.

School/youth Based Volunteer Monitoring Seminar (See announcement above)

May 27, 2008; Pierre
Do you currently monitor water quality with your students?  Would you like to start?  Join us for a one day seminar to develop your capacity to involve students in water quality monitoring.  Whether you monitor once or throughout the year, you will come away with something valuable as we share our programs and practices, learn new tips and techniques and connect (and reconnect) with other teacher monitors.  Can't get away? We will set aside time for a web meeting.  You can extend this into a credit opportunity by participating in the Healthy Water, Healthy People class the next day.  Mileage covered for out-of-area attendees.

Space Science

May 28 & 29
Teachers of grades 3rd-8th
Pierre, SD  Georgia Morse Middle School, Room 124
1 graduate or undergraduate credit ($40) or free certificate renewal credit (pending)
Use the teacher-friendly GEMS kits from the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California Berkeley, to teach about space. $80 stipend paid to each participant. Space is limited.

Healthy Water, Healthy People


May 28 9AM - 6PM (includes optional kayaking field session)
Pierre
Go beyond testing water quality to understanding the what and why of monitoring. Healthy Water, Healthy People, published by Project WET, is not a field guide but rather a collection of inquiry-based activities that explain and explore the core concepts of water quality monitoring.

Leopold Education Project

June 3 - 6, 2008. 
2 Credits (3 credit option with online work)
Classroom Location: Pickstown Area
Join us for one day of classroom work and a three day field session kayaking/camping along the Missouri from Pickstown to Running Water. Using the writings of conservationist farmer Aldo Leopold, you will learn and practice cross curricular activities that will teach an awareness of and appreciation for the natural world.

LEGO Robotics Teacher Training

LEGO Simple & Motorized Machines
June 16 - 17
Location: SD Discovery Center, Pierre
Audience: Teachers of Grades K-8, pre-service educators, non-formal educators
Credit: 1 credit

LEGO NXT Mindstorms
June 19 - 20
Location: SD Discovery Center, Pierre
Audience: Teachers of Grades 6 - 12, pre-service educators, non-formal educators
Credit: 1 credit

LEGO Robotics NXT and Motorized Simple Machines are the next generation in education robotics, enabling students to discover science, technology, engineering and math in a fun, engaging and hands-on way.

Robotics helps students aged 8 and up to develop skills by building and programming smart robots in a natural, step-by-step learning process. With its combination of LEGO building set, user-friendly software, and progressive curriculum activities, Robotics learning opportunities provide student with the right tools to put their knowledge into practice and then challenges them to come up with new ideas by themselves.

Advanced Environmental Education II

July 14-16.
Location: Black Hills Area (classroom TBA)
Audience: Teachers of Grades 8 - 12, pre-service educators, non-formal educators, Social Studies, Government, Civics, Environmental Studies, Earth Science, Ecology, Physical Education, Ag& Natural Resources.
Credit: 2 credits
Advanced Environmental Education continues the investigation into science and civics plus other content areas to answer environmental questions. We will spend one day in the classroom designing a water quality program that addresses real world issues then two days in the field sampling the Cheyenne River according to the program we designed.

The theme of EE Week 2008 is Carbon Footprints.  Families, educators, youth and community groups, staff of museums, parks and nature centers are encouraged to dedicate time to learning, teaching and acting upon ways to reduce the carbon footprint. 

No Child Left Inside Small Grant Program

These grants will be made available to those wishing to develop opportunities and resources that will encourage outdoor exploration and discovery. The guidelines for the grant are as follows:

Eligible Applicants

o       Schools (public, private, home-school, day care, etc.)

o       Scout groups

o       Clubs and other organizations

o       Individuals

No grants will be made to previous No Child Left Inside grant recipients. Projects that involve taking adults outdoors will also be considered. Applicants must be South Dakota based.

Possible Projects

o       School land labs

o       Curricula

o       Teachers’ guides

o       Activity books

o       Resource kits or trunks

o       Training workshops or experiences

Projects are strongly encouraged to have greater reach and impact than the actual grant period. For example, projects that affect only a single, specific family will not be funded (e.g. a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park). Projects should have strong educational value.

Written projects (activity books, curricula, etc.) developed under the auspices of this grant will become the sole property of SDGFP and may be used by SDGFP for future efforts. SDGFP will grant the product developer the unrestricted right to retain copies of and use the materials and information for any lawful purpose. Projects such as resource trunks must include an inventory and source of all materials included in the trunk.

Application Process

Grant proposals will be due no later than 5 pm Central Time on March 28, 2008. Notification of proposal acceptance or rejection will be given by April 30, 2008. Download the application form.

Timeline

Grant proposals will be due no later than 5 pm Central Time on March 30, 2008. Notification of proposal acceptance or rejection will be given by April 30, 2008. Funding of awarded projects will occur after July 1, 2008. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2009. A mid-project status report (January or February 2009) is required. A follow-up report is also required upon completion of the project.

Judging Criteria

Project proposals will be reviewed and scored by a panel of educators, biologists, and other individuals. Scoring criteria may include, but may not be limited to

o       Impact (can this project be replicated or used elsewhere?)

o       Reach (how many children/adults will be impacted?)

o       Does it get children/adults outdoors in a safe, educational experience?

o       Educational value (if via schools, what standards will be addressed?)

o       Project longevity (will the project continue after the initial grant cycle is over?)

o       Does the project have measurable objectives?

o       Cost effectiveness; project practicality

Budget

Grant projects will be for a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $1,000. Other sources of funding and support are encouraged. A contract and/or grant agreement must be in place for each recipient before any funding is disbursed. A total of $5,000 is available for this grant program.