Massachusetts Envirothon looking for coaches

Opportunity for Massachusetts high school educators

Who: Massachusetts Envirothon
When: Webinar for new coaches on September 24, from 5:00-6:00 P.M. The first of three team workshops will be on October 25 at UMass Amherst.
Information: For more information visit www.maenvirothon.org or read our 2014 recruitment letter or contact massenvirothon@gmail.com.

The program offers:

• A September webinar to answer your questions
• Three workshops through the year, across the state
• A current issue with relevance to every urban, suburban, and rural community: Sustainable Local Agriculture
• A stellar competition site (Sholan Farms, Leominster)
• A proven new competition format allowing up to 10 team members to compete at the May event, with a chance for community service as well

Opportunity for students to:

• Get outdoors and experience the interaction of wildlife, water, soils, and forestry within Massachusetts ecosystems
• Investigate this year’s current issue: Sustainable Local Agriculture
• Develop skills to participate in community decisions and action
• Work alongside natural resource professionals to learn about local wildlife, water, soil and forests
• Grow in their commitment to stewardship of the environment and natural resources
• Test their environmental knowledge, skills, and teamwork in a challenging competition
• Develop their curiosity and a love of learning in science
• Increase their awareness of career opportunities in the environmental field

Long-time coaches like the Envirothon because it gives them a chance to keep learning themselves, to get to know a group of students well, and to spend time with them outdoors.

Citizen Schools: looking for volunteer experts!

Become a STEM expert and work with students

Who: Citizen Schools
What: Volunteering for 90 minutes a week, working with 15 middle school students to teach new skills
Information: To volunteer or learn more, fill out an interest form on Citizen Schools' website

At Citizen Schools, middle school students work side-by-side with experts to explore new fields, learn new skills, and create something real for their community! Citizen Teachers are volunteers who teach middle-school students in low-income communities new skills and expose them to new futures. For ten weeks, volunteers work with a group of 15 students for 90 minutes each week. Volunteers receive up-front training, weekly lesson-plan assistance, and are paired with a trained staff member for on-going in-class support!

Citizen Schools runs programs at school sites in Boston and Chelsea. Citizen Schools has a whole library of curriculum you can choose from, or they will work with you to design your own.