This project provides funding to lake champlain maritime museum to implement its project, which will design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and techniques,…

This project provides funding to lake champlain maritime museum to implement its project, which will design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and techniques, that will serve to increase environmental literacy and encourage behavior that will benefit the environment in ferrisburgh, vergennes, and brandon, vermont. The grantee will do this by working with local partners including vermont fish and wildlife department and the vermont department of forests, parks and recreation on program development and implementation including tools, resources and education content including new lesson plans on how to use the giant map as an engaging learning resource. Activities:activities to be performed during this project period include: training for 50 teachers at 5 title 1 schools on environmental education (EE) and how to use the giant map; giant map programming for students led by museum staff and partners; and giant map programming led by teachers at 5 title 1 schools and connect students with environmental professional on career opportunities. The museum will work with local partners to connect teachers with resources. Staff from the VT fish and wildlife department and the VT department of forests, parks, and recreation will partner on program development and implementation. Subrecipient:subawards will be given to entities to perform tasks integral to the project's goals, as outlined by the prime. This specific grant will award subawards to 2 school districts for costs for teachers to participate in teacher trainings and a university to provide professional development credit. Outcomes:IT is anticipated that this project will result in the following deliverables: 2 new lesson plans to be used with the giant map, teacher training and site visits to schools with the giant map. Expected outcomes of the project include: increase understanding of spatial/ecological relationships between distance corners of the watershed and lake champlain, develop new perspectives on how students can positively affect lake champlain watersheds water quality, teachers increase time spent on integrating environmental education into their teaching, and experiences with this unique teaching tool of the giant map will inspire students and teachers to develop their own sense of place that will result in stewardship behaviors and actions that support the health of the lake champlain watershed and increase personal stewardship values toward the lake which benefit residents in addison county .