THE CITY GARDENS CLUB OF NEW YORK SCHOLARSHIPS
For New York City Public School Educators
The City Gardens Club of New York City, Inc. (CGC) is a 94-year-old non-profit organization that offers a limited number of scholarships for activity-oriented, science-related summer workshops to New York City public school teachers. To give you an idea of what these scholarships support, the workshops for which the CGC provided scholarships in summer 2012 are described below.
The application period for summer 2012 scholarships has ended. The application for summer 2013 will be available early in 2013. If you wish to be notified of its availability, please submit your email address in the appropriate box on this site’s home page.
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
“What Did a Plant Ever Do For You?”
Teachers Grades K – 12
July 10, 2012 to August 2, 2012: Tuesday through Thursday (12 evenings), 4:00 – 7:00 pm
36 hours – 3 “P” credits
Through the plant collections, teaching grounds and greenhouses at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the value of plants in natural history and human cultures will be explored. Participants will be engaged in a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning about and growing plants in their classrooms and school communities. In addition to learning techniques for bringing classes on field trips to explore Brooklyn Botanic Garden, participants will leave with classroom resources and horticulture skills that can be used to support classroom instruction across the K-12 curriculum. Connections to all subject areas will be addressed.
The CGC scholarship for this Brooklyn Botanic Garden program covers the $250 fees for the course and all materials needed for the it, as well as the $125 fee for the “P” in-service credits. The course will be given at 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn. If you have any questions please contact Dena Lind, Teacher Education Coordinator, at 718-623-7381 or denalind@bbg.org.
QUEENS BOTANICAL GARDEN
“Using Explorations into Botany and Outdoor Spaces to Further Your Teaching Practice”
Teachers Grades K-8
July 9, 11, 13, 16, 18 & 20, 2012: Monday, Weds. & Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
36 Hours – 3 “P” credits
This inquiry-based, learner-centered course will allow teachers to explore basic concepts in botany such as plant parts, plant reproduction, how plants grow, plant needs and much more, as well as enhance their understandings of “nature” as a whole including how plants, animals, and the environment work together. This course will include garden-based outdoor work, classroom sessions, and a few walking trips. Learners will work individually, in groups, and as a whole class at various points in the course. Participants will set goals for themselves and will assess their own learning. We will spend a good deal of time examining our own learning and then relating it to various teaching and assessment strategies. Teachers will create an individual lesson that is appropriate for their students, will receive feedback from one another, and will then create a lesson unit to be utilized in their own classrooms.
The CGC scholarship for this Queens Botanical Garden program covers the $250 fees for the course and all materials needed for it, as well as the $125 fee for the “P” in-service credits. The course will be given at the Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, Queens. For additional information about this program and any other Professional Development workshops at QBG please contact Marnie Rackmill, Professional Development Coordinator, at 718-886-3800 ext. 371 or mrackmill@queensbotanical.org.
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY: HOG ISLAND AUDUBON CAMP – MAINE
“Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week”
Teachers Grades K – 12
July 19- 24: residential
45 hours – 4.5 CEU’s available from the University of Southern Maine
Designed for both science and non-science educators, this session will generate exciting ideas for creating and incorporating environmental education activities into your curriculum and teaching. Your instructors will be sharing their favorite approaches, methods, and activities for engaging children with nature, whether it be during a field trip or a presentation.
Workshops will teach techniques in field biology, art, music, photography, theater, journaling and other disciplines, and guest speakers include Lynne Cherry, award-winning children’s book author, artist, and activist. Participants will visit the restored Atlantic Puffin and seabird colony nearby, explore Hog Island’s magnificent spruce forest, rich intertidal zones, and have the options for other explorations. This is a very social, rich, and well-designed program.
The scholarship for this course covers the $995 fee for the course, including room, board and materials, as well as the $20 cost of the CEU credits. It does not include transportation to the Island. For more information about this and other educational programming offered at Hog Island, go to http://hogisland.audubon.org. You may also call the camp registrar, Erica Van Etten, at The National Audubon Society, 607-257-7308, ext. 14, or email her at evanetten@audubon.org.
THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
“Beyond the Lima Bean: Where Science Meets Nutrition”
Teachers Grades Pre-K – 6
July 25, 26, 27, 30, 31 & Aug. 1, 2012: Wed. – Fri. & Mon. – Wed., 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
36 hours – 3 “P” credits
This hands-on course will delve into plant parts with an innovative, interdisciplinary and sensory focus. We will connect basic botany with mathematics, art and literacy aspects of the elementary school curriculum, to maximize student learning. The science of plant parts will be the primary teaching topic as we observe stem transportation, dissect flowers (a component of which is found on the city-wide 4th grade science test), investigate seed function and analyze leaf shapes. The six main parts of a plant will then be happily united with visual, culinary and musical arts as participants photograph hairy roots, create playful “plant chants”, design floral arrangements and learn how chocolate is made from cacao seeds. Additionally, educational links with practical mathematics and relevant literacy techniques will be implemented. Each session will teach strategies for delivering differentiated instruction to address some of the many types of learners, especially the auditory, visual, tactile and kinesthetic learners. As a culminating project, participants will create an integrated botany portfolio to use as a teaching tool in their classrooms.
“The Joy of Vegetables: Where Science Meets Nutrition”
Teachers Grades Pre-K – 6
July 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, & 18: Wed. – Fri. & Mon. – Wed. 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
36 Hours – 3 “P” credits anticipated
This hands-on course will explore vegetables from the ground to our plates and promote a symbiosis between healthy plants and healthy people. To maximize student learning, we will connect science standards with real world applications whether in a garden or classroom window box. Participants will learn to get a jumpstart on the growing season by starting seeds indoors, learning where to purchase cheap seedlings and how to make any vegetable project financially sustainable. Teachers will plant vegetable seeds, transplant starter tomatoes, investigate plant structure, define botanical functions, conduct scientific experiments and finally produce tasty, unique veggie dishes. They will also learn how to test soils for heavy metals, defining healthy soil, and at least five ways to ameliorate poor soils. These activities use science as a conduit for non-fiction journaling, conducting library research, connecting new definitions and terms with real-world procedures and concise written summaries of procedures.
The CGC scholarships for these New York Horticultural Society programs cover the $250 fee for each program and related materials, as well as the $125 fee for the “P” in-service credits. Both courses will be given at 148 West 37th St. Fl. 13, Manhattan. For more information about either of these courses, please call Course Instructor and Director of Children’s Education, Pamela Ito, at 917-886-1707 or email her at pito@hsny.org.
THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
“Saplings Summer Institute”
Teachers Grades 3 – 5
July 16 – 21, 2012: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
36 Hours – 3 “P” credits
Created for teachers of Grades 3-5, the Saplings Summer Institute focuses on how to strengthen science instruction using botanical and ecological concepts and inquiry-based activities to support cross-curricular connections to math and literacy. Emphasis is placed on incorporating the outdoors to support instruction. Content includes discussions, explorations and activities related to basic botany (plant part and function), plant reproduction (insects and plant pollinators), and ecosystems (ponds, marshes, wetlands, deciduous forests, rain forests, rivers, gardens). Teachers will be provided with new strategies for efficiently implementing the science curriculum in the classroom; creating lessons that are engaging and fun for students. **This course involves extensive, outdoor walking.**
“Seedlings Summer Institute”
Teachers Grades K – 2
July 9 – 14, 2012: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
36 Hours – 3 “P” credits
Created for teachers of Grades K-2, the Seedlings Summer Institute provides a weeklong immersion in nature and plant science with an emphasis on hands-on strategies and management techniques for teaching science inside and outside of the classroom. Teachers discover how to make the garden an extension of their classroom, while enriching their curriculum with award-winning resources and the opportunity to share ideas with colleagues. Content includes discussions, explorations and activities related to the work of botanists, plant parts (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits), plant reproduction, ecosystems (forest and wetland), and gardening (seed germination, planting, composting). Participants will share ideas for the classroom and related connections to literacy through self-created storybooks. **This course involves extensive, outdoor walking.**
“Gardening 201”
Teachers Grades Pre-K – 5
July 23 –28, 2012: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
36 Hours – 3 “P” credits
Gardening 201 is designed to provide classroom teachers with strategies to support the NYC Dept. of Education’s literacy instructional block through the integration of a garden project into their curriculum. Participants learn related earth and life science content while exploring the skills to support and maintain a garden or outdoor learning space. Sessions emphasize relevant state and local standards while providing cross-curricular connections between literacy and science. Teachers will gain new ideas and collaboratively create lesson plans that are engaging and fun for students. Activities modeled involve a wide range of approaches, including learning for multiple intelligences, ESL students, and special education students.
“The Art of Science”
Teachers Grades K – 8
July 30 – August 4, 2012: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
36 Hours – 3 “P” credits
Discover how to help your students experience the wonder of the outdoors through both art and science. Participants will hone their observation skills and ask questions using the backdrop of the garden grounds as well as the work of Claude Monet and his impressionist contemporaries as inspiration. We will explore how the physical beauty of nature can enhance students’ natural curiosity and provide an inquiry-based framework for learning. Sessions provide cross-curriculum connections which emphasize the relationship between science and art while incorporating relevant links to literacy and the Common Core State Standards. Note: This course will utilize a temporary exhibition using the work of Claude Monet and a recreation of his gardens at Giverny.
The CGC scholarships for these New York Botanical Garden programs cover the $200 fee for each program and related materials as well as the $125 fee for the “P” in-service credits. All courses will be given in the Garden’s Museum Building classroom, 2900 Southern Blvd. in the Bronx. For additional information about any of these programs and The New York Botanical Garden’s other courses, download their School and Teacher Program Guide at: http://www.nybg.org/files/school-teacher-programs.pdf. If you have questions not answered there, please contact Judith Hutton, Manager of Professional Development, at 718-817-8140 or jhutton@nybg.org.
To apply for a scholarship for any of the workshops listed here, please fill in an application form and submit it and a letter of recommendation as instructed. The application deadline is May 6, 2012.
Questions about programs should be directed to the program providers noted in the program descriptions above. Questions about the scholarships themselves may be sent to info.cgc.sc@gmail.com.