Announcement/Application for 2011 Joshua Tree Desert Studies Scholarship

2011 Application for Joshua Tree Desert Studies Scholarship October 22-23, 2011 Joshua Tree National Park and Big Morongo Preserve

The Mojave Environmental Education Consortium is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for Grade K-12 teachers to receive a full scholarship to attend a two-day “place-based” outdoor workshop that will demonstrate to educators how to utilize arts and group facilitation to achieve more investment from students.

The Joshua Tree Desert Studies two-day workshop has been developed to infuse Environmental Education into standards based curriculum by demonstrating to teachers how to utilize concepts like exposition and sense of place to deepen and make richer the content of any lesson. Subjects such as history, literature, and science benefit from an understanding of the environment where they were formed and took place. Looking at man’s relationship with nature, and the conditions that shaped beliefs, ideas, and stories, serve to allow students to connect to material, and increase the opportunity for research and in-depth consideration of topics.

This workshop will demonstrate to teachers how to utilize arts and group facilitation to achieve more investment from students. Teachers will be instructed on, and discuss the benefits of, using digital photography, pen and ink drawing, and other media to help students comprehend concepts and retain information by making it more personal and relevant. The program will also discuss the advantages of using group presentation and facilitation to further engage students and to provide professional development in public speaking. This skill set builds capacity and self-confidence. The workshop will be conducted in both the Joshua Tree National Park and the Morongo Preserve, where teachers will experience “place-based” learning. A returning teacher from the previous year’s workshop will also provide a presentation on how they are utilizing what they learned from the workshop into their classroom.

We are pleased to have as the workshop presenter David Lamfrom, Wildlife Biologist/Photographer and California Desert Program Manager, with the National Parks Conservation Association. David is a renowned wildlife biologist and wildlife photographer who worked with students on the recently published “Tortoise through the Lens” program. Also invited are presenters to instruct the attendees on how to capture wildlife using pen, ink, or pencil mediums, and other guests presenting artistic disciplines that translate well into classrooms.

(15) Teacher Scholarships will be awarded to attend a two-day, overnight training session at both Joshua Tree National Park and the Big Morongo Preserve. Scholarships include all meals, lodging, curriculum materials, a $50.00 transportation stipend, and an autographed copy of David Lamfrom’s “Tortoise through the Lens” book. Attendees will need to bring their own camera to use during the workshop. This year, the workshop recipients will be staying in Yucca Valley at the new Best Western, where each participant will have their own deluxe king-size room. Dinner will be at the fun, unique, and historic “Harriet and Pappy’s “in historic Pioneer Town.
Click here to download the “Scholarship Application”