EPI Classroom
Resources for leading and learning
The world is our classroom. Ecology Project International has made experiential learning accessible to students worldwide by leading students into the environment, supporting local communities, and providing field-based professional development. Your outdoor adventure can begin in the classroom now, with new, free, online resources accessible to learners who are ready to explore biodiversity, investigate environmental issues, and make the world a better place.
The goal of EPI’s programming is to inspire our students with nature and empower them with science to make a difference in their communities. To love nature, students must know nature. EPI launched and supports a diverse movement that builds communities that cherish and restore the ecosystems that sustain them. Environmental literacy is the foundation of the EPI mission and the pursuit of stewardship through experiential learning is at the core. Students get to know nature and they love it.
Experiential learning is the goal, but the journey begins in the classroom for most students. EPI is piloting new curriculum, webinars, and workshops designed to support the extraordinary teachers who are instilling a love of nature and the environment in their students every day. The EPI Classroom is free, online, and can be adapted to a variety of teaching and learning formats. The goal is to foster inquiry and inspire students to pursue answers using nature in the classroom and nature as the classroom.
EPI Classroom Learning Progressions
EPI's free online curricular resources are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards to provide phenomenon-based instruction designed to prepare students for success in or out of the EPI field program setting. The EPI Classroom was developed as a coherent learning progression for grades 9-12 and adaptable to varying levels and abilities. Students apply content knowledge through scientific and field ecology practices and develop the skills needed to support stewardship and preservation of the natural world.
Montana Science Teaching Institute
The Montana Science Teaching Institute, supported by the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Grant (GEER) aims to positively impact science education in Montana. In an effort to deliver increased online learning opportunities for Montana students and teachers, EPI has launched an initiative to provide free, online, classroom-ready resources and online training. Teachers will find EPI resources are easy to access, well-supported, and based within the Montana Science Education Standards. Students will benefit from unique, engaging lessons that help them connect with the natural world and inspire them to create positive change.
EPI Webinar Series
Ecology Project International is delighted to introduce free professional development webinars to help teachers connect the classroom to the environment. Virtual webinars will be offered to introduce teachers to resources for Biology, Environmental Science, Earth Science, and student travel.
Zoom with us this year for professional development to build the bridge that helps your students connect to nature, and help build the next generation of environmental stewards and scientists.
Environmental Literacy
EPI draws upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) original concept and the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) revision to define an environmentally literate person as,“someone who demonstrates the knowledge, dispositions, competencies, and behavior to actively engage—individually or as a group—in addressing environmental challenges.” This is a powerful and inspiring description that highlights the importance of learning about the environment, embracing the goals for supporting and restoring the environment, and taking action to preserve and protect the environment.
Inherent within this definition of environmental literacy are specific attributes guiding EPI’s core programming and alumni engagement. Within each of these components there are specific milestones and standards that EPI uses to measure alumni involvement in conservation.
