February 27, 2008

The Department of Environmental Quality will be hosting five training workshops on its environmental education curriculum program entitled the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support. The workshops will be held on Thursday, March 6, from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing, prior to the Michigan Science Teachers Association annual conference. The workshops are co-sponsored by the United States Postal Service.

More than 3,000 Michigan educators have been trained on one or more units of MEECS already, and the reaction from those who have begun implementing the program in their classrooms has been extremely positive.

"The strengths of the MEECS units are that they are extremely well organized, contain a variety of activities, are inexpensive to implement, and are designed to meet the state curriculum requirements," according to a science teacher in Baraga. "I was impressed with how much information was provided to the students in regards to our state. I really think this will enhance student interest and result in great retention."

The workshops will be held simultaneously on each of the MEECS units which consist of Ecosystems & Biodiversity, Land Use, Water Quality, Energy Resources, and Air Quality. Teachers and nonformal educators are encouraged to register for the low-cost MEECS curriculum workshop trainings. Classroom instruction as well as curriculum materials will be provided for each trainee.

To register online, go to www.michigan.gov/deqworkshops and click on "Upcoming Workshops." The registration cost to attend a unit workshop is $30. SB-CEU credits will be available for those interested. For information, contact Thomas Occhipinti, Environmental Education Coordinator, at 517-373-2379, or email at occhipintit@michigan.gov.

The MSTA conference takes place March 6-8, 2008, following the MEECS pre-conference trainings. Registration information for this conference is available on the MSTA Web site at http://www.msta-mich.org/conference/.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised February 27, 2008 by Pat Watson