The Urban Ecology Institute's Field Studies Program engages students from urban public schools in the scientific process on their school grounds and in their neighborhoods. Built on the educational process of inquiry, each study is framed around the question: What is the Health of Boston's Urban Ecosystem?

Toward this end we provide teachers with field-based environmental curricula and year-round professional development and material support.

To Become a New UEI Teacher:

Download our UEI-Teacher Partnership Agreement

Download-New Teacher Partnership Application

To Renew Your Partnership with UEI:

Download-Partnership Renewal Application

These documents must be opened with Adobe Acrobat to email directly. Administrator signatures are not required for submission.

Resources:

Access The Field Studies Database

Sign Up For Workshops

Benefits of working with UEI's Field Studies Program:

Our Approach to Education
Our Field Assistants
Equipment and Transportation
School Year Implementation Stipend
Professional Development and Additional Opportunities

Our Approach to Education

The Field Studies Program offers six curriculum units in urban ecology:

• Water Quality
• Bird Biodiversity
• Bird Bioacoustics
• Urban Tree Stewardship
• Environmental Justice
• Ecological Resource Mapping

These units fit into a wide range of academic subjects, including general science, biology, chemistry, environmental science, physical science, physics, environmental justice and marine science classes. The Field Studies Curriculum is designed to correspond to the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks in order to assist teachers and students in meeting state standards. Each activity in the curriculum lists the corresponding framework and grade level.

UEI encourages lesson sharing between teachers via participation in workshops, web-postings or, informally, between teachers who work at the same school site or field site, as we believe that such training enriches the experience of students and the quality of collected data.

Learn More About Each Curriculum Unit

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Field Assistants

UEI provides an AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member or a community volunteer to teachers who meet necessary eligibility requirements. VISTAs visit classrooms approximately once per week to provide in-class support via content guidance and materials support. VISTAs are typically recent college graduates with an interest in environmental education, science, environmental justice, and related fields. Priority for VISTA placement is given to teachers in the Boston Public Schools district.

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Equipment and Transportation

Field Assistants can supply classrooms with equipment for a range of ecological research including:

• Binoculars
• Plant and animal field guides
• Water quality test kits
• Macroinvertebrate collection tools
• Bioacoustics recording equipment and analysts software
• GIS mapping software

Field assistants will provide instruction in proper use of equipment. UEI will also assist teachers in seeking grants and funding for purchasing their own set of field studies equipment. UEI can also provide transportation to field sites by chartering buses.

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School Year Implementation Stipend

UEI teachers in the Boston Public schools district are awarded $300 per semester in appreciation of the extra effort that is required to implement the field studies curriculum. Additional stipends are offered to all UEI teachers for participation in workshops at the rate of 50$ per workshop.

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Professional Development and Additional Opportunities

UEI offers a variety of professional development opportunities for teachers including Summer Institute, workshops, and student conferences.

The Summer Institute

The Summer Institute is a four week workshop that brings together educators and environmental professionals in a collaborative effort to explore the biological and scoial aspects of urban ecosystems. It builds a base for understanding how urban ecosystems function and respond to change. Further, it establishes sound scientific observation and sampling techniques for educators to implement with their students and provides a forum for discussions about pedagogical strategies that promote student learning and enhance stewardship

Massachusetts teachers can earn Professional Development Points through participation in the Summer Institute and certain participants are eligible for a stipend. Participants may also register for graduate credit through Boston College's Lynch School of Education.

Summer Institute FAQ Sheet

Summer Institute Brochure

Registration for Summer Institute 2008

Workshops

Throughout the school year, professional development workshops serve to orient teachers to the Urban Ecology Field Studies curriculum and provide a forum for participants to share their experiences and recommendations as educators in the field.

Each workshop is focused on a particular field studies subject or an important element of the field studies experience. Many workshops will introduce new lessons and field studies options, providing opportunities for participants to learn new scientific protocol firsthand. UEI ecologists and education staff will be on hand to address any questions or concerns. All UEI teachers who complete at least 10 hours of professional development are eligible to receive Professional Development Points at a rate of one point per hour of participation.

Check for upcoming workshops

Sign Up For Workshops

Student Conferences

The Urban Ecology Institute hosts citywide student conferences twice each year for classrooms participating in the Urban Ecology Field Studies program. The Student Urban Research Gathering on Ecology (SURGE!) conference in March and the Annual Student Research Conference in May allow students to shwocase their work for fellow studnets, UEI staff and community leaders. All student conferences offer a pizza dinner and snacks. UEI will also be hosting a number of smaller conferences for students to share their work to their own school and to other smaller groups.

ASRC Registration Packet

ASRC Electronic Form

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