Stipends, Professional Development, and Resources for Watershed Education
Funding provided by NOAA (B-WET) grantWe are looking for faculty and staff to support fellows! Cohort #3 can include but will not be limited to:
- Career Leaders
- Intervention Teachers
- Teachers of STEM, Social Science, Language Arts, Art, Graphic Arts, Horticulture
- Adminstrators
- Club Advisors
- Board Members
- Anyone who wants to support the current fellows as they get students outdoors for student led, placed based and service learning that makes a difference in your school or community!
The First Rings First Fellowship (FRFF) Program provides first-ring science teachers in Cuyahoga County with FREE resources and professional development training to create meaningful, place-based watershed projects with their students. Through workshops, tours, peer-to-peer networking, and funding support for project equipment, fellowship participants will obtain knowledge and tools to introduce their students to Great Lakes literacy and watershed restoration concepts. These exciting benefits will help teachers develop meaningful watershed education experiences to implement in their classrooms. The FRFF Program meets multidisciplinary high school and middle school Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) experiential learning curricula needs, while aligning with the goals of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC) management plans.
Participation in the 2023 program includes*:
- Training and curriculum guides from Project WET, Healthy Water-Healthy People, Wonders of Wetlands, Project Learning Tree: Green schools, Green Jobs, Places We Live and Focus on Risk, Project Wild: Aquatic and Science & Civics
- Ongoing free access to a special Cuyahoga SWCD Water Reporter school account (training and support included)
- Immersive PD opportunities (Old Woman Creek, Great Lake Erie Educators Exchange, Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center)
- Tours of the Watershed Stewardship Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Botanical Gardens and school outdoor learning sites
- Workshops at Brecksville Reservation, University of Akron Field Station, Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve
- Technical support for student meaningful watershed education experiences (MWEE)
- Free student symposium/career expo to highlight student projects—presentation awards for school and students
FINAL COHORT TO BEGIN SUMMER 2023 - SIGN UP TODAY!!
Interested in participating in the First Rings First Fellowship Program? We are still seeking teachers from CMSD, East Cleveland, South Euclid/Lyndhurst, and Garfield Heights to participate in our final cohort of fellows. We still have a few fellowship spots open for middle school science teachers on a first come, first serve basis. Any teacher or administrator in a first ring school can participate as a partner to the fellow from their district.
If you are a Cuyahoga first ring teacher or staff interested in learning more or participating, please contact Jacki Zevenbergen at jzevenbergen@cuyahogaswcd.org or 216.503.1338. Space is limited- sign up today!
If you are interested and teach at a non-first ring school, please still contact us to discuss participation opportunities.
Funding support for the FRFF Program is provided through the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant.
Hear from our participating fellows:
“The FRFF program offers environmental science opportunities to get students out in nature, to use their problem-solving abilities, to conduct student led research, and to build leadership skills. Great opportunities for students to explore nature-oriented career paths, practice sustainability, and explore real ways to be more environmentally conscious in our choices. Everything has consequences and this educational opportunity gives real world experiences for students to participate and be more involved. I’m proud to represent my school district in this initiative.” -Catherine W., Brooklyn City School District
“The [Cuyahoga] Soil and Water Conservation District has taught me so much about teaching kids about our local waterways! Can't wait to get my students outdoors learning about Cleveland's watersheds.” – Steven W., Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District
First Rings First Fellowship –HIGHLIGHTS FROM COHORT #1
In April 2022, 14 Cuyahoga County teachers joined the first cohort of the First Rings First Fellowship Program. The program kicked off with a tour of Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC) project sites. Resource professionals from the Cuyahoga AOC committee, Ohio EPA, OHM Advisors, dmswatersolutions (on behalf of Friends of the Crooked River), and Summit Metroparks highlighted restoration projects along the Cuyahoga River. Nic Williams, a professional kayaker, gave participants a surprise demo of the class 5 whitewater section at the site of the Cuyahoga Falls dam removal.
Throughout the summer, fellowship participants have completed in-person and online training, workshops, and professional development that they will be able to use throughout the school year. Highlights include:
- Green Jobs and Green Schools online professional development
- Four days of exciting Environmental Education (EE) certification courses and tours (WET, Aquatic Wild, Wonders of Wetlands, Places we Live, and Focus on Risk)
- Hands-on, outdoor training at the University of Akron Field Station, the CMP Watershed Stewardship Center, and the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve
- Networking with local professionals and connecting with free resources for Title 1 schools
- Tours of outdoor learning sites in Berea, Fairview Park, and Parma led by fellows or other science faculty members
- 3-Day immersive Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) training program on Lake Erie shore to learn about free programs available for their students, meet with ODNR staff, and learn about the NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve
In addition to the immersive experiences and certifications, fellowship participants received a one-year membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Educator Resource Center (ERC). The ERC membership will allow fellows to access water quality education kits and a wildlife education collection permit from ODNR to do macro sampling in local streams with students.
For many of the participating teachers the highlight of their experience was discussing programs, possibilities and challenges with other teachers who understood their challenges and could offer ideas and suggestions to get students outside and take their instruction to the next level. This feedback will be incorporated into future programming for the First Rings First Fellowship Program.
Interested in participating in the First Rings First Fellowship Program? We are still seeking teachers from CMSD, East Cleveland, South Euclid/Lyndhurst, and Garfield Heights to participate in our final cohort of fellows. We still have a few fellowship spots open for middle school science teachers on a first come, first serve basis. Any teacher or administrator in a first ring school can participate as a partner to the fellow from their district.
If you are a Cuyahoga first ring teacher or staff interested in learning more or participating, please contact Jacki Zevenbergen at jzevenbergen@cuyahogaswcd.org or 216.503.1338. Space is limited- sign up today!
If you are interested and teach at a non-first ring school, please still contact us to discuss participation opportunities.