EPI FY 2019 Annual Report 2019 Annual Report pages | Page 18

FY 2019 Annual Report • September 1, 2018 - August 31, 2019 MULTIPLYING OUR IMPACT EXPANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS EPI helps educators build their own curriculum by teaching progressive, inquiry-based methods. More importantly, we model the methods that we teach. We take teachers into the field, where they can live like a scientist, collect data, and observe natural phenomena— hatching turtles, rutting bison—evoking their sense of wonder about the world. Teachers return to the classroom with a new set of tools, ideas, and lessons to inspire their students and reconnect to the fundamentals of learning. Professional Development (TEACHER FELLOWSHIPS, EDUCATOR & NGSS WORKSHOPS) Educators Students thrive under EPI’s programs because people learn best when they’re allowed to wonder, to question, and to explore the world’s natural phenomena. For educators, making the change from textbooks to integrated curricula, anchored in natural phenomena, can be daunting. Since 2013, EPI has provided programs for classroom teachers to travel to sanctuaries of biodiversity, engage in hands-on investigations, and strengthen their understanding of the scientific process. 113 EPI’s 2019 Professional Development Programs expansion was made possible thanks to support and investment from the International Community Foundation-La Paz Special Project Fund, iAlumbra, and an anonymous funder. 60 59 39 39 2015 2016 21 14 2013 Mexico 2014 Costa Rica 2017 Yellowstone 2018 2019 Galapagos NEW IN 2019 NGSS* TRAININGS:  Due to the growing demand for EPI’s traditional Teacher Fellowships, we expanded our educator-focused offerings to include two new tuition-based courses in 2019. In their first year, these courses engaged 22 new teacher participants in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) trainings. 17 KNOWLES FELLOWSHIP:  Thanks to partnerships forged through our Teacher Fellowships, we engaged members of the Knowles Fellowship Program which supports teacher fellows to pursue professional development in the sciences. In 2019, 31 Knowles Teachers contributed to hands-on research and conservation efforts with EPI in the Galapagos Islands. *NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.