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Project Community: Enhancing Human Communities Through The Wise Stewardship of Natural Communities, is a model educational program focusing on natural resources and providing Alabama’s teachers with special training and instructional materials/resources to support state academic standards and requirements in science, particularly the natural sciences. The project draws upon the interdisciplinary design of the Discovering Alabama public television series which promotes school involvement in exploring and studying the natural diversity of the local school community. A primary aim of Project Community is to support the science education objectives of the state and to assist related state programs in the delivery of science education to Alabama students while also providing students with adequate knowledge and understanding of natural systems so as to be well-informed, wise stewards of Alabama’s natural resources.
Why Project Community?
Few states have such abundant outdoors and natural diversity as does Alabama. This rich realm of nature provides a living laboratory for learning, for giving students relevant, real-world lessons in many subject areas, including science, and especially the natural sciences. This represents a timely plus for Alabama as the Alabama Department of Education is now undertaking a major initiative to improve science education and boost science test scores in Alabama schools. Also, as the world today is changing at an accelerating pace, our urbanizing society often brings trends that separate children from an understanding of the natural world. Meanwhile, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, all depend upon natural resources and natural systems. As other parts of the world continue to experience serious environmental decline, it is imperative that upcoming generations of Alabamians are prepared with the knowledge and understanding necessary for the conservation and wise stewardship of the state’s natural resources.
Who will Conduct Project Community?
Project Community is sponsored and funded by grant support from the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts in cooperation with the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee. The Project is administered jointly by Discovering Alabama and the Alabama Museum of Natural History, representing major scientific research and public education divisions of the University of Alabama Museums at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The project is implemented in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Education and is assisted in its delivery to schools statewide by a Cooperative Support Team of numerous agencies and organizations including the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Alabama Water Watch, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Alabama Association of Resource, Conservation and Development Councils, the Alabama Forestry Association, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Alabama Forestry Commission, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, and others.
Where will Project Community Be Conducted?
Project Community will conduct a series of teacher training workshops providing general training and materials/resources for K-12 teachers in every region of the state. Also, Project Community and its Cooperative Support Team will coordinate with the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts, and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts in working with selected schools and grade levels to integrate Project Community natural science modules into daily instruction. These will be determined based on demographic considerations and available funding.
When will Project Community Be Conducted?
The design for Project Community was completed in 2006-2007, with initial grant support from the Alabama Department of Education, Community Education Section. Statewide delivery of Project Community teacher training and related materials/resources will occur beginning in June 2007 and continuing through the 2007-2008 school year, with the present grant support from the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts. Project Community assistance to Alabama schools is planned for continuation in subsequent years with follow-up funding support from the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts together with additional support anticipated from Discovering Alabama and other partnering organizations.
For more information about Project Community:
The Project Community Coordinator is Beth Stevens (National Board Certified Science Teacher), 205-348-9077, info@discoveringalabama.org; Project Community Director is Dr. Doug Phillips (Producer, Discovering Alabama), 205-348-3553, drdoug@discoveringalabama.org; and Project Community Co-Director is Randy Mecredy (Assistant Director, Alabama Museum of Natural History), 205-348-2136, rmecredy@aalan.ua.edu.
The address for Project Community is:
Project Community
c/o Discovering Alabama
Box 870340
Alabama Museum of Natural History
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0340
Links for Teachers
(Teacher-created webpage) Links related to watersheds and water quality
APTplus (Teachers, ask your school’s media specialist to obtain a username and password from Alabama Public Television (www.aptv.org) so that you can view Discovering Alabama programs online.
ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students) Distance Learning
Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI)