VOLUNTEER CLASSROOM INSTRUCTORS

 “I would never be absent on Wednesday afternoon...
because that is when SECRETS comes.”

The school programs emphasize classroom instruction as a way to introduce students to science concepts prior to taking them out in the field. A group of three to four classroom instructors including Institute staff, AmeriCorps members, community volunteers, and high-school interns to ensure a small group setting for hands-on learning that engages all students.

We know of no other environmental education program that offers such extensive support to classroom teachers in the Columbia River Gorge, and we feel this level of support is essential in order for students' grasp of ecology to become deep, durable, and applicable in their lives.

Communities with Classroom Instructor Opportunities

Cascade Locks, Oregon (30 min from Portland) Stevenson, Washington (35 min. from Portland) Carson, Washington (45 min. from Portland) Willard, Washington (1 hr. from Portland) Hood River, Oregon (1 hr. from Portland) White Salmon, Washington (1 hr./15 min. from Portland) Trout Lake, Washington (1.5 hrs from Portland) Odell, Oregon (1 hrs/ 15 min. from Portland) Parkdale, Oregon (1.5 hrs from Portland) Mosier, Oregon (1 hrs/ 15 min. from Portland) The Dalles, Oregon (1.5 hrs from Portland) Dallesport, Washington (1.5 hrs from Portland)

VOLUNTEER CLASSROOM INSTRUCTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Classroom Commitment-- Each week you'll participate in a fun introduction skit with the instructor-team, then break out into small groups and lead hands-on activities for the remainder of the hour. The Family Showcase, usually an evening event, allows your small student group to show their parents what they've learned. The most important responsibility for classroom instructors is committing to the complete ten-week program. Your small group of students gets very attached to you, both as a friend and an educator, and relies on your presence each week. However, if you're hesitant about the commitment, our substitute list both allows for flexibility for instructors who get sick and allows individuals to assist with classroom teaching without committing to an entire ten-week program.

General -- Our volunteer classroom instructors either go through the volunteer training series or receive on-site training, and often observe one classroom lesson each day before jumping in to teach their own group. Our classroom days usually begin between 7 and 8 AM and end between 1 and 2 PM. Volunteer classroom instructors can choose to teach in one or more classrooms per day. All volunteers are given the option to carpool to schools with Institute staff from the Hood River office.

Note: All of our naturalists, both in the classroom and in the field, choose their own "steward" name to help encourage all of us to begin thinking of the relationships in our ecosystems. Start thinking about the plant, animal, or invertebrate you'll become while out in the field!