The Teacher Institute for Watershed Science and Conservation - 2026 Application
The Ecology School and Poland Spring® are partnering to bring K-12 Science Teachers from around the United States to Maine for a 4-day professional development institute focusing on watershed science, water system resilience, conservation, and community impact. No additional cost for attending. $250 stipend for attending, potential for additional $250 stipend for post-Institute content implementation, graduate course credit available as well. Up to $500 travel awards and finanical aid are available for those who qualify. 30 contact hours (professional recertification) hours will be awarded to all attendees.
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Please complete the information below to tell us a little bit more about yourself and your interest in this Institute.
Please take some time to review The Teacher Institute webpage for dates and application parameters. https://theecologyschool.org/teacher-institute
**Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis beginning mid February, and until the Institute is full. We will be in touch later this spring to let you know whether you have been accepted to attend.**
First Name *
Last Name *
Email (preferred, especially for summer contact) *
School Name (& District, if pertinent) *
City *
State *
Grade or grade(s) you are currently teaching: *
Content/Subject(s)/Standard(s) currently teaching:
Number of Years Teaching *
Required
How many students do you teach and/or work with? (e.g. if you are a 2nd grade classroom teacher, this includes the number of students in your class. If you are a 7th grade science teacher, this includes all the students in your science blocks. If you are a non-profit program provider, this may include the number of students you work with in a year.)  *
Attendance Details
The Teacher Institute will host two cohorts, with participants attending either July 13-16, or July 23-26 in 2026.
Which session(s) could you attend? (You may select both options. Selecting both implies you do not have a preference, and are available for both) *
Required
What is your WHY?
We'd love to learn more about you and your interest in our Summer Teacher Institute. In the following two questions, please take some time to thoughtfully provide a bit more info about why you'd like to attend the Institute, and how you, your students, and your community may benefit. Past experience with outdoor teaching and/or watershed curriculum is not a prerequisite, as we hope to provide this opportunity for any educator committed to learning how to provide more hands-on and place-based learning opportunities for their students, regardless of past experience, access, or resources. 
1. Please tell us about your experience(s) with outdoor teaching and/or place-based learning. No experience is totally okay! *
2. Please tell us what you hope to gain from the Institute, and how you might apply it to increasing access to WATERSHED EDUCATION and/or WATER SYSTEM RESILIENCE, especially as outdoor, place-based and/or community-based learning for your students: in your classroom, curriculum, community, and/or teaching in general. (Please provide at least 3-4 sentences)
 *
Are you hoping to attend with a particular person and/or team? If so, please explain how your attendance together will strengthen your ability to implement outdoor and/or place-based learning. Most importanly, please include their name(s) below: *
If you would like, please indicate whether you identify with any of the below statements. You may select any/all that apply.
In order to be considered for acceptance to the Institute, applicants must commit to attend the entire event (Day 1 through Day 4), and all elements of the event. The Institute begins at 4:00PM on Day One, and concludes at 12:00PM on Day 4.
Full attendance is required to be considered for acceptance, and to receive the stipend. Please be in touch with MEg before completing this application with any questions.
**I am available and committed to attend the entirety of my Institute cohort, including arriving during the arrival window, attending all required sessions, and departing only after the Institute has wrapped.
I understand that I may revoke my stipend if I do not attend the full event.**
 *
If you are accepted to attend the Institute, we will send you a link to register. When you complete our full registration, we require a $100 deposit at the time of registration to hold your spot. This deposit is non-refundable.
If $100 is a barrier, please email Meg at meg@TheEcologySchool.org.
I agree to pay the registration deposit. *
How did you learn about The Teacher Institute? If you heard from a personal contact and/or institute alumni, please be sure to include their name, below. *
Have you attended a Teacher Institute event at The Ecology School before? Please select all that apply.
Thank you for your time! 
**Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis beginning mid February, and until the Institute is full. We will be in touch later this spring to let you know if have been accepted to attend. Due to the large number of application we receive, we will not be able to be in touch with every applicant if you have not been accepted to attend. Please keep an eye on your Spam/Junk folders as unfortunately our correspondence sometimes ends up there, and/or select meg@theecologyschool.org as a safe address to receive mail from.**
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