Experiential Education: Educator Summit

---

Event Summary

Back for a second year, this full-day workshop aimed at formal and informal educators features six interactive, interdisciplinary, inspiring, and fun workshop sessions. The event will also feature networking opportunities and the chance to learn from peers. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a museum educator, or an aspiring educator, there is something here for you. Each session will include hands-on learning activities and several will include outdoor learning elements, hiking, and even some water exploration. Dress comfortably for indoor and outdoor programing and play and a day full of adventure and learning! 

This event is being planned and facilitated by the Experiential Education Collaborative. A catered lunch from Estela's Fresh Mex is included in your ticket purchase.

Program Schedule

8:30-9:00 a.m. Check-in 

9:00- 9:45 a.m. Welcome & Opening Activity

9:45-10:00 a.m. Break/Transition

Morning Concurrent Sessions

• 10:00-11:30 a.m. 

1. 'Hands-off' Teaching: Learning Through the Bicycle
2. Bettering Behaviors Through Outdoor Discovery  

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  Lunch

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

•  12:30 -1:45 p.m. 

1. Teaching Life Cycles: Capturing Awe in Young Children
2. Native Plant Gardening and Advocacy in Iowa City

• 2:00-3:15 p.m.

1. Demystifying Water Quality: Using Local Data and Monitoring in the Classroom
2. Outdoor Education: Don't know how? Looking for a new way? 

3:15-3:30 p.m. Break/Transition

3:30-4:00 p.m. Program Close- How to Stay Involved & Event Surveys & Raffles

Session Descriptions

'Hands-off' Teaching: Learning Through the Bicycle

Presenter: Dustin Eubanks & Audrey Wiedemeier, Iowa City Bike Library 

We will explore how the Bike Library's 'hands-off' teaching model, used in both youth and adult programs, facilitates an approachable learning environment where failure is embraced and learning is organic. Participants will learn one part of the Air-Brakes-Chain (ABC) process for tuning up a bicycle, then will have the chance to teach their portion of the process to their partner/small group in real time.

Bettering Behaviors Through Outdoor Discovery

Presenter: Liberty Bailey, Handicare

At Handicare this year, I have dedicated our school age program to fostering our kiddos' love for the outdoors. We started with planting a couple of pollinator gardens, but have expanded our program so much. I have explored the connection between the outdoors, and its positive effects on challenging behaviors! We are doing a fully immersive summer program with hikes, scavenger hunts, and lots of learning about the benefits of the outdoors on our minds and bodies. We are creating and using travel journals/logs, and binoculars to better explore and document our interesting finds. This has had a drastic positive effect on our behaviors in our classroom, as well as create a love for exercising and being outdoors.  When attending this session you will learn how to use different grounding techniques or exercises outside to support our kiddos with challenging behavior, and how doing so can build a better sense of self for our students. The techniques that you learn in this lesson will not only help you to tackle challenging behaviors but will also help to give your other students a safe and nourishing outlet for whatever they may need.

Teaching Life Cycles: Capturing Awe in Young Children

Presenter: Veronica Armstrong, Willowwind School

Learning should inspire awe in all of us. Witnessing and partaking in a life cycle project inspires awe in children and adults alike. In this presentation we will explore some of the ways teachers in preschool and lower elementary grades can utilize nature and the teaching of life cycles to cover an array of standards through cross-curricular project-based learning. We will review and discuss some of the concrete ways Veronica and other educators have utilized teaching the life cycles of animals and plants to cover concepts in literacy, social studies, math and more. Veronica will bring a number of physical resources for attendees to view in order to successfully bring this into their own classrooms as well.

Native Plant Gardening and Advocacy in Iowa City

Presenter: Alex Carver & Mike Fallon

Learn how local native plant and animal enthusiasts formed two neighborhood groups that champion native plants, increase wildlife habitat, and advocate for sustainable local ecosystems. Includes a hands-on native plant seed sowing demonstration.

Demystifying Water Quality: Using Local Data and Monitoring in the Classroom

Presented by: Marty St. Clair, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering

This session will demonstrate how educators can combine real-time, local water data and outdoor inquiry to help students develop critical skills in investigation, data interpretation, and scientific explanation. Participants will explore online water quality databases, gain hands-on experience with volunteer water monitoring equipment, and learn how these tools can support classroom and field-based learning. The session will conclude with a demonstration of water quality testing. 

Outdoor education...Don't know how? Looking for a new way?

Presented by: Jay Gorsh

This session will be conducted in one to two of our natural habitats as we focus on how to effectively teach in the outdoors when you're not an expert and have limited resources. Come learn how we use our School of the Wild model & approaches to help novice outdoor educators thrive. If you're a seasoned outdoor educator, this session will offer you a new approach to engaging students.  

Presenter Bios

Dustin Eubanks is the Youth Bike Coordinator at Iowa City Bike Library and grew up in central Iowa. He taught in Des Moines Public Schools before moving to Iowa City to coordinate outdoor recreation programs for local teens. After several years of hiking, kayaking, camping and road tripping with the youths, he landed at (rode into?) the Bike Library to build out youth programs and introduce kiddos to the healthy outlet that is 'bike life'. When he is not cycling you can find him reading, cooking, or hiking with his precious pup, Luka.

Audrey Wiedemeier is the Executive Director of the Iowa City Bike Library and a Dog Mom. Audrey volunteered at the Bike Library and became an AmeriCorps volunteer in 2011. She has a degree in International Studies and has lived in DC, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and California before returning to Iowa in 2017. She is also a graduate of the United Bicycle Institute and raves about the 1st annual WTF Bikexplores Summit which informed a lot of the mobility justice work she brings to the Bike Library. She is a champion for women and girls developing confidence and skills through biking and doing their own repairs. She invites any women-identifying and gender non-conforming folks to join her at W/T/F (Women/Trans/Femme) Night.

Liberty Bailey is currently the Kids Club Coordinator at Handicare in Coralville. She has several years of teaching experience in various age groups. She graduated from Iowa City High School in Iowa City and jumped right into early education. She has education in early childhood development, behavioral management, and several years of leadership within multiple educational settings. Liberty has decided to dedicate her summer program to exploring and hiking the state parks, and exploring the effects they can have on behaviors and mental health. In her personal time, Liberty enjoys reading outdoors, spending time with her partner and fur babies, and being crafty. Liberty is excited to share her experiences with outdoor learning and challenging behaviors, and get to know all of you!

Veronica Armstrong is the Kindergarten teacher at Willowwind School in Iowa City where she specializes in hands-on, exploratory learning that blends project based learning, Montessori philosophies and trauma-invested practices. Veronica has worked in early childhood education within classrooms and administrative positions across Johnson County for over ten years. She also founded and serves as director for Engaged Early Education, a local non-profit that provides a variety of resources and events to families and educators in Johnson County. Veronica lives in Iowa City with her spouse, Randy, their 13 year old child, Gabby, two dogs (Merry and Pippin) and a large, sassy bearded dragon named Romeo, who pulls double duty as classroom pet and family companion.

Alex Carver is a passionate advocate for native plants and wildlife, co-founded the Longfellow Native Plant Group in 2025. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Iowa. Recently, Alex completed the Master Conservationist and Iowa Master Gardener programs. She has 25+ years of experience in fundraising and communications for nonprofits. 

Mike Fallon holds a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech).  For seven years, Mike taught "Prairie Restoration," a field course in School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability (SEES) at the University of Iowa. In 2019, Mike co-created a 8-acre prairie restoration—the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory or APLL—at the UI's Ashton Cross Country Course. Mike is the former owner of Native Landscaping, L.L.C., a small company that specialized in native landscaping and the ecological restoration of degraded land.

Marty St. Clair is a researcher in water quality at the University of Iowa. He manages the statewide nitrate sensor network for IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering and researches a variety of other water quality issues with the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) (including PFAS and pesticides). He was a member of the recent Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment (CISWRA) science advisory panel, and taught chemistry and environmental studies at Coe College for 30 years prior to his work at the University of Iowa. 

Jay Gorsh I have been the Director of University of Iowa's School of the Wild program for the past 10 years. Prior to leading School of the Wild, I spent 10 years as a public school teacher. I also teach outdoor education courses at the University of Iowa. I'm a proud alum of the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, and the University of Iowa. I love most things outdoors, but my favorites are biking, backpacking, and canoeing. I live in Williamsburg with my wife and 3 kids. 

---

Cost

Adults - $22.00

---

Category

Programs

---