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!
\nThis 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.
\n8:30-9:00 a.m. Check-in
\n9:00- 9:45 a.m. Welcome & Opening Activity
\n9:45-10:00 a.m. Break/Transition
\nMorning Concurrent Sessions
\n11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Lunch
\nAfternoon Concurrent Sessions
\n3:15-3:30 p.m. Break/Transition
\n3:30-4:00 p.m. Program Close- How to Stay Involved & Event Surveys & Raffles
\n'Hands-off' Teaching: Learning Through the Bicycle
\nPresenter: Dustin Eubanks & Audrey Wiedemeier, Iowa City Bike \nLibrary \n
\n\nWe 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.
\nBettering Behaviors Through Outdoor Discovery
\nPresenter: Liberty Bailey, Handicare
\n\nAt Handicare this year, I have dedicated our school age \nprogram to fostering our kiddos' love for the outdoors. We started with \nplanting a couple of pollinator gardens, but have expanded our program so much. \nI have explored the connection between the outdoors, and its positive effects \non challenging behaviors! We are doing a fully immersive summer program with \nhikes, scavenger hunts, and lots of learning about the benefits of the outdoors \non our minds and bodies. We are creating and using travel journals/logs, and \nbinoculars to better explore and document our interesting finds. This has had a \ndrastic positive effect on our behaviors in our classroom, as well as create a \nlove for exercising and being outdoors. \nWhen attending this session you will learn how to use \ndifferent grounding techniques or exercises outside to support our kiddos with \nchallenging behavior, and how doing so can build a better sense of self for our \nstudents. The techniques that you learn in this lesson will not only help you \nto tackle challenging behaviors but will also help to give your other students \na safe and nourishing outlet for whatever they may need.
\nTeaching Life Cycles: Capturing Awe in Young Children
\nPresenter: Veronica Armstrong, Willowwind School
\n\nLearning should inspire awe in all of us. Witnessing and \npartaking in a life cycle project inspires awe in children and adults alike. In \nthis presentation we will explore some of the ways teachers in preschool and \nlower elementary grades can utilize nature and the teaching of life cycles to \ncover an array of standards through cross-curricular project-based learning. We \nwill review and discuss some of the concrete ways Veronica and other educators \nhave utilized teaching the life cycles of animals and plants to cover concepts \nin literacy, social studies, math and more. Veronica will bring a number of \nphysical resources for attendees to view in order to successfully bring this \ninto their own classrooms as well.
\nNative Plant Gardening and Advocacy in Iowa City
\nPresenter: Alex \nCarver & Mike Fallon \n
\n\nLearn how local native plant and animal enthusiasts formed \ntwo neighborhood groups that champion native plants, increase wildlife habitat, \nand advocate for sustainable local ecosystems. Includes a hands-on native plant \nseed sowing demonstration.
\nDemystifying Water Quality: Using Local Data and \nMonitoring in the Classroom
\nPresented by: Marty \nSt. Clair, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering
\n\nThis session will demonstrate how educators can combine \nreal-time, local water data and outdoor inquiry to help students develop \ncritical skills in investigation, data interpretation, and scientific \nexplanation. Participants will explore online water quality databases, gain \nhands-on experience with volunteer water monitoring equipment, and learn how \nthese tools can support classroom and field-based learning. The session will \nconclude with a demonstration of water quality testing.
\nOutdoor education...Don't know how? Looking for a new \nway?
\nPresented by: Jay \nGorsh
\n\nThis \nsession will be conducted in one to two of our natural habitats as we focus on \nhow to effectively teach in the outdoors when you're not an expert and have \nlimited resources. Come learn how we use our School of the Wild model & \napproaches to help novice outdoor educators thrive. If you're a seasoned \noutdoor educator, this session will offer you a new approach to engaging \nstudents.
\nDustin 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.
\nAudrey \nWiedemeier 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.
\nLiberty \nBailey is currently the Kids Club Coordinator at Handicare in \nCoralville. She has several years of teaching experience in various age groups. \nShe graduated from Iowa City High School in Iowa City and jumped right into \nearly education. She has education in early childhood development, behavioral \nmanagement, and several years of leadership within multiple educational \nsettings. Liberty has decided to dedicate her summer program to exploring and \nhiking the state parks, and exploring the effects they can have on behaviors \nand mental health. \nIn her personal time, Liberty enjoys reading outdoors, \nspending time with her partner and fur babies, and being crafty. Liberty is \nexcited to share her experiences with outdoor learning and challenging \nbehaviors, and get to know all of you!
\n\nVeronica \nArmstrong is the Kindergarten teacher at Willowwind School in Iowa \nCity where she specializes in hands-on, exploratory learning that blends \nproject based learning, Montessori philosophies and trauma-invested practices. \nVeronica has worked in early childhood education within classrooms and \nadministrative positions across Johnson County for over ten years. She \nalso founded and serves as director for Engaged Early Education, a local \nnon-profit that provides a variety of resources and events to families and \neducators in Johnson County. Veronica lives in Iowa City with her spouse, \nRandy, their 13 year old child, Gabby, two dogs (Merry and Pippin) and a \nlarge, sassy bearded dragon named Romeo, who pulls double duty as classroom pet \nand family companion.
\n\nAlex \nCarver is a \npassionate advocate for native plants and wildlife, co-founded the Longfellow \nNative Plant Group in 2025. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass \nCommunications from the University of Iowa. Recently, Alex completed the Master \nConservationist and Iowa Master Gardener programs. She has 25+ years of \nexperience in fundraising and communications for nonprofits.
\nMike \nFallon holds \na B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State \nUniversity (VA Tech). For seven years, Mike taught "Prairie \nRestoration," a field course in School of Earth, Environment, and \nSustainability (SEES) at the University of Iowa. In 2019, Mike co-created a \n8-acre prairie restoration—the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory or APLL—at the \nUI's Ashton Cross Country Course. Mike is the former owner of Native \nLandscaping, L.L.C., a small company that specialized in native landscaping and \nthe ecological restoration of degraded land. \n
\n\nMarty \nSt. 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.
\nJay \nGorsh I have been the Director of University of Iowa's School of \nthe Wild program for the past 10 years. Prior to leading School of the Wild, I \nspent 10 years as a public school teacher. I also teach outdoor education \ncourses at the University of Iowa. I'm a proud alum of the University of \nNorthern Iowa, the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, and the University of \nIowa. I love most things outdoors, but my favorites are biking, backpacking, \nand canoeing. I live in Williamsburg with my wife and 3 kids.
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SUMMARY:My County Parks - Experiential Education: Educator Summit PRIORITY:3 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR