The Ecological Education Program at the Institute for Applied Ecology offers opportunities for K-12 students, teachers, and adult community members to engage in meaningful, place-based education through school-based programs, summer teacher workshops, Community Learning Courses, and volunteer work.  In addition, we create curriculum to engage the future stewards of Oregon in the study of native plants and restoration. 

Our Guiding Principles

At the Institute for Applied Ecology, we design our education programs to embody the following characteristics:

• place-based:  the local community is the starting point for teaching concepts in science and culture; students learn about where they live
  
• hands-on: students actively use all of their senses to explore nature, stewardship, and science
  
• conservation in action: the activities we do with students are tied to efforts to meet local, regional, and national conservation goals
  
• inquiry-based: students learn science by asking and answering questions as a guide to discovering the world around them
  
• service-learning: the learning activities that students do directly benefit their community, motivating students by giving extrinsic value to their work
  
• skill building: students learn valuable skills in science, horticulture, problem solving, critical thinking, and stewardship
  
• professional and peer mentoring: students build relationships with peers, older student mentors, and professional mentors that give them multiple perspectives and confidence
  
• experiential: students don't just learn about restoration, students DO restoration
  

Learn more about IAE's education programs

The RARE Partnership 

Growing plants and stewards of the Willamette Valley

Oregon Native Plants Curriculum

Developing an ecoregionally-based K-12 curriculum about native plants and restoration in Oregon

The Schoolyard Restoration Program

Creating outdoor classrooms in Linn and Benton counties.

The Oregon RESTORE Teacher's Institute

July 14-18, 2008, Beazell Memorial Forest, Philomath, OR

Community Education (Adult Programs)

Coming soon!