WHAT IS PROJECT LEARNING TREE?
It is the world's premier Environmental Education program. It is sponsored, internationally, by the American Forest Foundation. Project Learning Tree is in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico and numerous other foreign countries. The heart of Project Learning Tree (PLT) is a 400 page activity guide for pre-K through 8th grade and a series of six "modules" for high school. This material is not sold or given away. Educators earn it by attending a six-hour workshop.
Mississippi PLT is correlated to the State Curriculum Framework. The correlation is posted on www.msplt.org.
WHO SPONSORS MISSISSIPPI PROJECT LEARNING TREE?
1.The Mississippi Forestry Commission (The state's official forestry agency)
2.The Mississippi Forestry Association (an association of forest industry, landowners and others interested in the practice of sound forestry)
3. The U.S. Forest Service National Forest in Mississippi (The federal agency responsible for managing the national forests in Mississippi)
CAN TEACHERS EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR ATTENDING A PLT WORKSHOP?
Yes. A PLT workshop carries 0.6 credits. MSPLT is a provider for Mississippi College. MC charges $10 to grant credits. When a workshop is conducted on college campus, that college usually also will grant credit.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO ATTEND A WORKSHOP?
The usual fee is $15 per person. We often have sponsors and are able to present workshops free of charge.
WHAT DO I GET BY ATTENDING A WORKSHOP?
All attendees get the 400 page Pre-K-8th Grade Activity Guide. High School teachers also get three of the six high school modules. (Additional Modules are available for purchase at $3 each.) The Activity Guide contains 96 activities and the High School Modules each contain seven or eight activities. Each activity is written as a lesson plan. We give away nice door prizes, and have a "resource table" set up at the end of the workshop. It contains a selection of nice booklets, pamphlets, posters, and other "goodies" for educators to take and use in the classroom.
ISN'T A SIX-HOUR WORKSHOP LONG AND BORING?
Not a PLT workshop! It is active and fun. It's more of a party than a workshop -- but you learn and get a lot of neat FREE stuff! We even furnish refreshments for a morning break!
A Sample PLT Agenda:
8:00 A.M. - 8:30 A.M. -- Sign in, make name tags, etc.
8:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. -- Introductions, icebreaker
9:00 A.M. - 9:30 A.M. -- PLT Video
9:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. -- Facilitators lead participants in activity #1
10:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. -- Facilitators lead participants in activity #2
10:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. -- Facilitators lead participants in activity #3
11:00 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. -- Hike Through the Guide. Facilitators and participants together "explore" the guide. Facilitators explain PLT's mission, objectives and education philosophy and strategies, "take apart" an activity, and explain the use of the cross-reference indexes. Participants then earn "fabulous prizes" by demonstrating their skills in using the guide.
11:45 A.M. Noon -- Divide into teams, select activity and prepare to present
(A break is not listed, but we always work one in)
Noon - 12:30 P.M. -- Lunch
12:30 P.M - 1:00 P.M.-- Teams continue preparing activities
1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.-- Participant teams present their activities
2:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. -- Admin time, resource sharing, "graduation"
HOW CAN I SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP FOR MY SCHOOL OR GROUP?
Call Harold Anderson at 601 613-5567 , send an e-mail to handerson212, or write MSPLT c/o Mississippi Forestry Comm., P.O. Drawer 429, Philadelphia, MS 39350
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOSTING A WORKSHOP?
At least 12 people registered, and a room large enough to arrange the chairs in a semi-circle and two library-type tables along one side, with access to the outdoors. We cannot have more than 30 people per room. We handle large groups by using one break-out room for each group of 30 people. We like to begin with an opening assembly, then proceed to break-out rooms, with two facilitators assigned to each room. If an assembly room is not available, we can begin in the break-out rooms.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKSHOPS ALREADY SCHEDULED THAT I CAN ATTEND?
Yes
See separate entry in this blog for an updated schedule of workshops
PLT is taught at each of the Mississippi Forestry Association's two one-week-long Teachers Conservation Workshops. The dates are: First week of June at Jones County Jr. College, Ellisville, and third week of June at Northeast Mississippi Community College, Booneville. Each of these workshops carry 4.0 CEU or 3 hours college credit (graduate or undergraduate level) the cost is only $50 for the entire week. Call Tom Monaghan at the Mississippi Forestry Association, 662-325-7687, for information or to register. Space is limited, and these workshops typically fill up early.
