COLLABORATING TO SUPPORT EDUCATORS: GROWING A GEO-STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEM IN ILLINOIS

Science teachers have a fundamental role in creating more sustainable and resilient communities. With the right support, teachers can become powerful forces of change in their communities by ensuring students are ready to join a workforce that seeks to create healthy environments, diverse and plentiful energy, and job opportunities for all. While the State of Illinois has adopted Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), in which sustainability features prominently, most Illinois science teachers have not received the instruction needed to create sustainable and resilient communities. We are creating a community of practice (CoP) that connects teachers to each other and to regional Geo-STEM professionals and researchers – a Geo-STEM learning ecosystem. This effort will establish collaborations between Illinois universities, science agencies, and teacher agencies and initiate authentic and virtual professional development activities for a cadre of Illinois teachers. We are looking to grow our collaborative community by connecting with organizations interested in engaging K-12 teachers and their students in projects that create a greater awareness of how the geosciences contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.