Nature Play in Your School Professional Development Application

Nature Play in Your School is a one-week professional development workshop offered by the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The course will run from August 11-15, 2025 in Washington DC and will explore how teachers in urban schools can incorporate nature-based teaching practices in their classrooms and schools.

The 2025 workshop will focus on content most appropriate for educators serving grades pre-K to 2. Ten educators will be accepted, with priority given to applicants who teach in Wards 7 and 8 of Washington DC.

For more information about this workshop and application evaluation, please visit http://nationalzoo.si.edu/education/nature-play/nature-play-in-your-school.

Applications are due no later than Friday, May 23, 2025 at 5:00p.m. EST.

We hope to contact applicants with a decision by June 6, 2025.

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* 1. Please enter your contact information below:

Name

Email Address
(Please do not use your school email address if you will not be checking it during the summer.)

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* 2. Please tell us about your school:

Name

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

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* 3. Grade level(s) taught / specialization, if applicable

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* 4. Number of Years in Service

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* 5. Describe your students' current access to nature / outdoor learning opportunities. For example, do you have a school garden? Some natural space on campus where you can take your students? A public playground with safe green space?

Reminder: This training welcomes applicants from schools with ANY level of existing nature-based learning opportunities, including none!

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* 6. Describe any previous experience in or comfort with using nature-based learning in your classroom.

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* 7. Describe how you hope you and your students will benefit from your participation in this professional development.

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* 8. How do you anticipate that you might share what you learn in this workshop beyond your classroom / with others in your community?

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* 9. Participation in this workshop includes development and seed-money for a nature-based learning project at your school during the 2025-2026 school year.

In your best estimate, do you anticipate that you would be doing this project on your own or with a teaching team / group of colleagues?

This question is for our planning purposes only; your answer will not impact your application evaluation.