To learn more information about the fellowship, contact us!
Approximately twenty K-12th grade educators from Arenac, Bay, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, and surrounding counties are selected each year to participate in the fellowship. Interdisciplinary teams (two or more educators) are strongly encouraged to apply to carry out their proposed work together. New and returning fellows are encouraged to participate. To read more about eligibility, click here.
Participate in 30 hours of professional development and curriculum design on sustainability and place-based learning, including virtual, face-to-face, and asynchronous formats.
Connect with school and community partners (e.g., a business, non-profit, government agency, neighbors, etc.) around local sustainability investigations and solutions. Climate Change topics could include water, circular economy, land use, food waste/composting, environmental justice, energy use, etc.
Design a multi-week learning experience on a climate-related sustainability problem using provided templates and support from content and pedagogy experts from the University of Michigan, Delta College, Dow, Chippewa Nature Center, and other project partners.
Implement climate-related, sustainability education experiences that engage students in meaningful outdoor learning, action projects, and community-sharing events.
Participation in evaluation, networking, and professional development activities through in-person and virtual settings. Key dates and elements include:
June 12th, 2025: an in-person session, including a field-based exploration, a community partner resource fair, and a Sharing Celebration featuring the 2024-25 place-based sustainability education (PBSE) projects.
June to August 2025: online climate professional development courses (~15-20 hours), including an asynchronous Climate Change in the Bay module and a course selected from a menu of opportunities.
August 6th & 7th: in-person field-based sessions, modeling PBSE tools and exploring regional climate change issues and solutions.
October 2025 to April 2026: a hybrid climate change series featuring regional sites, experts, and educators. The series is optional for fellows and open to all educators and partners.
During the 2025-2026 school year: at least two virtual design consultation sessions with University of Michigan project staff to support project design and implementation.
Mid-June 2026: an in-person Sharing Celebration to showcase project results to the broader regional community.
Develop, implement, and share a project, place-based instructional experience, and action project around a local climate change issue during the 2025-2026 school year.
This student experience can vary in length but should engage students for at least twenty hours, connect them with a local partner, engage them in spaces outside the classroom for at least 5 hours, and result in an action project to help address the climate-related sustainability issue and a public student presentation.
Document the implementation of the place-based sustainability education project by collecting artifacts (video, photos, student work) with appropriate student consent and share with other project participants.
Professional development and design support from program staff to help develop instructional materials.
A $2,000 stipend. This stipend is paid in 3 installments during your Fellowship year and is linked to each fellow’s completion of the professional development sessions and final reporting requirements.
Up to $1,000 reimbursement for project-related expenses (transportation, classroom materials, etc.).
SCECHs for participation in professional development.
Connections to potential local partners.
Opportunities to showcase your students and school and connect to your community.
Opportunities to network with other regional educational professionals, community partners, and experts in climate change, sustainability, and place-based education.
Access to curated online resources for sustainability and climate change education.
Opportunity to join the newest cohort of sustainability teacher fellows to continue to deepen and expand your efforts.
Access to professional development opportunities.
Subscription to our monthly newsletter, Teaching Towards Sustainability, which highlights sustainability projects, grant opportunities, and resources.
Mentorship and networking opportunities with other fellows.
Eligibility for additional funding to continue place-based sustainability work in your classrooms.
Opportunities to pilot new programs and resources.
Access to a network of committed education professionals interested in place-based sustainability education.