Inquire Institute: A Program of Integrated Graduate Field Studies
July 2010

Now in its 5th year, the Institute brings educators and CERC faculty together to work on inquiry-based education and experiential learning while earning credits in ecology and conservation biology. Participants in this summer course conduct a full scientific inquiry project while in the field, and then return to the classroom to design and develop 10-12 hours of curriculum.

Field work, presentations and workshops will cover the principles of ecology, biodiversity, human dependence on natural resources, ecosystem services, scientific methods and full inquiry design. CERC faculty will also work together with the participants to develop curriculum that is integrated across multiple disciplines, appeals to students of different cultural backgrounds or learning styles, and contains differentiated lessons for varying skill levels. All aspects of the course are modeled so that participants first experience the process as students, and then learn how to translate it to their own classrooms.

Who May Attend?
The Institute's focus on inquiry-driven integrated curriculum enables teachers from all disciplines to benefit. Past participants have included public and private school K-12 teachers of Math, Social Studies, Literacy, Art and Special Education. Students currently enrolled in graduate schools of education are also encouraged to attend.


Location
Participants must choose between one of two field sites, either Black Rock Forest, New York (www.blackrockforest.org) or Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (www.puntacana.org), although everyone will complete a portion of their coursework together at CERC on Columbia's Morningside campus.

 

Credits
Participants are eligible to receive six graduate credits from Columbia that meet New York State Teacher Certification requirements.

For teachers from the New York City public education system, these credits can be applied to a master's degree or to the "30 points above" for position and salary increase.

 

Read the Teacher Training Institute's 2007 Blog

Application

Apply Online

Download and Print Application (pdf)

Fellowships available from CERC. If you are interested in fellowship please fill out the appropriate section of the application and apply early.

Click below to download last year's PDF flyer (update coming soon):

For more information please contact:

cerc@columbia.edu
212-854 8179