βA group of teachersβ walks into a barβ sounds like the setup for a groan-worthy joke, probably involving a pun. However, if the teachers in question just finished PEIβs Asynchronous Food Waste workshop, they might just be on a research mission. We hear you scoffing...
Partner stories
These stories are a collection of educator professional learning experiences and opportunities provided by ESD, CBO and Tribal School partners.

Partner Stories
EarthGen Bridges Climate Change and Food Waste in Teacher Trainings
Last fall, EarthGen hosted a teacher training that explored the connections between climate change and food waste. Due to its success, EarthGen ran two additional cohorts for eastern and western Washington educators this spring. Educators learned from Kat Huybers, a...
Braiding Sweetgrass Spring Book Study
From February through May this spring, 25 teachers from Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties met virtually to discuss the principles and practices of Robin Wall Kimmererβs seminal book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Wisdom of...
The Huakaβi (journey): A Winds & Waters Partnerships to Deepen Teachersβ Relationships, Responsibilities, and Stewardship with the Environment
In its 4th year of iteration, the Winds & Waters Learning Project continues to partner with the Muckleshoot Tribal members and Coast Salish environments, land, and sea to cultivate curiosity and interest through Indigenous epistemology. During this year-long, five...
Teaching Outside: Teachers engaging students in outdoor learning
Whatcom County elementary educators gathered at local schools to engage in the Teaching for the Climate Collaborativeβs 2-hour experiential and place-based Teaching Outside course on March 21, 2024 and April 25, 2024. This course is designed to provide teachers with...
Festival of Trees Workshop Prepares Educators to Teach Forestry
When Elizabeth Nightingale announced that she would offer forestry classes next fall, Eatonville High School students responded enthusiastically. By April, the classes were full β even though they wonβt start until September. βIβve gotten a lot of interest,β says...
Walla Walla – Local Ecosystem Restoration
In a remarkable collaboration, educators and environmentalists from Sharpstein Elementary in Walla Walla, WA, embarked on a transformative journey of experiential learning. Led by 5th-grade teachers Mr. James, Mr. VanDonge, and Ms. Keyes, alongside Principal Mrs....
Students Take to the Landscape to Learn About Stewardship, Scientific Fieldwork, and Careers in Their Communities
Feet were running, students were talking, the sun was shining as over 400 students made their way to the big tents to kick off their STEAM in the Field events at various locations across north central Washington. This is the fourth year that NCESD has been able to...
Integrating Computer Science into Science Grades 3-8
In our ever-changing digital society, we can all benefit from understanding how computers and coding shape our world. To break down stereotypes primary and secondary students may have about technology and computer science, this project engages them in coding. Based...