STEAM in the Park–Acadia NP July 2022
Guest Post by Kirsten Schultz (Olinsky)

Being an educator is never easy…and these past few years have been an adverse experience for many of us…thanks, COVID.
This past July, I attended a fully immersive educator experience with Dacia and Steve Jones in Acadia National Park that was desperately needed. It was a gorgeous retreat for those of us rapidly burning out, and was the perfect mix between learning, getting motivated for another year, and relaxing. We had time to meet new educators (and future friends) from all over the
US. I saw educators from all over the country come together and share their experiences and support each other….not only making educational connections but personal ones, too. We hiked, explored, rested, and ate to our hearts’ content. We were challenged with poetry, outdoor, and STEAM lessons to use with our students. We learned quick games, songs, and outdoor activities to help our students find STEAM relevant and engaging.

Each day started with delicious, locally sourced meals before experiencing lessons knee-deep in the coastal waters of Maine tracking invasive species and focusing on UN Goal Number 14: Life Below Water. We learned why certain species have become invasive in the local waters and how it’s affecting local jobs and ecosystems. These experiences, coupled with our reinvigorated brains, boosted ideas of how to get our students out into the community and environment. The park rangers’ attitudes about education, skills, ideas, and activities were enlightening. Just off of one wonderfully detailed interactive map skill activity from Ranger Kate, there were dozens of ideas flying for the next few days from the educators of how it could be adapted to primary and secondary classrooms.

The entire experience was invigorating, encouraging, and enlightening. Want an experience to revive your love and reason for teaching AND to get refreshed? I would recommend STEAM in the Park to anyone working in the education field.

(Thanks to Kristen Albright (Acadia STEAM in the PARK) for these heartfelt words.)
The briny smell of the ocean, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks, a night of a million stars in the Milky Way, laughter and song around the campfire with my firefly friends, and miles of hikes through the spruce-scented forest—these are the moments that I treasure from my time in STEAM in the Park.  This was the most unconventional professional development I have ever attended in my 26+ years of teaching, and it truly changed my life for the better. 
When I heard from a dear friend and colleague about the first STEAM in the Park that took place last year in Acadia, I knew that I had to apply this year.  I was thrilled to learn that I had been accepted after waiting to hear for weeks.  The Zoom calls with fellow attendees in the months leading up to STEAM in the Park Acadia allowed me to have a glimpse of what was to come, making friendships and connections with teachers across the country. I was so impressed with Dacia’s organization and communication leading up to the event. 

In Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, we had several days packed with learning and networking.  The park rangers provided sessions on mapping, dichotomous keys to identify species, water quality and pH, and the methods biologists use to monitor the invasive green crab. Our STEAM in the Park ambassadors presented on literacy connections, poetry, and even a fun yoga session! Each of us had an opportunity to hone our artistic skills by painting a picture of monarch butterflies or scenery around Acadia.  Our final night was a ranger-led session on constellations under the most beautiful, star-filled sky. In between sessions, we dined together, went to town for ice cream, hiked the beautiful vistas, and took time to enjoy beautiful Acadia National Park.
After taking a few days to reflect on my time in Acadia with STEAM in the Park, I have two main takeaways that I will always cherish. First, I know now that I can do things outside of my comfort zone.  Walking over rocks and digging through seaweed to find the elusive yet invasive green crab is not something I have ever done before, but accomplishing this feat in a completely supportive environment allowed me to try something new!  Secondly, I have been reminded that teachers do make a difference. Following a few difficult years of the pandemic and beyond, my zest for teaching was somewhat diminished.  STEAM in the Park rejuvenated me by showing me how teachers can use UN Global goals to do real, important work with our students that can change the world.  We did research that scientists in the field will use and wrote lesson plans that will be used by teachers worldwide. 

The “firefly” friendships and connections that I made with fellow campers will give me the energy and support I need to make this school year a success!  I feel truly lucky to have had this opportunity and I can’t wait to apply to another park next year!

Guest Blog by Megan Rodriguez

This past week I had the opportunity to attend #STEAMinthePark with Expeditions in Education. It is unique combination of professional learning and adult summer camp. This summer the camp will take place at eight different National Parks across the country. I participated at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. This series of posts explores my reflections on the week.

 As educators we can hopefully agree that when students are engaged in hands-on experiences they are able to build their own learning and make connections to previous content. Countless philosophers, psychologists, and educators (formal and informal) agree with this.

            John Dewey says, "Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand   
            thinking, or the intentional noting of connections; learning naturally results."

            Confucius is quoted with "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

            In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle writes, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them."'

​If these hold true for students, then why not for adults and teachers as well?!? During #STEAMinthePark we were pushed into carefully planned and organized learning experiences. On the first full day we were told to gear up with water shoes and life vests. We split into groups with other educators who we had just met the previous evening to collect water samples and search for benthic macroorganisms. We used electronic and manual methods for determining water clarity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates. We then compared data with each other and in multiple locations at the site. All going back to answer a guiding question for the work: "What makes a healthy ecosystem?"

If you thought the learning experiences would end here, you're wrong! The following day we jumped back into the New River to participate in the Dragonfly Mercury Project. Similar to the dobsonfly, the larvae of dragonflies also lives in the water. The dragonfly larvae is collected by students and teachers at National Parks around the country for mercury analysis to provide insight into the health of the rivers and ecosystems (still going back to the guiding question from the previous day - see what they did there 🤯). ​​

We are thrilled to host so many educators this summer. We are also thrilled to share their thoughts. Below you will find a FB post from Patricia Cleveland, an educator from South Carolina!

Home from hands down the best #professionallearning, in the most beautiful location I have ever attended (Maui, Germany and Naples are all still up there, but man #newrivergorgenationalpark blew it out of the water). #steaminthepark was 5 days of #learning, #exploring, #investigating, #challenges, #teamwork, #science, #engineering, #art, #campfires, #smores, #math #technology (teacher summer camp ). 5 days in the outdoors investigating how everything in our world is interconnected from #watersamples and #macroinvertebrates to helping collect samples for the #mercury #dragonflyproject and doing a #moth inventory. 5 days of trying new things, and being reminded that you need to be #brave and just go and do and learn. We learned from all of the #nationalparkrangers that dedicated their time and energy to teaching us about everything from #fishing, the history of the park and surrounding region (railroad and coal mine towns and how they interacted and depended on one another) to collecting samples of the #water in the #NewRiver, #macroinvertebrates, #moth #inventory (at least 4 new to NERI species were photographed) to the mercury #dragonfly project samples. Then there was really scary parts that reminded me that I have to step out of my comfort zone and be brave sometimes like going to a conference where I’ve only “met” two other participants through our teacher group and therefore didn’t know a soul, to doing the @bridgewalkwv at 851 feet above the river with a walk of over a half mile, (Paul was the best guide, he knew so much of the history and engineering of the bridge, a natural #teacher) to @aceadventureresort #whitewaterrafting (thanks Scottie O for the most exhilarating ride!and another natural born teacher, he can tell you all of the information about the formation of the rapids and history of the gorge *amazing jokes too ) I can’t thank @newrivernps @nationalparkservice and @expeditionsineducation enough for this opportunity to attend “teacher summer camp” and I am saving my pennies already so I can go to #steaminthepark again next summer. Teacher friends put the first week of January in your calendar now to sign up for one of these events! New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Expeditions In Education ACE Adventure Resort BridgeWalk National Park Service

Thanks Patti for sharing your experience!