OASIS Conference sessions announced! Please share
Liz Cutler
From Classroom to Community: Student-Led Learning and Place-based Action, Margo Andrews, The Pennington School.
This session will share the design and outcomes of Environmental Science in Action, a high school elective where students investigated and addressed local flooding caused by climate-driven extreme rainfall. Participants will learn how place-based science empowered students to tackle an issue that often feels overwhelming by applying their learning to real-world problems, connecting with local leaders, and making a tangible impact in their community. The work we did could be tailored to fit elementary and middle school classes.
The Success of Fitting it ALL In: Interdisciplinary Climate Change Education, Cari Gallaher, Lawrence Public Schools.
This presentation will focus on helping teachers develop an interdisciplinary lens of incorporating Climate Change Education in other areas in the curriculum. Literature, sustainable materials, and Subject To Climate lesson plans/Units will be explored and shared with educators to strengthen their CCE instruction while still successfully achieving the mandated time essential of core content areas.
The Power and Practice of Outdoor Learning:
Wild Places - Connections Fostering an Ecological Mindset, Alex Lytle, The Pennington School
Small School, Big Impact: Leveraging Nature to Sustain Community, Nicole Lango, The Painted Oak School.
Sustainability isn’t only about green practices — it’s about people. In this talk, discover how a small nature school grew deep roots through community connection, shared ownership, and nature-anchored culture, and learn how you can cultivate the same lasting impact within your school community. You’ll leave with simple, adaptable strategies to foster belonging, strengthen partnerships, and bring outdoor learning and community-centered practices into school settings of any size or structure.
Project based learning for sustainability,
Boots in the Stream: Fostering Environmental Stewardship Through Project-Based Learning Kate Obrien, Stuart Country Day School.
How can we help students cultivate the belief that they can shape a brighter future for our planet? This presentation will explore the value of real-world change-making opportunities embedded in Project-Based Learning (PBL), illustrated through project examples from the LS STEM Lab at Stuart Country Day School.
Utilizing Experiential Learning Opportunities to Cement Students' Understanding of Climate Change, Crista Delany and Jana Reilly Egg Harbor High School.
This workshop will focus on how to facilitate project-based learning related to sustainability at your school. The project-based learning that will be highlighted in this presentation involved students growing dune grass in the greenhouse to see what specific nutrients and growing conditions dune grass needs. Students then were involved with a beach stabilization project that had students planting the dune grass on a local beach. Grant money was used to facilitate this project and there will be a discussion on how to apply for grants as well as how this particular project and projects like this can be used to accumulate points from EcoSchool in order to become a Green Flag school.
Gardening with Students for Climate and Community, Tiffany Borsch, Friends' Central School, Wynnewood, PA.
Feeling overwhelmed by climate change? Discover how teaching students to grow and share food transforms despair into action; you can begin without any experience. This session explores the FCS PreK–5 school garden model—where science, sustainability, and community intertwine to empower young climate activists through the simple, hopeful act of growing food.
Sustainability Success at Six Schools and Lessons Learned Along the Way, Jenny Ludmer, Princeton Public Schools.
Participants will learn about the efforts to make Princeton Public Schools more sustainable over the past few years and the lessons learned along the way. This includes efforts at all six schools through their green teams, two naturalized detention basins, two electric school buses, and the quest for solar and workplace charging.
Creating and Sustaining a Climate Action Plan in Schools, Carolyn McGrath, Art Teacher, Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
Learn how student-led action can create real change in schools! In 2023, Hopewell Valley Central High School students presented a bold climate proposal that led to the creation of a Climate Action Committee and a 5-year Climate Action Plan. Join Carolyn McGrath, the students’ advisor and committee co-chair, to uncover practical strategies for supporting impactful, student-driven initiatives in your own school community.
Project-Based and Experiential Learning
Hands on Learning Opportunities Makes Sustainability Possible, Lisa Coster, Reading Fleming Intermediate School
Beyond the certifications--during this session learn how to bring student engagement to the forefront of your sustainability efforts such as recycling, repurposing, and student research projects. We will share lessons learned from our school garden, hydroponics, and Trout in the Classroom, and happily provide suggestions on what to focus on if you are getting started with Sustainable Jersey certification.
b. Designing an Innovative Environmental Education Program through K-12 and Nonprofit Partnerships, Steve Laubach, The Lawrenceville School.
Attendees will learn: How partnerships with local nonprofits can help deliver high quality student-led environmental education in a community service program; the importance of supporting community members in connecting with nature through ongoing rather than one-off programs; the logistics involved in setting up a partnership with 3 or more community partners
9. Growing Green: How Student-Led Action Earned Lincoln Middle School the Eco-Schools Green Flag, Karen Cristalli, Lincoln Middle School
Discover how Lincoln Middle School students turned sustainability lessons into action--creating gardens, greenhouses, and community projects that led to their first EcoSchools Green Flag. Learn how student leadership and curriculum integration can grow lasting environmental change in any school.