Educator Trainings

Teacher ORIENT (Let the Teachers Have a Turn)

May 9th-10th, 2008

Teacher ORIENT Registration Materials

Who:      Workshops are open to any informal or formal educators, but geared toward middle

               school science teachers.  Certificates of Completion will be provided, so CEU credits

               may be requested.

Why:      So many teachers have seen or heard about Betsy-Jeff Penn's new ORIENT Project.

              One of the most common responses has been, "Do you do this with teachers?"  or

              "Wow, can I take part in that myself?"  So here it is, the opportunity for teachers to

              play and learn.    

How:      Teachers will follow a very similar schedule as the students that might come through

              the ORIENT Project, first learning more details about latitude, longitude and

              topographic maps, then moving on to the workings of the GPS units.   Once

              comfortable with this knowledge, teachers will search for geocaches on the Center's

              property, fulfilling the scientific and mathematical tasks required of them at each

              geocache. 

Where:  With both classroom space and 220 acres of outdoor exploration space, the

              4H  Center is a fabulous learning laboratory.  Meals will be served family style in the   

             dining hall, and accommodations will be provided in Penn's onsite cabins.  

Cost:     $36 per person  includes four meals, one night lodging, all program materials and

              instruction.   (Offsite lodging does not create a discount)  

North Carolina Teaching Fellows

Junior Enrichment Sessions 2008

The Betsy-Jeff Penn 4H Educational Center has provided leadership and experiential education training to rising juniors in the NC Teaching Fellows program for over ten years.  This year, two session topics have been offered, and participants are enrolling via the Teaching Fellows website.

Experiential Education - Life Skills Emphasis

Outdoor Adventure Tour of NC's Piedmont  

Customized Trainings

Betsy-Jeff Penn’s professional staff is very familiar with the experiential learning model, and excited to bring it to the staff  of any public or private school in a way that is accessible and fun.  Trainings can be adapted to fit the interests or needs of specific schools, but often include one or more of the following core topics:

Experiential Education Model

Facilitation of Group Initiatives

Debriefing/Processing of Team Challenges

Compass Skills

GPS & Geocaching

For more information on how these topics are used with students within Betsy-Jeff Penn's own programming, check out the Educational Field Trips and School Programs.