Course Registration
IT - Instructor Training @ Prairie Woods ELC
Prairie Woods ELC, 12718 10th St NE, Spicer, MN website
12718 10th St NESpicer, MN 56288
Are you ready to become a Minnesota Master Naturalist Instructor? With this two-phase training you will join a cohort of skilled, experienced environmental educators in delivering these 40-hour biome courses to motivated, engaged adult learners across the state. Robust textbooks and other teaching materials are provided; you will be welcome to customize course delivery based on your location and expertise.
Instructor Training Workshop Details
Day 1: Tuesday, October 17 (IN-PERSON)
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center, 12718 10th St NE, Spicer, MN 56288, http://www.prairiewoodselc.org/
We will gather from 9:30 am - 5 pm in-person to introduce the general formats, methods, resources and expectations involved with delivering MN Master Naturalist courses. A short portion of this session involves going outdoors in a sample demonstration class. Lunch is provided. Homework between sessions includes making a concrete plan with your colleagues and supervisors for when and how a MN Master Naturalist course can be offered in your setting.
Day 2: Tuesday, November 14 (VIRTUAL)
In this all-day Zoom session (9:30 am - 5 pm) we will review course ideas and plans. We will expand on the resources and support provided by the state program for your course as well as procedures for proposing a course to our online registration system. A brief review of best practices for adult education and volunteer engagement rounds out the day.
Full attendance at both sessions is required.
MN Master Naturalist Instructors are expected to have a relevant degree or equivalent experience as a professional naturalist and must be affiliated with a nature center, park, or other sponsoring organization or agency. Prospective instructors must either
- submit a letter of support from their organization stating that they support you in this role and will contribute resources (appropriate instructional space, teaching materials, administrative assistance, etc.) to support a training
- or complete the Freelance Instructor Application found at https://z.umn.edu/MNatFreelanceInstructor
Letters/applications must be emailed to astrauss@umn.edu before September 11.
Learn more about becoming a Minnesota Master Naturalist Instructor at http://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/about/instructor/
Cost is $75 which includes all teaching materials and lunch on the in-person day. Your class fee will be refunded if you teach a class within two years of taking the training.
The course cost is $75 and includes course manuals and supplies.
Course Dates:
Meeting from 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on:
- Tuesday, October 17, 2023
- Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Instructor Information
Amy received a BA in Elementary Education from the College of St. Scholastica and a MEd in Environmental Leadership and Learning from the University of MN. She has worked for cooperative extension for 30+ years in various positions, but has always tied her work to the environment. Amy has been a part of the Minnesota Master Naturalist program since it's beginnings in 2005. She is a native Minnesotan, from the Duluth area. She has always loved the outdoors and enjoys sharing her love and knowledge with others.
Andrea Lorek Strauss grew up playing outdoors at every opportunity. Today, she is an Extension Professor with the University of Minnesota Extension with a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction/Outdoor Education. Her career focuses on environmental education, including past work for the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN, the Prairie Ecology Bus Center in southwest Minnesota, and various naturalist roles in the Boston area, northern Minnesota, and New York state.
Sponsor Information
Register Now!
Seats Taken: 4 of 40