B-Wet & Project Narragansett

Project Narragansett – Providence Schools Edition

Project Narragansett is a year-long program designed to provide quality, innovative professional development with the unique aspect of combining student field experiences. This original opportunity ultimately connects teacher training directly with their students.

Born out of the dream of designing a program that would increase Narragansett Bay curriculum in classrooms across the state, Project Narragansett has grown to serve over 200 Rhode Island teachers and has directly made over 12,000 student contacts in the past nine years. Now in its 11th year, Project Narragansett is hosting it’s 3rd Provdience Schools Edition. This is made possible through NOAA’s B-Wet (Bays Watershed Education and Training)funding.

Save The Bay collaborates with Providence Public Schools, Rhode Island’s largest school district, to provide teacher training for twenty (20) fourth grade teachers. Along with four days of innovative, hands-on, professional development through our Teacher Academy component, each teacher also receives two fully-funded field experiences for their students that include transportation funding.

Throughout the Teacher Academy, participants are exposed to the Experiential Learning Model as they enhance their content knowledge in marine studies, climate science, environmental sustainabilit,y and related disciplines. During the spring, teachers and students will unite to showcase their learning and implementation of Narragansett Bay into their curriculum through our Teachers In Action Showcase.

Teacher Academy

Teachers begin their professional development component in August for four days of hands-on, content rich experiences aboard one of Save The Bay’s education vessels. The content is rooted in environmental issues and subjects while at the same time connected to state and national science standards. The experiential learning theory is modeled throughout the program.

At the end of the week teachers create lesson plans to be used as prep work for their students field experiences with Save The Bay during the school year. All lesson plans are aligned to state and national science standards and NAAEE’s Excellence In Environmental Education guidelines. At the end of their summer training, teachers leave with tools, skills, and content to enhance their teaching practice by incorporating environmental education into their students’ learning.

A typical day during the program – Video

Topic: Diversity of Life and Connecting the History of Your Local Place to Your Classroom

  • Participant arrival, check-in, and breakfast
  • Welcomes and Introductions
  • Embark on series of trawls onboard our education vessel
  • Depart for Pawtuxet Village, with lunch served on the boat
  • Walking tour of Pawtuxet Village
  • Depart for Bay Center
  • Lesson Plans and Formal Reflection

*Journal Entry: Think of ways that you could incorporate the history of your local place into your classroom. Are there any sites within walking distance from your school? How does biodiversity fit into your classroom curriculum?

*Team Lesson Planning: Using the template provided, take what you learned today and create a lesson plan.