National Association for Multicultural Education Annual Conference

Running-Grass delivered workshop: Developing Multicultural Environmental Education Programs

Review of Land Ethic Leader Program (closed meeting), and Building a Land Ethic: Teaching and Learning Across Boundaries, (a public conference)

Running grass will present Discovering, Including and Integrating Environmental Perspectives and Values in Multicultural Education This interactive session explores the relationship between cultural and environmental information and the implications for incorporating environmental perspectives and values into multicultural education. Moving from a solid foundation built over the past 25 years, multicultural education is positioned now to reflect environmental perspectives and values into its core work and sphere of concern. All cultural groups have deeply embedded environmental histories that find voice in cultural practices and expressions. Responding to these positive histories at a time of environmental crisis, struggle and possibility presents a visionary opportunity for NAME and its mission a theme of this conference. This interactive session seeks to introduce educators to culturally relevant environmental information and demonstrate how it can be incorporated and integrated into the practices of multicultural education.

This experiential and lecture based workshop gives teachers opportunities to explore personal racial and cultural histories that shape their interactions with students, curricula and teaching strategies. A framework and resources will be provided that lend insight into the rich environmental histories and perspectives embedded in the backgrounds of their students and how they can be applied in environmental learning. This workshop is designed for K - 12 teachers. Running Grass, Founder and Executive Director of Three Circles Center for Multicultural Environmental Education, will facilitate this workshop with the support of NatureBridge educators. A short survey and reading/writing assignment prior to the workshop will be assigned to prepare participants for the experience. Participants in this workshop will enjoy both indoor and outdoor environments.  ___________________________ Letter to Nature Bridge Participants (.doc) Videos Pre-Workshop Viewing: Please view any three the following film clips available on YouTube.  Come to the workshop prepared to share your responses to the clips including your questions, points that resonated with you personally and/or professionally, and information that sparked action or motivated you to further inquiry. You may, of course, view more than three if you wish.  Doing so will enhance our workshop experience! Christine Sleeter: Critical Family History, Race […]

Multicultural Approaches to Outdoor Education March 17-19 This experiential and lecture based workshop for classroom teachers and environmental educators working with K - 12 students is facilitated by Running Grass, Founder and Executive Director of Three Circles Center for Multicultural Environmental Education, with the support of NatureBridge educators. A short survey and reading/writing assignment prior to the workshop will be assigned to prepare participants for the experience. During the workshop participants will: Explore personal racial and cultural histories that shape their interactions with students. Receive frameworks and resources that lend insight into the rich environmental histories and perspectives embedded in the backgrounds of their students and how they can be applied in environmental learning. Examine curricula and observe teaching strategies that support all students in the outdoor classroom. Explore multicultural connections to science and outdoor education. More instructional time will be indoors than outdoors. (Tuition includes lodging, meals, and NatureBridge-led instruction; 20 clock hours available at $4 each) Register now!  

Running-Grass presented a slide presentation on Cultural Environmental Histories by video conference to  Federal Wildlife Officers as part of the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Land Ethics Leaders program training.  The multi-day training was held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s training center in West Virginia.