Tamra Willis's Page

We all care about the well-being of our students and want to provide a positive environment in which students are healthy and motivated and learning content in creative ways. Every educational setting, whether urban or rural, has such a place … outdoors. 10 Reasons To Take Your Students Outside With links to the original research and studies to back up each statement. 1.     Nature is everywhere! Every school, home and daycare has some kind of outdoor space nearby where teachers can take…See More

Something fishy is going on in schools across the country, and this time it has nothing to do with mandates or testing requirements! Students from kindergarten to high school are raising fish in tanks in the classroom, and learning content and stewardship in the process. Conservation organizations and state natural resource agencies generally sponsor and support teachers as they raise local species such as trout, salmon, catfish, or shad with these educational programs. There may be no better…See More

The Lost Ladybug Project (LLP) is a wonderful citizen science project for all age groups and it is especially appealing to parents and teachers of children in grades PreK-6. Why? Unlike more complex citizen science projects, this one is designed so that even young children can participate in every aspect of the scientific research.  Developed in 2000 by entomologists at Cornell University, participants in the project help locate…See More

Locating funds and in-kind support for outdoor activities with kids is not that difficult. Educators I know have found all kinds of support right in their own communities. Others have received major funding from state and national foundations or granting programs. Timing is important and so is the way you go about asking. To begin the process, you should carefully think through your program goals and objectives. What do you hope to accomplish and why? How will the program benefit children?…See More