Schoolyard Network Course Series

Schoolyard Network Course Series

Are you an undergraduate student that needs an extra credit towards your undergraduate degree and want to spend it learning how experts teach students to learn STEM concepts outside? Are you an in-service teacher that needs to renew your license or wants to begin your master’s degree? Enroll in the series of undergraduate and graduate 1-credit courses that meet online once a month, connected in part with Tremont’s Professional Learning Community called the Schoolyard Network.

Teachers who are non-degree seeking can begin their application by completing a non-traditional application landing page here Non-Traditional Application Landing Page. 

Below is the list of events connected with 2025-2026 coursework. Similar opportunities will be posted for the 2026-27 academic year!

Upcoming Events

How might a game serve as an invitation for students into the learning process? Join Tremont staff and other educators to play “Opposites” - a game of antonyms, clues, and guesswork. After  first having the opportunity to participate as a learner, you will then debrief ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

Do you ever feel stuck only knowing an organism by its name? Join Tremont staff and other educators to join in Field Marks. You’ll have the chance to make unique insights, notice patterns, and share your connections with others in a way that goes beyond just a name. After first having the opportunity to participate as a learner, you will then debrief ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

Well, another year is about to  come to a close, and it’s time to think about what it all means/where we want to head next. Join Tremont staff and other educators to use nature art as a mechanism for reflection and meaning-making. After first having the opportunity to participate as a learner, you will then debrief ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

Past Events

Have you ever taken time to connect with a special corner of your schoolyard or backyard? Join Tremont staff and other educators to engage in “Secret Spots” - experiencing your space in a new way and getting to know it even better. We’ll then have the chance to practice the art of persuasion - convincing others why your secret spot is the one they should choose! After  first having the opportunity to participate as a learner, you will then debrief ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

The first semester of the year is just about over, and it’s important we pause and reflect to make meaning and connections. Join Tremont staff and other educators to participate in “Ten Analogies” to connect with phenomena in a new or different way. After first having the opportunity to participate as a learner, you will then debrief ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

How might a bioblitz serve as the gateway into thinking about systems and systems thinking? Join Tremont staff and other educators to engage in the nature journaling activity, String Safari - the string can be a jumping-off point for beginning to think about ecosystem modeling. Systems thinking can help students and teachers alike explain their observations or make nuanced predictions about what might happen in a given area if conditions change.

How do we use storytelling, play, and imagination to invite students into the learning process? Join Tremont staff and other educators to engage in Slippers for a Salamander - an activity that ignites curiosity and creativity while also providing pathways into learning for students across grade levels. You will first have the opportunity to participate as a learner and then debrief ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

How do we build a sense of place in our schoolyards and communities? Join Tremont staff and other educators to engage in a virtual “Level up Challenge” to connect with the outdoor space around  you through a variety of lenses - participating first as a learner and then debriefing ways you might bring the activity to life with your own grade level and content area. 

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