Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is offering in-depth opportunities for teachers to explore the Smokies, while at the same time gaining hands-on field and research experiences that can be incorporated back in the classroom and schoolyard.
The Smoky Mountains Science Teacher Institute (June 15-20) is a 6-day program that allows teachers to work side by side with university scientists, park educators, and Tremont staff.  The workshop is a collaboration between Tremont, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Discover Life in America. Teachers learn how they can use the outdoors as a way to engage students in real and relevant science. Teachers discover how to teach the scientific method through salamander studies, learn how to teach physics by measuring stream flow, and gain an appreciation of biodiversity and field methods by inventorying and identifying beetles, millipedes, lichens, snails, and fireflies.
This year, Tremont also is offering an Advanced Smoky Mountains Science Teacher Institute (July 8-11); this workshop will focus not only on field methods, but also learning simple statistics and incorporating field data into a Geographic Information System (GIS).
Funding for the Smoky Mountains Science Teacher Institute is made possible through a generous grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation and an anonymous donor. The grants cover the cost of meals, lodging, and instruction. A $50 deposit is required, but will be refunded after completion of the course. Applications for both workshops are due April 1st and can be found by visiting Tremont’s website:
www.gsmit.org/programs/adult/science_teacher.html.  For more information, contact Jason Love at 865.448.9732 ext. 14 or e-mail Jason@gsmit.org.

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