P12 School Engagement, IU School of Education

2025 Dual Language Education Summer Institute: Last week, we hosted 64 dual language educators from 12 different disciplines from across Indiana. Great learning and sharing from June 2nd- June 6th.

Tonight, we connected middle level teachers with Dr. Maegan Capitano, a microbiologist and immunologist whose research focuses on stem cell therapies (expanding hematopoietic stem cell numbers and functions) and improving cord blood transplantation to treat cancer. She and her lab have also developed educational tools for the Save The Cord Foundation to teach about STEM cells and how people can become donors. Tonight’s online program was part of the Educational Pathways to Cancer Research project, supported by the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University School of Education, and funded by the The National Institutes of Health. Thank you to Dr. Capitano and all of the participating teachers.

Yesterday’s Educating for Environmental Change ( ) workshop was titled “Exploring Connections Between Past, Present, and Future Climate Change”. It tasked educators to investigate a range of tools - geological, biological, and chemical - that provide clues of past climates and how this evidence helps frame likely scenarios for our future. The workshop was led by Dr. Simon Brassell and Dr. Julia Kelson from IU Bloomington’s Department of Earth and Atnodpheric Sciences as well as Dr. Broxton Byrd, Director of IU’s Center for Earth and Environmental Sciences. Thank you to all of the dedicated educators who attended today as well as Dr. Michael Hamburger. Thank you also to Indiana University School of Education, Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University, and our generous funders.

Last night’s Educating for Environmental Change First Tuesday program was facilitated by Dr. Eduardo Brondizio, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University Bloomington, and recent awardee of the Tyler Prize, the Nobel for environmental achievement. Dr. Brondizio talked about his research in the Amazon Rainforest. He provided an overview of the social and environmental transformation of the Amazon over the past 50 years and highlighted current pressures affecting the region, including deforestation and mining, social inequities and illegal economies, and the impacts of climate change. Thank you to the more than 40 educators who joined us tonight as well as to the Indiana University School of Education, Environmental Resilience Institute, and our generous funders.

Global Deliberations Collaborative Workshop with teachers at Indiana University Southeast today! Such a meaningful engagement with global topics!

We had another full house for yesterday’s Educating for Environmental Change ( ) workshop. Thank you to Chris Sperry for facilitating “Science, Critical Thinking, and Disinformation: Integrating Media Literacy into Instruction” and providing the participating teachers with innovative lessons and practices to engage students with the habits-of-thinking necessary in our hyper-mediated world. Chris is the Director of Curriculum and Staff Development for Project Look Sharp, a media literacy initiative at Ithaca College that he co-founded in 1996 - and has been a collaborator for the last four years. Although his workshop focused on socio-scientific issues, the workshop was open to interdisciplinary teachers across Indiana and he provided numerous lessons on topics for every classroom. Thank you to the teachers who participated and specifically, Lisa Kroll for your reflections about integrating media literacy in your science classes. Thank you also to Spencer Perry for all of your help and support setting up this workshop and to Charlie Blake for making the trip from Southern Illinois University to share your insights with us. Lastly, thank you to Indiana University School of Education, Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University and our generous funders.

2025 Spring Workshop for Dual Language educators last week. 43 educators from 9 different districts!

Working with dual language educators at Indianapolis Public Schools today, collaborating with Amy Mosquera, Adelante Educational Specialists!

Today’s Educating for Environmental Change ( ) workshop was titled “Teaching Tonorrow’s Ecology: Fostering Student Innovation in Biodiversity Solutions” and focused on the theory of island biodiversity and utilizing the theory to develop solutions to our most vexing ecological challenges. The lessons used our understanding of mechanisms that shaped past ecological communities to make sense of the present. Oh, and we also discussed plant communities in the biology department’s greenhouse. Thank you to our facilitators Dr. Armin Moczek and Dr. Kirstin Milks and to the 22 dedicated educators who participated. Thank you also to Indiana University School of Education, Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University, the Indiana University Department of Biology, as well as our generous funders.

This week’s Educating for Environmental Change ( ) First Tuesday online program featured a talk by Dr. Chanh Kieu from Indiana University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. The talk was titled “Hurricanes and Climate Change: Understanding and Quantifying Impacts”. Thank you to the 35 teachers who - during the start of their school year - participated in the program to learn more about extreme weather events. Thank you also to Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University, Indiana University School of Education, and our generous funders.