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Upcoming Professional Development Sessions

Fresh for Winter 2025, we are excited to share our NY Sun Works Professional Learning Programming opportunities for the first half of this school year! Please sign up for any PLs that would benefit you and your students and follow up with your curriculum specialist with any questions. Thank you, we look forward to seeing you there! 

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF FROM PARTNER SCHOOLS:

Children hold up their leafy harvest.

JANUARY

Climate Action Day Workshop PD: Energy

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers

When: January 13; January 15

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Wednesday, January 15th | 12-1pm | Register Here

Overview: Join us for a NYSW professional learning session to prepare for your next NYC Climate Action Day! This Climate Action Day is focused on Energy and will take place on Wednesday, February 5th. This professional learning session will give you time to plan! We will share NY Sun Works learning resources, lessons, and units related to engaging students in energy-conscious projects and action steps. You and your fellow partner teachers will brainstorm and come up with the plans to implement this in your Hydroponic Classrooms and schools!

High School Teacher PD (grades 6-12)

Who: Partner teachers grades 6-12

When: January 27 | 9:30am – 1:30pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: Attention all NY Sun Works High School Partner teachers: are you looking for a professional learning opportunity for the January 27th Professional Development Day? Join NY Sun Works to prepare for the upcoming spring semester! We will be collaborating with new and veteran high school educators to discuss hydroponics as a cross-curricular tool, workshop integrating the hydroponic classroom in Regents preparation, and share resources and opportunities to keep students engaged in sustainability initiatives post-graduation.

Teachers grouped around tables take part in a training session.

FEBRUARY

Hydroponics in Special Education Settings Round Table PD

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers

When: 

Monday, February 10 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, February 12 | 12pm-1pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: At this roundtable professional development session, teachers from D75 schools and other special education settings will collaborate and discuss best practices for integrating hydroponics and NY Sun Works curriculum into their classrooms. Teachers will discuss how they differentiate materials and lessons to fit their students’ needs and build a strong network of special education educators. 

Youth Conference Info Sessions

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers interested in attending or participating in this year’s 14th annual Youth Conference

When: 

Monday, February 24 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, February 26 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: If you are interested in learning more about our 14th annual NY Sun Works Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference, please join us at one of our information sessions. Our annual conference brings together students from hundreds of partner classrooms across the five boroughs of NYC to share students’ own investigations and action projects through student-led presentations!

Children marvel over a NFT strip.

MARCH

Youth Conference Info Sessions

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers interested in attending or participating in this year’s 14th annual Youth Conference

When: 

Monday, March 3 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, March 5 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Monday, March 10 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, March 12 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: If you are interested in learning more about our 14th annual New York Sun Works Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference, please join us at one of our information sessions. Our annual conference brings together students in person from hundreds of partner classrooms across the five boroughs of NYC to share students’ own investigations and action projects through student-led presentations!

Climate Action Day Workshop PD: Health, Wellness, & Green Space

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers

When: 

Wednesday, March 17 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Thursday, March 19 | 12pm-1pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: Join us in a NYSW Professional Learning session to prepare for your next NYC Climate Action Day! The Climate Action Day focused on Health, Wellness, & Green Space will take place on Wednesday, April 9. This session will give you time to plan! We will share NY Sun Works learning resources, lessons, and units related to engaging students in green spaces and environmental action. You and your fellow partner teachers will brainstorm and come up with the plans to implement this in your hydroponic classrooms and schools!

ASPDP Course – Climate Education: Integrating Themes of Energy, Water, Waste into your Classroom

Who: Any educator or school staff member

When: March 1, 8, 15, 22, April 5 & 26. Registration opens 1/27/25

Where: Mix of in person, remote synchronous, and asynchronous. In person sessions will be held at 154 West 93rd Street

Overview: This course on simple sustainability with students offers K-12 teachers the unique opportunity to delve deeper into global environmental issues on a local level. Situated within the setting of a sustainable hydroponic greenhouse, this course focuses on the themes of water, waste and energy to help teachers learn more about current environmental concerns through a blend of technology, discussion, self-reflection, and hands-on projects. In addition, guest speakers, informative tours, videos and educational games offer a holistic approach to learning about real world environmental problems and how they affect different cultures, especially in terms of environmental racism. Participants will learn to question the presence of food deserts and inequities of the urban heat island effect in NYC. Climate education also involves studying how global populations are affected, with minority and indigenous peoples receiving the fewest resources and the largest impact on their communities. This six day course will consist of four in person morning sessions (9:00am-2:00pm) at 154 West 93rd Street (sessions 1,2,4, March 1, 8, 22 and April 5) followed by weekly 2.5 hours of independent asynchronous Sessions 3 and 6 (March 15 and April 26) consist of remote synchronous (9:00am-2:00pm) and asynchronous instruction as participants apply their knowledge of water, energy, and waste to demonstrate their designs of lessons, games, and interactive activities about environmental justice for their students.  All asynchronous assignments must be submitted by May 9, 2025 in order to receive full credit. This course has been approved by the DOE After School Professional Development Program (ASPDP) and may be counted for three P or A+ CREDITS/45 hours CTLE.

Children fill out information on clipboards.

APRIL

Advanced Practices in the Hydroponic Classroom PD

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers

When:

Monday, April 7 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, April 9 | 12pm-1pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: NY Sun Works partner teachers will learn and share advanced Hydroponic Classroom practices along with our Grow Support Team experts! Participants will come away from the session with new strategies to facilitate student-led investigations and experiments, grow unique and challenging new crops, and support students in designing their own hydroponic systems!

Youth Conference Workshops

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers presenting at this year’s Youth Conference

When: 

Monday, April 21 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, April 23 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: Feel free to join this workshop if you are a partner teacher whose students are participating in this year’s annual Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference! In this workshop, we will help you plan for your students’ investigations and answer any questions that you have about the event.

Climate Action Day Workshop PD: Water

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers

When: 

Monday, April 28 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Wednesday, April 30 | 12pm-1pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: Join us in a NYSW Professional Learning session to prepare for your last NYC Climate Action Day! The Climate Action Day focused on Water will take place on Wednesday, May 21. This session will give you time to plan! We will share NY Sun Works learning resources, lessons, and units related to engaging students in water and ocean conservation and action projects. You and your fellow partner teachers will brainstorm and come up with the plans to implement this in your hydroponic classrooms and schools!

Image of students at 2023 Youth Conference

MAY

Youth Conference Workshops

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers presenting at this year’s Youth Conference

When:

Monday, May 5 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Monday, May 12 | 3pm-4pm | Register Here

Where: Virtual/Zoom

Overview: Feel free to join this workshop if you are a partner teacher whose students are participating in this year’s annual Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference! In this workshop, we will help you plan for your students’ investigations and answer any questions that you have about the event.

Image of three teachers during training.

JUNE

NY Sun Works Teacher Conference

Who: All NYSW Partner Teachers

When: TBD

Where: TBD 

Overview: Current school partners – join us for our final full-day NY Sun Works professional learning session of the school year! We are rounding out the year with a round table discussion and share-outs of best practices from exemplary teachers. There will be opportunities to hear from veteran NYSW teachers, connect with one another, share ideas, and brainstorm for future activities and practices for your Hydroponic Classrooms.

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