Hundreds of teachers and other professionals are earning continuing education units by teaming up to work, learn and play in intense and unforgettable professional development programs at any of several National Parks. These unique, back-to-nature working and service learning adventures are designed to provide teachers, their family and friends with a meaningful and rewarding experience.

Under SB813, teachers are required to earn 150 hours of professional growth activities every five years. You can accumulate these hours with Continuing Education courses. Participants may earn 3 CEUs by completing the course. Learn about the courses offered in Hawaii, Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Families are welcome.

Tropical Gems of the Pacific

Hundreds of teachers and other professionals are teaming up to work, learn and play in intense and unforgettable expeditions at any of several National Parks. These unique, back-to-nature working and learning adventures are designed to provide teachers, their family and friends with a meaningful, rewarding and enriching experience.

This professional development course provides teachers with an extraordinary opportunity to observe, first-hand the ongoing geological, biological and cultural forces that interact to shape the intriguing and beautiful Hawaiian Islands.

Coursework covers the formation of the Hawaiian Archipelago, the arrival of plants and animals, the advent of the first Hawaiians, the impact of Captain Cooks' arrival, and Hawaii's cultural renaissance.

To support the coursework, students will need to acquire a copy of, Hawaii's Natural History by author Alan Ziegler. This beautiful pictorial published by University of Hawaii Press will help students gain insight into Hawaii’s natural and cultural histories.

As part of this professional development opportunity, science teachers will have a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and work alongside park biologists to apply resource management practices designed to protect the endangered flora and fauna in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. After volunteering on critical conservation projects, participants will enjoy an instructional tour around the Big Island that will focus on Hawaii's cultural history.

Along the way teachers will learn about and explore key geological, biological and historic sites. Points of interest include lush 800-year-old rainforests, desolate beaches, spectacular waterfalls, remote archeological ruins, coral reefs teaming with undersea life and active volcanoes where glowing lava can be seen cascading into a moonlit ocean.

Bring your family for a memorable vacation or recommend this page to colleagues and friends who would want to share in this rewarding experience. For more information about the Hawaii Expedition visit our Hawaii Page.

Exploring the Sierra Nevada

Many see the Sierra Nevada as a spectacle - grand in scale, draped in brilliant sky, dominated by glacial peaks and thunderous waterfalls. This is the awe-inspiring Sierra Nevada -- timeless, enduring and a monument to the age of glaciers. However, hidden within it, visible to only a few, is another Sierra Nevada, mysterious, vital and constantly changing.

This is the Sierra Nevada we invite you to discover. This professional development course will explore the geological, biological and cultural forces that have interacted to create one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the world.

To gain practical field experience and further understanding of the park's natural history, teachers will engage in the hands-on preservation of the Sierra Nevada's rare and threatened ecosystems. Teachers will have a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and work alongside park biologists to apply resource management practices designed to protect the endangered flora and fauna in either Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

Participants will devote two days to working on a critical conservation project and three days to an instructional tour of the respective parks. Along the way, participants will learn about and explore key geological, biological and historic sites.

Points of interest include dramatic displays of glacial carvings, spectacular waterfalls, archeological, historical ruins, remote meadows teaming with a complex array of life and breathtaking vistas where geological and biological forces have interacted to create some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Bring your family for a memorable vacation and/or recommend this page to colleagues and friends who would want to share in this rewarding experience.