News Flash

Waukesha County, along with the School District of Waukesha and Carroll University, are pleased to announce the launch of their new cooperative science and environmental education curriculum, called Community Connections, Impacts & Actions, for the 2020-2021 school year.

The project features three key environmental educational facilities in the community: Waukesha County’s Retzer Nature Center, the School District of Waukesha’s E.B. Shurts Environmental Education Center, and Carroll University’s Prairie Springs Environmental Education Center.

“The County has tremendous assets to provide learning opportunities for all ages throughout our community,” said Paul Farrow, Waukesha County Executive. “This collaborative effort provides an advanced level of integrated and interdisciplinary programming to continue to pique student interest in science and analytical skills.”

The Community Connections, Impacts & Actions curriculum was developed over three years. The project team developed partnerships with local schools, teachers, administrators, community members and organizations to analyze the current and future needs, develop, review and pilot the curriculum and programming. The foundation of the comprehensive curriculum is a rich, standards-based classroom experience that then leverages existing community resources to further integrate science and environmental education to create an authentic learning experience for all students.

This cooperative action was the key to achieving an exciting and complementary curriculum that aims to educate more scientifically and environmentally literate citizens.

“We feel that the new curriculum will allow learners to understand and critically assess current scientific and environmental issues,” said Dan Keyser, Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning. “We also hope it results in citizens having the desire and ability to engage in these issues.”

For more information on the Community Connections, Impacts & Actions environmental education curriculum, visit: www.waukeshacounty.gov/envedu/schools/curriculum