Alan R. Berkowitz
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

In the Schoolyard Ecology for Elementary School Teachers (SYEFEST) project, our "students" were elementary teachers. This program, funded by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency, addressed the question, "What kinds of experiences, resources and support do teachers need in order to teach ecology 1) outdoors and 2) using student-centered, inquiry-based methods?"

The scientist/teacher teams that ran professional development programs at 17 sites around the country as part of SYEFEST were highly successful, showing that a combination of authentic research in schoolyards by teachers, reflection on teaching and learning, creation of practical teaching plans, and ongoing support were effective at stimulating outdoor teaching and fostering some growth in inquiry-based teaching.

Some of the incredible wealth of ideas, insights, strategies and resources from SYEFEST have been brought together into a first draft of a Schoolyard Ecology Leader's Handbook. Our research into teacher outcomes at 5 intensively studied sites revealed interesting syndromes of teacher practice and change as a result of SYEFEST, while also highlighting considerable constraints on outdoor, inquiry-based teaching (Hogan and Berkowitz 2000).

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