Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program that focuses on wildlife and habitat. The goal of Project WILD is to develop awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment resulting in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment.
Project WILD connects kids to stewardship and nature through:
- Simulations of ecological, social, and political phenomena,
- Stewardship activities,
- Field investigations,
- "WILD Work" career explorations,
- "In Step with STEM" extensions, and
- Outdoor learning
Project WILD materials provide pre-K through 12th grade educatotrs with content and background information to incorporate wildlife topics in their teaching. The cross-curriculuar activities help address education content and standards in science, social studies, English/ language arts, math, and expresive arts.
On this page, you will find information on Project WILD's self-paced educator professional development courses. For information about in-person professional development opportunities in your area, visit www.projectwild.org and click on "Get training."
To register for online courses, go to the Project WILD Online Store.
2024 Courses
Courses will be open through December 31, 2024. They include:
- Project WILD
- Aquatic WILD
- Climate & Wildlife
- Flying WILD
- Growing Up WILD (being updated and not currently available)
- Bat Blitz (being updated and not currently available)
Project WILD Online 2024
Who: Formal and non-formal educators for grades 5-9
When: Open until December 31, 2024.
Cost: $21.63
How to register: go to the Project WILD Online Store***
Description: This 6-hour self-paced course will take you through six Project WILD activities published in the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide, as well as learning about wildlife conservation in North America, and how to apply related principles in your teaching. Through readings, videos, and hands-on components, you will become familiar with Project WILD pedagogy and comfortable using the guide.
***In some locations in the United States, this course might be tailored with state-specific information and managed in conjunction with a state project WILD coordinator, who may have additional assignment requirements in order for you to receive a certificate. To inquire if your state offers a state-specific version of Project WILD Online, contact your state Project WILD coordinator.
Required Materials
- Computer with Internet access.
- For the activity Adaptation Artistry, you will need assorted art supplies and craft materials (i.e. paper lunch bag, pom poms, googly eyes, feathers, construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, etc.)
Will I need a copy of the Project WILD guide? No, you do NOT need a copy of the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide to take this course. You will have Internet (Dropbox) access to read-only copies of activities while you taking the course. Once you complete the course, you will be provided with information on how to purchase a copy of the curriculum guide if you choose to do so. The cost for the guide, including shipping and handling, is $42.97.
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Aquatic WILD Online 2024
Who: Formal and non-formal educators for grades 3-12
When: Open through December 31, 2024.
Cost: $21.63
How to register: go to the Project WILD Online Store***
Description: This 6-8 hour self-paced course will take you through six modules that involve the use of activity lessons and resources from the publication Aquatic WILD: K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide (often referred to as “Aquatic WILD Guide”). The activities from the Aquatic WILD Guide cover concepts, principles and issues relating to aquatic wildlife, aquatic habitats and ecosystems, and actions for sustaining aquatic species and habitats. Through readings, videos, reflection exercises, and hands-on components, you will become familiar with Project WILD pedagogy and comfortable implementing a set of activities from the Aquatic WILD Guide.
***In some locations in the United States, this course might be tailored with state-specific information and managed in conjunction with a state project WILD coordinator, who may have additional assignment requirements in order for you to receive a certificate. To inquire if your state offers a state-specific version of Aquatic WILD Online, contact your state Project WILD coordinator.
Required Materials
- Computer with Internet access.
Will I need a copy of the Aquatic WILD guide? No, you do NOT need a copy of the Aquatic WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide to take this course. You will have Internet (Dropbox) access to read-only copies of activities while you taking the course. Once you complete the course, you will be provided with information on how to purchase a copy of the curriculum guide if you choose to do so. The cost for the guide, including shipping and handling, is $37.82.
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Flying WILD Online 2024
Who: Formal and non-formal educators for grades 4-8
When: Open through December 31, 2024.
Cost: $21.63
How to register: go to the Project WILD Online Store***
Description: This 8-hour self-paced course helps formal and non-formal educators connect topics about migratory birds to school curriculum and out-of-school programing. Through readings, videos, hands-on components, and shared reflections, you will become familiar with Flying WILD activities and a set of concepts, principles, and teaching methods connected to learning about birds and environmental stewardship. Flying WILD materials are targeted at upper elementary and middle level students (grades 4-8), however older audiences, including adult audiences, will also find the content useful. In this course, educators will . . .
- Create and deliver lessons about birds and/or bird stewardship projects.
- Explain why birds are important to people for their ecological, economic, and cultural values.
- Identify common bird species in North America using bird identification strategies.
- Create models that demonstrate adaptations of birds and obstacles birds encounter during migration.
- Explain the significance of artistic depictions of birds to cultural values, to learning about, and to the conservation of birds.
- Explain how wild birds species are managed and conserved in North America, and describe stewardship activities for helping bird species conducted by individuals, community groups, and organizations.
***In some locations in the United States, this course might be tailored with state-specific information and managed in conjunction with a state project WILD coordinator, who may have additional assignment requirements in order for you to receive a certificate. To inquire if your state offers a state-specific version of Flying WILD Online, contact your state Project WILD coordinator.
Required Materials:
- Computer with Internet access.
- For the activity Adaptation Artistry, you will need assorted art supplies and craft materials (i.e. paper lunch bag, pom poms, googly eyes, feathers, construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, etc.)
Purchasing the new Flying WILD: Birds Across the Curriculum activity module is helpful, but not required. The module contains all of the activities covered in Flying WILD Online. Please note that as of July 2023, the original Flying WILD Eductors Guide is no longer in print.
Will I need a copy of the Flying WILD: Birds Across the Curriculum Activity Module? No, you do NOT need a copy of Flying WILD: Birds Across the Curriculum to take this course. You will have Internet (Dropbox) access to read-only copies of activities while you taking the course. If you would like to have a copy of this new activity module, you will be able to purchase it on the Project WILD Online Store. The cost for the activity module, including shipping and handling, is $23.10. Note that the original Flying WILD Educator's Guide to Celebrating Birds contains all eight of the activities and resources in the new activity module, so if you have a copy of the Educatror's Guide, there's no need to purchase the new activity module.
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Climate & Wildlife Online 2024
Who: Formal and non-formal educators of grades 6-12
When: Open through December 31, 2024.
Cost: $21.63
How to register: go to the Project WILD Online Store***
Description: This 6-hour self-paced course will take you through four modules that involve the use of Project WILD activities and resources to teach about climate change and climate adaptation. Through readings, videos, reflection exercises, and hands-on components, you will become familiar with Project WILD pedagogy and comfortable implementing a set of Project WILD activities that are ideal for learning about ecological and social aspects of wildlife, habitat, and a changing climate. Participants in this course will . . .
- Explain basic concepts in climate change education and climate adaptation;
- Describe strategies and best practices for teaching those concepts to your students; and
- Modify activities that focus on wildlife to teach about climate change and climate adaptation to use in your educational setting,
- Explain the mental and emotional impact climate education can have on students and educators, as well as strategies to address those impacts.
The activities are also published in the 64-page module (booklet) titled Project WILD Climate & Wildlife. This booklet is an optional purchase and is not required to take the online course. The module contains a total of eight activities: six that are reprinted from the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide, one from the Aquatic WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide, and one from Flying WILD: An Educators’ Guide to Celebrating Birds.
***In some locations in the United States, this course might be tailored with state-specific information and managed in conjunction with a state project WILD coordinator, who may have additional assignment requirements in order for you to receive a certificate. To inquire if your state offers a state-specific version of Climate & Wildlife Online, contact your state Project WILD coordinator.
Requirements:
- Internet access
- Purchasing the Climate & Wildlife module is helpful, but not required
Will I need a copy of the Climate & Wildlife guide? No, you do NOT need a copy of the Climate & Wildlife: an Activity Module for Grade 6-12 Educators. You will have Internet (Dropbox) access to read-only copies of activities while you taking the course. If you would like to have a copy of the module, you can purchase it on the Project WILD Online Store. The cost for the guide, including shipping and handling, is $23.86.
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Growing Up WILD Online
THIS COURSE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO REVISIONS. CHECK BACK IN FALL 2024 FOR UPDATES.
Who: Formal and non-formal educators of students ages 3-7
When: Currently not available. This course is being updated.
Cost: ---
How to register: go to the Project WILD Online Store***
Description: Designed for educators of children ages 3-7, Growing Up WILD builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature through outdoor exploration and 27 field-tested lessons that include over 400 experiences to share with students. These experiences involve concepts in science, math, vocabulary, art, music and movement, health and safety, and nutrition, and other subjects. The curriculum is aligned with NAEYC curriculum standards, the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework, and the USDA's MyPlate guidelines for child nutrition. The second edition of this guide, released November 2020, has been reformatted to 8.5" x 11".
***In some locations in the United States, this course might be tailored with state-specific information and managed in conjunction with a state project WILD coordinator, who may have additional assignment requirements in order for you to receive a certificate. To inquire if your state offers a state-specific version of Growing Up WILD Online, contact your state Project WILD coordinator.
Required Materials
- Computer with Internet access.
Will I need a copy of the Growing Up WILD guide?
No, you do not need the guide to complete the cours.
However, if you want to purchase
Growing Up WILD: Sharing Nature with Young Childen
go to the Project WILD Online Store.
Growing Up WILD Professional Development
helps early childhood educators
take children outdoors!
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Bat Blitz Online 2024
THIS COURSE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO REVISIONS. CHECK BACK IN OCTOBER 2024 FOR UPDATES.
Who: Formal and non-formal educators for grades 3-8
When: Currently not available. This course is being updated.
Cost: ---
How to register: go to the Project WILD Online Store***
Description: In this 2-hour self-paced course, you will learn how to implement the Project WILD activity Bat Blitz. In this activity, students simulate bats feeding on insects then perform calculations based on the number of insects caught during the activity. Students explore the ecosystem services bats provide, threats to bat populations such as white-nosed syndrom, and stewarship actions to help bats. This mini-course also provides additional resources and background informatoion on bat.
- Computer with Internet access.
Will I need a hard copy of the activity "Bat Blitz?" No, you do NOT need a paper copy of this activity that is included in the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide. You will have Internet (Dropbox) access to a read-only copy of this activity while you are taking the course. You will also have access to the Bat Blitz student pages for download.