Posted: July 15, 2024
Written by: Education & Outreach Coordinator, Hanna Meyer, & 2024 Summer Teacher Extern, Cassidy Frana
Winneshiek County Conservation hosted Cassidy Frana, South Winneshiek Middle School Math Teacher, through the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program this summer. The STEM Teacher Externships program aims to help teachers answer that age-old question, “When will I ever use this?”
During the summer, STEM educators work side-by-side with knowledgeable and skilled industry employees who help bring the classroom curriculum to life. STEM Teacher Externships provide educators with the exposure to answer questions about real-world application, prepare students for careers they may have in the future, and improve educational experiences.
In her time with Winneshiek County Conservation, Cassidy taught lessons at summer Discovery Camps on shelter building, predators & prey, camouflage, orienteering, geocaching, and sensory exploration. She shared her experiences with the public in the Winneshiek County Conservation booth at the Winneshiek County Fair in July. Cassidy’s experience included teaching multiple grade levels (1st-9th) at summer camps and developing ideas to further incorporate the outdoors, nature, and the real world into her math classroom. Her contributions extend the list of free lessons available to schools and other groups through the Winneshiek County Conservation Environmental Education Program.
Heading into the 2024-2025 school year, Cassidy will bring her summer experiences back to the classroom with a fun and engaging unit that ties together middle school math standards and navigating in the outdoors with compasses. For local educators like Cassidy who are looking to provide their students with real-world career information and connections, participating in the STEM Teacher Externships program with Winneshiek County Conservation is a summer well spent!
Learn more about the program at https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/iowa-stem/stem-teacher-externships. Any teachers interested in working with Winneshiek County Conservation in the summer of 2025 are invited to email education@winneshiekwild.com for more information.
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