Welcome
IN 2007 Dr. Sarah Nelson, from the University of Maine, led a group of high school students and their teacher on a field research trip in Acadia National Park's Schoodic peninsula. In the dead of winter the forested landscape of the peninsula came alive with students conducting and presenting authentic, original research on mercury cycling in Maine watersheds. The Acadia Learning Project grew out of that original scientist-teacher-student partnership.
The Acadia Learning Project is part of the larger research and education program at Acadia National Park's Schoodic Education and Research Center. Consequently, it builds on scientific work at Acadia and other National Parks, engaging students and teachers in research that is of interest to the park and to research partners at a variety of colleges and universities.
The Acadia Learning Project works to bring the science at Acadia and other National Parks out to the schools. We do this by working with curriculum coordinators and teachers in different school districts across Maine, expanding over time to neighboring states. We provide curriculum materials, summer institutes, professional development during the school year, direct support from research scientists, and a professional learning community made up of teachers and scientists working together.
There are two underpinning themes to all of our projects:
- Our commitment to building a community of teachers and scientists who encourage authentic research in the classroom, and
- Our ongoing Data Literacy research
Current Project Activity:
Nitrogen Cycling and Watersheds
These projects are funded by grants from Maine Department of Education (MeDOE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This website is the worksite that allows us to communicate with project teams, create and distribute curricular material, store and provide project-specific data, support data literacy and maintain an online space for community involvement.
