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Kids in the forest observing fungus

Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative

Connecting Educators, Engaging Students, and Caring for the Upper Valley

The Upper Valley is a place of breathtaking forests, winding rivers, and vibrant communities—one that we cherish and have a responsibility to protect. Connecting young people to the land, their communities, and the rich ecosystems around them is essential to ensuring a future where both people and nature thrive.

That’s where the Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative (UVTPC) comes in. We bring together educators, schools, and professional development providers to collaborate, share resources, and strengthen place-based ecological education (PBEE) across the region. By working together, we ensure that every student has the opportunity to explore, understand, and care for the places they call home.

Join us in deepening the connection between learning and place—because when students truly know their communities, they’re inspired to take care of them.

What the UVTPC has to offer you

  • A dynamic local network of passionate peers who can support you in your PBEE work

  • Blog posts highlighting stories of local PBEE practitioners, events, training opportunities, and grant listings.

  • On-site presentations to educate staff on PBEE professional development opportunities in the Upper Valley

  • Individualized consultations to help you determine and connect to the PBEE resources that are right for you

  • An annual conference bringing together practitioners from around the region to share and learn about best practices in PBEE

  • Easy access to PBEE resources and networking opportunities through our website

  • Opportunities to join our Community of Practice (CoP), become an educator leader for ECAP, or create your own opportunities for connection and share them with us

Educational Resources

Access Curricula Lists for each grade range, book lists for educators, and resources for learning at home related to PBEE.

Research and Evaluation Library

The Benefits of Environmental Education for K-12 Students

Experts at Stanford University systematically searched the academic literature and analyzed 119 peer-reviewed studies published over a 20-year period that measured the impacts of environmental education for K-12 students. The review found clear evidence that environmental education programs provide a variety of benefits. Not surprisingly, the studies clearly showed that students taking part in environmental education programming gained knowledge about the environment. But learning about the environment is just the tip of the iceberg.

PBE: A report from the Place-based Education Evaluation Collaborative

Place-based education immerses students in local heritage, culture, ecology, landscapes, opportunities, and experiences as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and other subjects.

Regional Collaboration for Sustainability via Place-Based Ecology Education

Place-based Ecology Education (PBEE) has emerged as a compelling approach to achieving the sustainability goals of Environmental Education (EE), including helping children understand, care about, and take action to protect the environment. Collaboration for teacher training can amplify and expand the reach and effectiveness of PBEE within a given geographic region. This case study of a collaborative of five PBEE professional development organizations provided a noteworthy example of collective evaluation. The primary data source was quantitative and qualitative analysis of 156 survey responses from K-12 classroom teachers, administered from 2016 to 2018 in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont. On average, teachers reported medium-sized (Cohen’s was 0.4 to 0.6), statistically significant changes over the prior year for all six PBEE core practices measured. Teacher responses to open-ended survey items suggested that PBEE often involves coordination between and contribution from multiple players with different roles but similar goals. Cross tabulation with quantitative results suggested that collaboration within schools was a central factor associated with high levels of PBEE practice.

UVTPC Teacher Practice Survey: 2016-2017 Highlights

This report highlights the most potent findings and recommendations from administering a recently developed survey tool to measure teacher practice change related to PBEE. The survey is intended to provide longitudinal tracking of classroom teacher implementation of PBEE core practices in the region, as well as to inform refinements to PBEE PD.
Hopeful Stories
Kindergarten Worms and Cycles
01:53
2024 UVTPC Fall Conference
02:00
VINS Science Symposium
01:51
Salamander Scientists
02:17
Green Building Design Project
01:56
4th Grade Gardeners
01:29
Our Shared Work

The UVTPC is a network of Upper Valley educators working together to advance high-quality place-based ecology education.  We share the following vision statement:  

All Upper Valley students are deeply engaged in education that fosters

ecological understanding and connection to place.

Contact Us 

Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative

New Hampshire & Vermont

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