Recognized as a leader in environmental education for 40 years, Project Learning Tree® (PLT) provides PreK-12 teachers, curriculum coordinators and district supervisors, and other school staff and administrators with:
 
  • high-quality professional development
  • multi-disciplinary instructional materials aligned with state and national academic standards
  • a GreenSchools service-learning program, and
  • grants for action projects.

VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
 

PLT training
PLT’s professional development is offered through carefully designed in-person workshops, online courses, or blended trainings. More than 20,000 educators attend PLT workshops annually to learn how to integrate environmental and sustainability education into their teaching and become comfortable teaching outdoors—in urban, suburban, and rural environments. Continuing education credits are available in most states.
 
  • In-person trainings include one-day workshops, in-service days, after school programs, a series of classes spread throughout a semester, week-long institutes, and other sustained and intensive models. These events are planned and conducted by certified facilitators and customized for specific grade levels, topics, and teaching situations.
    Find an in-person Project Learning Tree workshop in your state.
   


PLT’s instructional materials (included with professional development) consist of comprehensive sets of grade-specific lesson plans and units that are practical and fun, as well as state-specific resources. The training teaches educators how best to use PLT’s investigation-based materials with students in their own setting, and how to engage students with (and draw upon) their community in learning about and taking action to address local environmental issues. PLT activities are:
 
  • hands-on and flexible, adaptable to different settings and easily incorporated into existing curriculum
  • multi-disciplinary and teach to core subjects, especially STEM, reading, writing, and social studies
  • correlated to state and national academic standards including  Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards’ three-dimensional approach.

Learn more about Project Learning Tree’s instructional materials.
 


PLT’s GreenSchools program inspires students to apply their STEM and investigative skills to create greener and healthier schools – and save schools money. Importantly with PLT GreenSchools, it’s students who lead the way. Students learn they can make a difference in the world as they are empowered to make changes and take ownership of the projects they lead to reduce their school’s environmental footprint.
 
  • Five PLT GreenSchools Investigations provide a blueprint for student Green Teams to examine their school’s energy use, waste and recycling, water consumption, school site, and environmental quality (such as indoor air quality, school transportation, and use of chemicals) — and establish benchmarks.
  • Using the results of their investigations, students select, design, and implement one or more action projects, and measure their impacts.
  • PLT’s GreenWorks! grants can providing funding.

Join Project Learning Tree’s GreenSchools program.
 


PLT’s GreenWorks! grants help fund environmental service-learning projects at schools and in communities. The projects incorporate environmental education, link classroom learning with the real world, provide leadership opportunities for youth, and involve local community members.
 
  • The annual deadline to apply for a PLT GreenWorks! grant is September 30th.
  • To be eligible, applicants must have attended a PLT training.

Learn how to submit a grant proposal.