Professional Learning
Empower your teaching practice!
We provide professional learning workshops that equip educators with the tools and confidence to lead high-quality environmental science lessons.
You don’t have to book a field trip to engage your students in the James River! Our training sessions focus on the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) framework, ensuring your curriculum meets state standards for environmental literacy. Participants engage in hands-on activities while earning valuable professional learning points toward recertification.
Whether held at the James A. Buzzard River Education Center or in the field, our workshops help you bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world James River education.
Professional Learning Opportunities
Fall 2026
This fall, the James River Association invites educators to step outside the classroom and dive into local ecology, real-world data, and regional geology through our hands-on professional development workshops. Designed to empower teachers with SOL-aligned, immersive experiences, these fall sessions provide practical tools to foster science discourse about local environmental issues—from analyzing fish catch trends and mapping sturgeon migrations using JRA data to exploring Virginia’s rich geological history with custom rock and fossil kits. Whether you are touring local green infrastructure projects, building cardboard structures with a Chompsaw tool, or utilizing the State of the James report to spark dynamic data-driven inquiries, you’ll gain the resources, lesson plans, and inspiration needed to make environmental and data science come alive for your students.
Encouraging Science Discourse
Learn how to use JRA’s State of the James report to spark meaningful science discourse in your classroom around local environmental issues. We will analyze key regional environmental indicators, explore emerging ecological trends, and discuss what to expect as we look ahead to the next official report in Fall 2027.
Virtual Workshop: $0
10/14/26; 4:00-5:00pm
Green Infrastructure
Explore green building practices with tours of the renovated East End Library landscaping project and the James A. Buzzard Education Center. Then, try hands-on green construction using a Chompsaw cardboard cutting tool! Every participant receives lunch and a complimentary $299 Chompsaw kit to take back to their classroom.
Richmond: $10
11/1/26 OR 12/5/26; 10am-4pm
Geology of the James
Journey down the James River and discover the history and structure of the land beneath it! Try three hands-on, SOL-aligned classroom activities designed to make Virginia geology interactive and engaging. Every participant takes home a custom river map along with a rock and fossil sample kit collected directly from the banks of the James.
Richmond: $0
11/18/26; 4:30-6:30pm
Data Science for Elementary School
Get your students graphing and mapping using real-world JRA program data! Explore the fish species of the James, examine how JRA tracks invasive populations across thousands of individual catches, and use mapping tools to reveal sturgeon migration and water quality trends. Discover how exciting and accessible environmental data science can be!
Virtual Event $0
12/9/26; 4:30-5:30pm
School Year 2026/2027
Teaching Kits
We are excited to offer hands-on environmental education opportunities for teachers and their students! Teaching kits are available free of charge to educators within the James River watershed. See what kits are availible here.
Borrowing Policy & Logistics
- Kits may be borrowed for up to eight consecutive days.
- Teachers are responsible for picking up and returning kits at confirmed dates and times.
- Richmond Pickup: Submit your request at least 5 business days in advance.
- Lynchburg & Williamsburg Pickup: Submit your request at least 10 business days in advance to allow time for transport.
Note: Submitting a request form does not guarantee a reservation. We will email you within two business days to confirm availability and schedule your pickup and return.
Professional Learning Workshops
JRA offers Professional Learning opportunities for division and school implementation. Let us help you understand how to implement MWEE programs and use models for student engagement!
Contact Matt Scott Stone at mscott@thejamesriver.org to schedule one of the below opportunities!
Planning a MWEE with JRA
Work with JRA’s Education Specialist to plan out a full Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) for your classes. MWEEs require a lot of critical thought and planning. Let JRA help you understand their structure and how to maximize your field trips with JRA into the MWEE format! Participants will come away with examples for each stage, lesson ideas and a roadmap to conduct an effective MWEE in their schools. 3rd-12th Grade Science Teachers
Four Hour Workshop, Fee: $250
Ecosystems Connections
How can we get students to connect JRA’s research and programs with theoretical concepts in their classwork? Let JRA help your students connect theory with reality by building an ecosystem model step-by-step. Students can build models to represent food webs, cause-and-effect, and nutrient cycles using activities to represent each step along the way. Teachers take home lesson plans for their grade level as well as digital resources to print and use in their classrooms. 3rd – 12th Grade Science Teachers.
Two Hour Workshop, Fee: $150
Bring the wonders of the James River directly into your classroom! Explore the virtual resources and lesson plans compiled by JRA’s education team in 2020. This webpage offers a wealth of engaging and ready-to-use resources for elementary, middle, and high school students. Empower your students to connect with nature and become the next generation of river stewards!
JRA has partnered with Explore Learning to develop two Gizmo STEM Cases that help students dive into current, pressing challenges for the James River
River Detective: The Case of the Missing Shad
Engage your middle school students with the living laboratory of the James River! Our “River Detective: The Case of the Missing Shad” STEM Case, developed with ExploreLearning, transforms middle schoolers into citizen scientists. They’ll actively monitor river health and explore watershed ecosystems, making complex concepts tangible. This interactive tool is perfect for complementing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences and fostering future river stewards!
Microbiologist Mission: Reducing River Runoff and Pollution
Bring the James River to life in your classroom! Our new online STEM interactive, “Microbiologist Mission,” lets middle schoolers become real microbiologists, investigating river contamination and wastewater management. Developed in partnership with ExploreLearning, this tool makes learning about water quality hands-on and engaging. It’s a fantastic resource for inspiring the next generation of environmental scientists!
Join Our Educator Newsletter
We’re currently working to broaden our offerings, including more professional learning opportunities. We encourage you to join our email list to stay in the loop about upcoming workshops, webinars, and more!