Place-Based Education

The Seedlings Summer Workshop is a busy and immersive week where teachers take on the roles of learners.   Underpinning this inquiry-based experience are the principles of place-based education (PBE). When we learn to love where we live, use the resources of where we live to construct meaning, and empower learners to engage as active participants in the world around them, we are restoring connection to and care for our communities. Many teachers leave the summer workshop wanting more–more camaraderie, more collaboration and continued mentorship–and from that longing for continued community, the Seedlings Community of Practice (CoP) was born.  Seedlings CoP brings together a group of dedicated alumni who are passionate about the summer workshop experience and want to bring the week’s experiences to their students. Mentored by Seedlings staff members, community partners and one another, teachers in the CoP enjoy continued support and a community of like-minded peers. Along the way, they deepen their pedagogical stance and develop resources that can be used to support the Seedlings community. Members of the Seedlings CoP teach a range of grade levels (PreK-8th) and disciplines in a variety of school settings (public, parochial, private, magnet, and charter).  They represent a diverse array of city and suburban schools from all over the state (from Hartford to New Haven to Wilton and everywhere in between).  Exploring the power of place to transform teaching and learning, CoP teachers develop resources and projects to share with one another and the broader teaching community. These projects are made possible through mini-grants provided by the Seedlings Foundation, and can be found in SEC Place-Based Learning Projects Repository below.