TOP

Program Information and Applications

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences created the Educators of Excellence Institutes to enable exemplary educators to:

  • Experience the natural world in selected outstanding environments;
  • Increase the use of reflection and direct environmental experience in teaching;
  • Become inspired and recommitted to the teaching profession;
  • Become a part of a statewide network of exceptional educators for continued support and learning.

Since 1987, educators from across North Carolina have been inspired by their experiences in outstanding natural areas such as Belize, Ecuador, and Yellowstone National Park. The Institutes are available at low cost because of the support from the Friends of the Museum’s Educators of Excellence Fund.

Applications for Summer 2025 Institutes are currently open. Applications and supervisor recommendations must be received by Friday, January 10, 2025.

All applications received by the deadline will be considered equally, so please do not rush your application! The selection process for this program is competitive, so please make sure you take your time and fully complete the application.

Applications for our the Mexico’s Magical Migrations Institute in January 2025 were due on October 11, 2024 and are closed.

2025 Institutes

MEXICO’S MAGICAL MIGRATIONS INSTITUTE

Applications for the 2025 Mexico’s Magical Migrations Institute were due October 11, 2024 and are closed.

  • Experience one of the world’s greatest migrations: monarch butterflies on their wintering grounds.
  • Observe humpback whale social interactions.
  • Visit pre-Aztec ruins at Teotihuacán.
  • Discover connections between Mexico and North Carolina.

Participating educators will witness two of nature’s greatest spectacles – wintering monarch butterflies and humpback whales. Each year one of the world’s greatest migrations takes place as millions of monarch butterflies from the US and Canada travel south to the forested Mexican highlands. Once they arrive, they begin a period of winter hibernation by clustering together in huge numbers, blanketing the surrounding vegetation. As the butterflies are arriving in Mexico, so are humpback whales. Concluding their own incredible migration from their feeding waters off Alaska, large numbers of humpback whales gather off Mexico’s Pacific coast. They come to these warmer waters to breed and to give birth. Learn about these magical migrations from local experts and explore connections to North Carolina. We will share our adventures with students at home through daily blog posts from the field.

Dates: January 15-22, 2025. (Mandatory pre- and post-trip sessions will be held in Raleigh on December 7, 2024 and November 1, 2025.)

Locations: Mexico City, Agua Blanca, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Raleigh, N.C.

Group Size: Limited to 12 participants.

Activity Level: Moderate to rigorous including hiking (up to 2 miles) on uneven terrain, walking at high altitudes (~10,000 ft), and riding horses on trails with a guide.

Cost: $1550*
Includes round-trip airfare from Raleigh to Mexico, in-country transportation, instruction, lodging, and meals. Participants will be responsible for travel to and from Raleigh and expenses in Raleigh during pre- and post-trip sessions. See below for scholarship opportunities.

*The cost of all Institutes are significantly reduced thanks the generous support of the Friends of the Museum and the Goodnight Educational Foundation. The cost of this Institute has been further reduced thanks to generous support from The Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

 

YELLOWSTONE INSTITUTE

  • Experience one of North America’s greatest concentrations of wildlife.
  • Observe world-class geological wonders.
  • Learn about the history and management of America’s first national park.
  • Learn from scientists and experts.

Participating educators will study and experience the wonders of our first national park. Join us from sunrise to sunset as we observe the incredible wildlife of Yellowstone, including bears, bison, wolves and elk. Learn about the area’s unique geology while exploring the amazing world of geysers, hot springs and mudpots. Enjoy the magnificent scenery of the northern Rocky Mountains as we hike trails throughout the park. The daily program will include field experiences, opportunities to meet with park staff and other experts, and activities designed to help integrate your experiences into the classroom. Discover strategies for exploring the connections between Yellowstone and North Carolina — wolf and elk reintroduction, fire ecology, resource management issues and much more. Students can follow along and ask questions as we post daily blogs from the field.

Dates: June 18-26, 2025 (Mandatory pre- and post-trip sessions will be held in Raleigh on Saturday, March 1 and Saturday, November 1, 2025.)

Locations: Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming and Raleigh, N.C.

Group Size: Limited to 12 participants.

Activity Level: Moderate to rigorous including walking and hiking (up to 5 miles) on uneven terrain at high altitudes.

Cost: $1100*
Includes round-trip airfare from Raleigh to Bozeman, MT; all ground transportation; instruction and lodging. Participants will be responsible for travel to and from Raleigh, expenses in Raleigh during pre- and post-trip sessions, and most meals in Yellowstone. See below for scholarship opportunities.

*The cost of all Institutes are significantly reduced thanks the generous support of the Friends of the Museum and the Goodnight Educational Foundation.

 

SOUTH AFRICA INSTITUTE

  • Search for the “Big 5” species of wildlife: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo.
  • Take a bush walk with a safari ranger.
  • Explore the majestic Drakensburg mountains.
  • Cruise for hippos and crocs in coastal wetlands.

Experience the best wild lands that South Africa has to offer, from game reserves and grasslands to mountains and wetlands to beaches and estuaries. Enjoy the thrill of coming face to face with a herd of African elephants from an open safari vehicle, walk with safari rangers in the bush of Kruger National Park, hike through the stunning Tegula Gorge in the Drakensberg mountains, take a river cruise in the company of the hippos and crocodiles, and learn from local guides about the diverse flora and fauna of South Africa. Build connections with South African educators as you get to know local teacher participants. The daily program will include activities, field experiences and basic natural history. During the trip, participants will provide daily updates to students in North Carolina via a blog.

Dates: July 20-August 4, 2025. (Mandatory pre- and post-trip sessions will be held in Raleigh on Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, November 1, 2025.)

Locations: Kruger National Park, Wakkerstroom Wetlands, Royal Natal National Park, Gwahumbe Game Reserve, and iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa and Raleigh, N.C.

Group Size: Limited to 12 participants. (Note: South African teachers will join with American educators to form an international team.)

Activity Level: Moderate to rigorous including walking and hiking (up to 7 miles) on uneven terrain.

Cost: $2100*
Includes round-trip airfare from Raleigh to South Africa, in-country transportation, instruction, lodging, and some meals. Participants will be responsible for travel to and from Raleigh, expenses in Raleigh during pre- and post-trip sessions, and some meals in South Africa. See below for scholarship opportunities.

*The cost of all Institutes are significantly reduced thanks the generous support of the Friends of the Museum and the Goodnight Educational Foundation.

REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATIONS

Who’s Eligible: Classroom teachers of all subject areas, school administrators, informal educators and university professors who work with teachers.

Qualifications: All applicants must currently be working as full-time educators in North Carolina and must expect to continue working in or with North Carolina schools during the following school year. Applicants must have at least three years of teaching/supervising experience. Applicants should demonstrate an interest in the natural sciences and be willing to use and support innovative teaching methods in the classroom and on field trips. All participants should be prepared for moderately strenuous activity.

Requirements: After the trip, participants must develop an educational project incorporating their experience from the Institute. Projects will be presented at the post-trip meeting in November. Participants are encouraged to share their projects at meetings or conferences of professional organizations.

Selection: The Museum strives to achieve statewide representation from diverse backgrounds and a range of grade levels. Preference is given to educators who show evidence of institutional support, flexibility and a tendency to be active group participants.

Credit: Institutes may be approved for renewal credits by local school districts. Participants receive a certificate of course completion for the number of instructional hours. Participants can also receive credit for the NC Environmental Education Certification Program (more information at www.eenorthcarolina.org).

Financial Support: The cost of all Educators of Excellence Institutes is reduced thanks to generous support from the Goodnight Educational Foundation through the Educators of Excellence Fund. Participant fees reflect about one third of the total cost of the Institute.

The Simple Gifts Scholarship is provided through the generous support of the Simple Gifts Fund and the Anonymous Trust, which strives to enrich and improve the lives of motivated, rural Eastern NC teachers and their students. The Simple Gifts Fund seeks to provide scholarships to teachers who recognize the value of inquiry, who understand the power of knowledge and who appreciate the importance of inspiring excellence in their students. Applicants who are chosen to participate in the one of the 2024 Educators of Excellence Institutes, and meet the following criteria, will be eligible for a full scholarship covering the cost of the experience. Once selected, applicants will be responsible for paying a $200 deposit that will be returned to them upon successful completion of the program.

To be considered for the Simple Gifts Scholarship, applicants must:

  • Have not previously received the Simple Gifts Scholarship for an Educators of Excellence Institute.
  • Be a teacher, guidance counselor, media coordinator or assistant principal in a public school, in one of the following counties:
    Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson
  • Plan to continue working in their current school system and county during the following school year.
  • Plan to continue working full time in education for at least 5 more years after participation in the Institute.
  • Help spread the word about future Educators of Excellence Institutes and the Simple Gifts Scholarship to other teachers

We do not want cost to be a barrier for any educator. If the cost of the Institute would prevent your participation, and you do not qualify for the Simple Gifts Scholarship, please reach out to Melissa Dowland. Additionally, many participants receive financial support from their schools and/or local civic or professional organizations; contact your local district office for information on grants and scholarships.

Application Forms:
Educator Application
Supervisor Recommendation – This form should be completed a principal, assistant principal, department head, or anyone else acting in a supervisory or advisory role for your position.

Applications and recommendations for the Summer 2025 Yellowstone and South Africa Institutes are due by the end of the day on Friday, January 10, 2025. All applications received by the deadline will be considered equally, so please do not rush your application! The selection process for this program is competitive, so please make sure you take your time and fully complete the application.

Copyright 2018 NC Museum of Natural Sciences