Project WILD Workshops Offered in Jerome

Want to learn more about trout and how to raise them in the classroom? Are you interested in mule deer and want to be able to share information with your students about how they survive in Idaho's rugged environment? By attending one or both of the workshops hosted this winter by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, teachers will be able to enhance and share their knowledge of Idaho's wildlife with curious students. "WILD about Trout in the Classroom" is scheduled for January 11 and 12, 2008, and "WILD about Mule Deer" is being offered February 22 and 23. Both will be at the Idaho Fish and Game Regional office in Jerome. The classes will run from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday with the Saturday session going from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Project WILD is a wildlife-oriented, multi-disciplinary set of activities developed for educators, youth leaders or anyone working with the youth. The activities develop awareness, knowledge, and skills concerning the relationships between humans, wildlife and the natural world. Wildlife concepts are related to social studies, mathematics, language arts and other subjects and do not take time away from established curricula. Each workshop actively involves participants in the learning activities and demonstrates techniques for integrating the supplementary materials into classrooms and informal learning settings. Cost for the 15-hour workshop is $20, and participants may opt to receive one hour of graduate or undergraduate credit for an additional fee of $50. Young people are fascinated by the study of wildlife, opening windows of learning into all subject areas. Project WILD is used in 50 states and seven countries, and is based on the premise that young people and their teachers have a vital interest in learning about the earth as home for people and wildlife. More than 70 percent of Idaho teachers currently incorporate Project WILD activities into their curriculum. To register, contact Kelton Hatch, Magic Valley regional conservation educator at khatch@idfg.idaho.gov or 208-324-4359 or download a registration form at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/education/project_wild/.