Update from the Wyoming Department of Education  |  view online |  website

March 21, 2023

IN THIS EDITION

• Embracing Literacy Conference
• Arbor Day
• Teacher Opportunities
• Classroom Resources
• Student Competitions/Opportunities

EMBRACING LITERACY CONFERENCE

• The Wyoming Department of Education will host the 2023 Embracing Literacy Conference in-person at Laramie High School on Wednesday, June 21 and Thursday, June 22, 2023, and virtually on Tuesday, June 27 and Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Register here.

ARBOR DAY

April 28, 2023

• Arbor Day will be celebrated on Friday, April 28, 2023.
• In recognition, Wyoming law states, “The planting of a seedling tree or a similar act may be performed in an appropriate ceremony in the schools of Wyoming.”
• Additional classroom activities may be found here.

TEACHER OPPORTUNITIES

1. The Wallop Civic Engagement Program will be hosting professional development in Laramie on Wednesday, June 7 and Thursday, June 8, 2023, for 20 Wyoming social studies and English language arts teachers. Participants will be provided with meals, one night of lodging, and a stipend, and may also earn PTSB credit. Apply by Saturday, April 29, 2023.
2. Indoor Living Walls and Their Impacts on the Built Environment is the focus of Dr. Liping Wang’s science and math teachers' workshop, hosted (in-person) by the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Monday, June 19 through Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Each participant will receive $250. For participants outside of Laramie and Cheyenne, an additional $300 is provided for accommodations. Click here to learn more or register by emailing Dr. Wang at lwang12@uwyo.edu.
3. The ACTE Region V Leadership Conference will take place in Fargo, North Dakota, on Wednesday, April 12 through Saturday, April 15, 2023.
4. The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers four-day institutes in the nation’s capital. Join educators from across the country for exploration of the connections among American art, social studies, history, and English/language arts. Application deadline is Monday, April 3, 2023.
5. Teaching for Justice, a two-day conference held virtually and in-person at the University of California, Irvine for K-12 educators and those interested in integrating the principles of Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies into their professional work, will be held Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, 2023. The fee for the virtual version is $25. Learn more or register here. Deadline to register is Friday, April 21, 2023.
6. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will host a series of virtual listening sessions to inform development of the 2023-28 Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strategic Plan. Upcoming sessions will be held Wednesday, March 22; Friday, March 24; and Monday, March 27, 2023. Register here.

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

1. The Wyoming Arts Council provides funding opportunities for many art projects. The Community Support Grant is available for operating and/or project support, with a deadline of Friday, April 14, 2023. For questions, contact Amara Fehring at amara.fehring@wyo.gov.
2. Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants are available for schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations that help students with below-grade-level literacy. Funding is provided to assist in implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs, purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives, and purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs.
3. Harvard's Case Method Project offers a new, free high school social studies curriculum and provides training in the case method—the core pedagogy used at many leading business and law schools—along with access to 22 cases from the Harvard course History of American Democracy. This link describes the curriculum and how teachers can apply for the PD programs and access lesson plans. Contact Deb Wallace at dwallace@cmi.org for more information.
4. March is Women's History Month. Resources include:

• Women’s History Month Resources (iCivics). 
• Women's History Month Resources (Facing History and Ourselves Blog).
• Women & The Vote Educator’s Resources (Women’s National Democratic Club).
• Remarkable Legacies of American Women (National Park Service). 
• Women Artists Educator Resources (National Museum of Women in the Arts). 
• Women’s History Month (History Channel). 
• If/Then® Free Collection of Women in STEM.

STUDENT COMPETITIONS/OPPORTUNITIES

1. The Windy Ridge Foundation Astro Camp will be hosted by the University of Wyoming Department of Physics and Astronomy on the UW campus Sunday, June 18 through Saturday, June 24, 2023. The camp is free and open to 24 students entering seventh or eighth grade; on-campus housing and dining provided. Apply by Sunday, April 30, 2023.
2. FBI Teen Academy in Denver is accepting applications for its June 12, 2023 session. The program allows high school students an opportunity to gain a comprehensive look into today’s FBI. Submit applications to DN_Outreach@fbi.gov by Sunday, April 30, 2023.

Wyoming Department of Education

Standards Team

Barb Marquer, Supervisor  | 307-777-5506

Rob Black, Social Studies/P.E./Health  | 307-777-3747

Antoinette Hallam, EL/Foreign Language  | 307-777-5217

Lori Pusateri-Lane, ELA/F&PA  |  307-777-8595

Alicia Wilson, Math/Computer Science  |  307-777-5036  

Bobbi Eichhorst, Science/CTE | 307-777-8753

Ellis Roberts, Administrative Assistant | 307-777-2906

Laurie Hernandez, Director  | 307-777-3469    

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