Skip to content
The Bay Backpack logo. A school backpack followed by a stylized writing of the words Bay Backpack.

Pre-service Teacher Training

Because the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is the cornerstone of environmental education in the Mid-Atlantic, faculty have begun incorporating the MWEE into their pre-service coursework to better prepare teachers of tomorrow.

Integrating MWEEs into pre-service teacher training sets new teachers up for success in their future classrooms. The MWEE provides fertile ground for alignment with the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, as demonstrated by this example (PDF), and ample research (PDF) points to the importance of incorporating environmental education in pre-service teacher development. The MWEE also supports environmental literacy standards and initiatives across the Mid-Atlantic. Explore these state connections under the State Initiatives section of this website.

Sample Syllabi

Incorporating MWEE training into teacher preparation programs can take a variety of forms. Here are three sample syllabi for three different training approaches, published by the TIDES Environmental Education Hub.

  • Model Approach (PDF): This approach presents the MWEE as a discrete section within the education course's curriculum.
  • Woven Approach (PDF): This approach weaves the thread of MWEE training throughout the education course's curriculum.
  • Course Foundation Approach (PDF): This approach focuses the entire education course on environmental education and MWEE training.

Sample Instructional Plans

The TIDES Environmental Education Hub also developed sample instructional plans for uplifting MWEE Essential Elements throughout an education course. These sample plans can be adapted or plugged into any of the three sample syllabi shared above.

Case Study: Shared Waters Project

In this case study, faculty at Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Virginia Wesleyan University—who lead the Shared Waters project—demonstrate how they are training their pre-service teachers in the MWEE framework and supporting systemic MWEEs in their local school districts. This example follows the Course Foundation Approach, as both universities have integrated MWEEs into an early core course of their elementary education teacher prep program. Get a behind-the-scenes perspective with these faculty in their MWEE Practitioner Webinar.