Bay Program Launches Education Website BayBackpack.com

The Bay Program has launched BayBackpack.com, an online resource for teachers and environmental educators to engage students in hands-on learning about the Chesapeake Bay and its local waterways.

Bay Backpack includes:

• More than 500 books, lesson plans, curriculum guides and other materials to support classroom studies. Teachers can search by subject, location and grade level for the right resources for their students.
• An interactive map that lists more than 300 outdoor educational programs throughout the six-state Chesapeake Bay watershed.
• A training calendar with professional development opportunities for educators to learn about environmental topics.
• A list of grant programs that provide funding to support environmental education, including field trips and projects such as schoolyard habitats.

Additionally, Bay Backpack uses a blog to feature new education initiatives and in-depth resources, such as ideas for classroom projects. Educators can share information with each other on the blog by leaving comments or writing guest entries about their own environmental education programs.

Bay Backpack provides educators with the necessary resources to give their students a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE), which are extensive projects that allow students to gain a deep understanding of environmental issues in the Chesapeake Bay and its local streams and rivers. Bay Program partners work with state and local education departments to ensure that all students in the Bay watershed receive three MWEEs before they graduate from high school.

To learn more about Bay Backpack, visit www.baybackpack.com or follow Bay Backpack on Twitter @baybackpack to receive additional education-related news and resources.