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 The Center for Critical Environmental and Global Literacy (CCEGL) offers a series of Educational Workshops, Teacher Institutes and Mini-Courses. Offerings vary in length, cost and availability of support funds.
We will be continually adding offerings based on your requests and needs. The Board of Directors of the Center for Critical Environmental and Global Literacy will also consider and support proposals for institutes and workshops that are aligned with the CCEGL mission. Please contact us with your ideas and offerings. The following is a brief description of Educational Institutes and Workshops offered by the Center.
1. Institute for International Teacher Collaboration and Exchange (5-6 months) (6-10 semester units CalSate East Bay) optional
  
The goal of this institute is to help teachers to gain a global focus for their teaching and to help their students to understand common environmental and social challenges among the world’s peoples. For the past ten years, this project has been carried out with San Francisco Bay Area classroom teachers as they learned about both the local and global implications of current environmental challenges. During international collaborations teaching practices and common life themes are explored and lasting personal and professional relationships are developed. Students in the home classroom become thoroughly integrated into the journey of their teacher and the process and experiences are also shared with families and the school community. The Institute spans a five month period and includes a ten day visit to a “developing” country. The institute is appropriate for individual teachers, a team of teachers from one school or an entire school staff. 2. Family Literacy Program Design and Implementation (6 sessions: 2-3 hours each - including two Family Literacy Events)
  
Participants will learn about the history of family involvement in education, explore the philosophical foundations for Family Literacy and will create a program for their school or community guided by a successful model that has been carried out by organization members during the past 15 years. It is a well developed program model that is interactive and critical in nature. Sessions will be created that focus on the themes of food and nutrition, diversity and culture, urban sustainability and media literacy. Participants will be guided by center staff to implement a program and begin the work. Center staff will help to shepherd new programs through their beginning stages. CCEGL educators prefer to work with a team of teachers from one school or an entire school staff. 3. Building Community through Cultural Artifacts (one day) 
This is a one day institute that incorporates the sharing of artifacts from culture and childhood to create a strong and respectful classroom community. The emphasis will be on understanding and embracing differences within a group and using these understandings as a tool to contextualize literacy development and the integration of art. 4. Participatory Action Research: Implications for Classroom, School and Community (2 non-consecutive days) (1 unit option available)  Participatory Research is an interactive process based on a philosophical and ideological commitment which holds that every human being has the capacity of knowing, of analyzing and reflecting about reality so that she/he becomes a true agent of action in her/his own life. It is a form of popular education and social activism. A major goal of ‘Participatory Research’ is to bring about a more just society. Through the process, participants become co-participants in a dialogue in which new knowledge emerges and can subsequently be transformed into action. Education becomes the generation of new knowledge through dialogue. This institute will utilize both a group and individual classroom-based project that will guide teachers to understand ‘Participatory Research’ from a personal group experience and subsequently be able to incorporate the process as a research tool for their own classrooms.
5. Teacher Action Research Workshop (2 days- may be divided into stages) (1 unit option available)
 'Teacher Research' is directed towards changes in practice. Through such methods as observation, participation, reflection and documentation, teachers can improve teaching in their own classrooms and can make change in families, schools and community. The process includes journal entries and data collection. The final phase is an action project that in some way changes teaching practice to be more effective. Past projects have included: the creation of a school garden, exploration for a pedagogy of hope using children’s literature, investigation of the cycle of production of the clothes students wear and the connection to child labor and an analysis of the influence of TV on the consumer habits of youth. (1-2 academic units optional)
6. Youth Voice and Youth Guided Action (4 hours)   
Recognize the youth you work with as change-makers. Young people “read their world” on a regular basis, and that experience can translate into powerful learning opportunities through action projects. Integrate youth voice into long-term projects, as well as daily classroom systems. We will also explore internet forums as a way to connect youth globally. 7. Introduction to Environmental Justice Education: (4 hours)    
Participants will explore the history of the environmental justice movement as it relates to environmental education today. How can educators inspire environmental action through critical curriculum that looks at disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards on low-income communities and communities of color? In this workshop we will investigate Bay Area environmental hazards and the parallels between Bay Area environmental justice issues and issues in the United States and the rest of the world. Learn hands-on methods to teach children and youth how to take a critical look at their own environment and develop possibilities for action. 8. Introduction to Food Justice: The Myth of Hunger and Food Sustainability (Full day)   
By tracing a meal back to its many sources, we can learn a great deal about environmental issues, labor around the world, transportation, as well as nutrition. How pollution affects traditional food sources and how international food aid really impacts global hunger are two of the topics discussed during this workshop. Teachers of all grades will create lessons that not only build on student’s healthy habits, but also deepen their understanding of food issues around the world. 9. Water Consciousness (Full day)    Water is celebrated as it sustains life for humans and other living beings. However, there are threats to the health of our watersheds, as well as the accessibility to people in communities around the world. There are numerous examples of communities that have succeeded in protecting their sources of water from pollution and unsustainable use. By understanding these issues on a local and global scale, educators will be better equipped to present water to our students in a way that goes beyond the basics of the water cycle and leads to action. 10. Sustainable water practices (2 hours)
In this workshop participants will learn about sustainable water use practices from around the world. They'll be introduced to the technologies of rainwater harvest, greywater recycling, and waterless composting toilets. They'll also see examples of schools and school aged children engaged in this learning and work. This workshop will provide important background information for people educating about water, food security, health and sanitation, as well as sustainable living practices. 11. Whole Language Arabic (4 sessions: 2 hours each)This is an interactive and activity-filled introductory standard Arabic workshop for teachers wishing to integrate the culture and language into their classroom teaching. It uses a “whole language” approach designed to build basic skills in reading and writing using simple student generated texts. The workshop will include vocabulary and pronunciation and is perfect for teachers wishing to expand their own global knowledge and understanding in order to share it with their students. 12. Unlearning Prejudice (two consecutive days)  
In this workshop participants will explore culture, language and diversity within their groups and try out new ways to build bridges across differences. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on race, class, gender and ability. A compassionate approach to embracing differences and working better together is emphasized. This workshop is ideal for whole school or community groups wishing to find ways to work together more effectively and more collaboratively. 12. Learning from African American Educators (3 hours) 
This half day workshop will be facilitated by a team of African American educators. They will share their experiences of working with youth and families in their communities. They will reflect on academic and behavioral expectations, the teaching of the Principles of MAAT and perspectives on what is called the “achievement” or opportunity gap. They will share ideas about how teachers who are not from the culture/community of their African American students can best learn about and become more conscious of cultural and community core beliefs, and experiences. The day will include small group dialogue and problem-posing. 13. Incorporating Global Media into Classrooms (1/2 day)In this workshop you will learn how to effectively incorporate global stories and perspectives into existing curriculum by working hands-on with GLOWE media and participatory learning guides. The GLOWE project uses Link TV programming to develop global cultural and media literacy.Link TV broadcasts programs that engage, educate and activate students to become involved in their world. The programs provide a unique perspective on international news, current events, and diverse cultures, presenting issues not often covered in the U.S. media; people at the heart of breaking events, organizations in the forefront of social change and the cultures of an increasingly global community.
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