River Relief

July 27, 2017

2017 Integrating the Missouri River in Your Classroom

Educators get a unique opportunity to develop a hands-on relationship with the Missouri River

Educators Workshop

• Omaha, Nebraska: May 21-22
• St. Charles, Missouri: September 14-15

Tuition: $200
Registration is Closed!

Please come back January 2018 to register for next years educator workshops! 

Calling All Formal, Non-Formal and Pre-Service Educators!

Connect with the natural and cultural history of the Missouri River through adventure and investigation.  Discover the river ecosystems and the natural forces that shaped them. Understand how human choices have affected the river’s rhythm and flow. Knowledgeable and experienced instructors will show you how to use river education to integrate science, social studies, english language arts and math in a way that engages students, strengthens their learning and prepares them to be college-ready and career-ready.

Hear What Educators Are Saying!

“I can say with all honesty that this was the BEST workshop I have ever attended.  Exceeded my expectations by far.  Would attend another if the opportunity presented itself.” –High School Teacher 

"Both instructors who led the workshop not only had innovative content to offer but they even modeled what they were helping us unpack about our own teaching styles. The pairing of teaching-learning content and river related content was excellent and this is coming from someone with a lot of background in adult, non-formal and formal education. I learned a lot!" - Environmental Educator 

Workshop in the Media! 

Watch: a video on Omaha, NE KMTV News Channel highlighting a different aspect of this workshop in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Listen: to a story on NET Nebraska'sNPR Station to hear about the workshop 

Read: about the Omaha, NE educator workshop on our blog. 

View: pictures of the Omaha, NE educator workshop on our Flick Account. 

Questions About the Workshop

Who Can Attend the Workshop? 

The workshop is open to both formal, non-formal and pre-service educators that teach any grade level. The workshop presents the content at the level of its participants and asks each participant to adapt the content to relate back to their specific grade or age of their students or audience. 

What is the Tuition?

To be inclusive of different schedules and interest, we have created the option of being able to participate in a one day or two-day workshop. However, for the full benefits of this workshop, we highly encourage participants to register for both days, as each day brings a unique experience. Each day includes lunch, instruction, materials, and supplies. Specifically, on the first day, an on the river experience by motorboat will be included. Please see below a breakdown of the tuition: 

• 2 Full Days: $200
• 1st Day: $125*
• 2nd Day: $75

What Will We Be Doing Each Day? 

Want to know what you might experience during the workshop? Download the program schedule. This schedule outlines the variety of activities and experiences that range from motorboat rides to developing a Missouri River lesson plan. This schedule could be subject to change due to weather and availability of resources during the program. You can also read about previous workshops here.  

What Should I Expect?

Check out the information packet. This packet contains a schedule and general policies. 

• Download the Information Packet

How Will I Incorporate This Into My Teaching?  

A lesson plan is the educator’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during your time together. Each educator will be asked to bring a lesson plan that they currently teach that they feel they could connect to the Missouri River. During the workshop, educators will have the opportunity to adapt and design their lesson plans and present out to their fellow workshop participants.  

If we didn't answer your question, then please check out our FAQ!

Registration Process

1. If you are applying for financial aid, please refer to the "Financial Aid" section below. You will need to complete this process before registering. Financial Aid recipients will receive a separate registration link when they are awarded financial aid. 

2. If you are not applying for financial aid, please complete the online enrollment process or call 573.443.0292. Please have your payment information ready when enrolling. If you are registering using a "Purchase Order Number" please kristen@riverrelief.org the number. 

3. After completing the enrollment/payment process, download a pdf of the registration packet; fill it out and mail to P.O. Box 463, Columbia, MO 65205 or e-mail to kristen@riverrelief.org. The packet contains the following forms: (a) medical form, (b) general risk release form, (c) and travel form. 

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to qualified participants. To apply for financial aid, download a pdf of the financial aid application, fill it in and mail to P.O. Box 463, Columbia, MO or e-mail to kristen@riverrelief.org.

We will begin awarding financial aid at the mid-April and then continue making awards on a rolling basis until all available funds are awarded. We are typically able to notify financial aid applicants of the amount we are able to award within a month of receiving an application. 

The applicant will then be given a deadline and separate link to register for the course; do NOT register before you are notified of your award.  

Dates and Deadlines

For Omaha Workshop- May 21-22, 2017 

• Financial Aid – April 11th 
• Enrollment –May 8th        
• Registration –May 8th  

For St. Charles Workshop- September 14-15, 2017

• Financial Aid– August 8th 
• Enrollment –September 5th 
• Registration – September 5th

Previous Workshops 

2016

• Click here to see photos from 2016 Educators Workshop 
• Click here to read about the 2016 Educators Workshop 

2017

• Click here to see our 2017 Omaha Educator Workshop
• Click here to read about our 2017 Omaha Educator Workshop 

Workshop Staff

Kristen Schulte, Education Coordinator

The Integrating the Missouri River in Your Classroom Educator Workshop is managed and instructed by Kristen. She has over ten years of experience in environmental education and an MS in Natural Science Education from Teton Science Schools Residential Graduate Program. In addition, she has been certified for over eight years as a Wilderness First Responder. In her role at Missouri River Relief, she works to advance MRR's mission of connecting people to the Missouri River through education.

Jan Weaver, Missouri River Academy Assistant

Jan studied dinosaurs for her Masters and prairie spiders for her Ph.D., and did research on Missouri forest insects and spiders for several years after graduation. She was director of and taught in the Missouri Environmental Studies program for 17 years, and assistant science director and teacher for the MU Honors College for 9 years. She now works for the Missouri Environmental Education Association developing and promoting environmental education resources in Missouri.

Jeff Barrow, Director

Jeff has been involved in clean water issues for years, helping start Show-Me Clean Streams and Missouri River Relief to his work at Greenbelt Land Trust. Through the years, he has served as a coordinator and board member of Missouri River Relief. In addition, he is certified is American Red Cross Basic First Aid. Jeff has a deep love of the Missouri River and is a two-time veteran of the Missouri River 340 Paddle Race.

Steve Schnarr, Program Manager

Steve lives in Columbia, Mo., a stone’s throw from the Missouri River. His love for the river developed from years of exploring its waters by canoe. He was drawn to Missouri River Relief as a volunteer at local clean-ups, later serving as an event coordinator, MegaScout coordinator, MRR board member and is currently the Lower Reach Manager, Steve coordinates the River Relief crew, manages the website and communications and organizes clean-ups across the state. He is also certified in American Red Cross Basic First Aid

Melanie Cheney, Assistant Program Manager

Melanie has been a volunteer crewmember with Missouri River Relief since 2002, working on clean-ups, special projects, and educational events.  As an AmeriCorps Stream Team Assistant, she networked with Stream Teams in the area, developed education programs and helped coordinate events. She is also certified in American Red Cross Basic First Aid.

For any questions, e-mail kristen@riverrelief.org or call 573.443.0292.