Teacher Training & Resources

As part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the Connecticut Reserve offers a Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshop each year. TOTE is a research and field-based training program that gives teachers the opportunity to:""

  • Explore coastal habitats and conduct field investigations;
  • Interact with local scientists and experienced coastal educators;
  • Integrate local and national monitoring data into the classroom; and
  • Learn hands-on field activities highlighting various Estuary Education Resources.

If you would like to join our email list for updates about TOTE and other teacher workshops, please email our Education Coordinator at CTNERR.Education@uconn.edu.

K-12 Resources

NERRS Estuary Education – On this site, educators and estuary enthusiasts will find a variety of resources, including specially developed activities, animations, videos, teacher training workshops, real-time data, and opportunities to volunteer at a local reserve. Visit https://coast.noaa.gov/estuaries/

Inventing Long Island Sound Solutions – Participate in the CT Invention Convention (CIC)‘s program that allows students to learn about problems facing Long Island Sound and create inventions to solve these problems. Learn more about problems by watching these videos by experts and reach out to CIC directly to participate.

The Long Island Sound Resource Catalogue for Educators and Parents – This online catalogue includes materials and resources that focus on Long Island Sound and its watershed or on other applicable lessons such as general estuarine science. The resources listed are classified according to grade-level, type of resource, and content. Visit https://longislandsoundstudy.net/educational_resource/

The NOAA Ocean Service Education site – Discover NOAA resources and programs for educators, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about our ocean and coasts! Visit https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/

Teacher Training

Long Island Sound Mentor Teacher Program – Led by CT Sea Grant and NY Sea Grant, the Long Island Sound Mentor Teacher Program engages certified educators to share their successful strategies for implementing Long Island Sound into existing curricula with their peers in professional development workshops.

Past workshops –

2024 Teacher On The Estuary (TOTE) workshop: A bird’s eye view: Observation & Monitoring
Aug 12-14, 2024; See what was covered here.