Saint Michael's College

Stories of Teaching & Learning

From the Leahy Institute for the Environment

Welcome to the Stories of Teaching & Learning from the Leahy Institute for the Environment! Here you will find stories about faculty and staff who are heading out into the field to our Outdoor/Living Classrooms to engage students and the community, or using the Insitute’s many resources to increase connection, relevance, and purpose. We will share these stories as inspiration and update it regularly, so please check back often!听

Learn 少女福利 the Institute听 Learn 少女福利 Outdoor & Living Classrooms

Garden Math for Everyone

Math is everywhere. Especially in the garden. It is easy for math teachers to stick with worksheets and a program without much thought. But then the dreaded question comes鈥� 鈥渨ill […]

Bring on the Birdhouses with GreenUp

鈥淪tudents learn to think critically. The liberal arts are about exploring different points of view and working to answer complex questions, while also acquiring the practical skills necessary for the […]

Summer stewards stand in a group hold wooden birdhouses

Building Birdhouses with the Summer Stewards – George shares his Expertise!

Although most undergraduate students head home for the summer, the Saint Michael鈥檚 campus is still alive with activity. Here at the Institute for the Environment, we have a full team […]

USCRIS Scavanger Hunt particpants on a trail in the Saint Michael's College Natural Area

Scavenger Hunt with USCRI

The Saint Michael鈥檚 College Natural Area is in full bloom right now! Recently, we were fortunate enough to share this beautiful space with a summer camp that occurs right here […]

Invasives and Insect Hotels

Our graduate assistants returned to the Natural Area with the Middle Grades Institute for another outdoor education workshop. This time, we integrated art, sustainability, and teaching, in order to design […]

Birding Buddy Beginnings

Over the course of the last few months, the graduate assistants at the Leahy Institute for the Environment have been hard at work, creating intentional, curricular-aligned, and fun educational experiences […]

Solar Sheep

Last month the Saint Michael鈥檚 Natural Area welcomed some new temporary guests for the summer! A flock of sheep has been deployed to meander the solar field, mowing the space […]

Community Service Day and the Institute for the Environment

On May 13, Saint Michael鈥檚 College employees gathered in Alliott to embark on the college鈥檚 annual community service day! Every year after the undergraduate student body heads home, employees come […]

Interpretive Signage Trail Opening!

On April 28, the Institute for the Environment unveiled its Interpretive Trail signage through the Natural Area. This multi-year project titled: 鈥淵our Watershed, Your Lake: an interpretive trail encouraging control […]

Water for All!

Bright and early on Wednesday, April 9, the Saint Michael鈥檚 Campus welcomed over 100 elementary and middle school students from St. Francis Xavier School in Winooski. In a beautiful […]

Welcome Grad Assistants!

Last month, the Institute for the Environment (I4E) welcomed 3 new graduate assistants to the team. They will be working for I4E to expand our public outreach and bring the […]

Teaching Elementary Science and Engineering Outside

Remember summer? I鈥檒l wait. It is currently below zero and I can barely remember flowing rivers, bright green plants, and the hot sun. But that is what I am sharing […]

A Deep Dive Into Doug Facey’s Labs

It鈥檚 the dead of winter. We are still inside the Persephone Period.听 The forecast calls for temperatures not getting out of the single digits next week. It looks like the […]

SMC Outdoors This Fall

It has been so fabulous to see all of the folks interacting with and visiting the Outdoor/Living classrooms so far this academic year. What a busy fall!听 It was great […]