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| Teton Science Schools | |
|---|---|
| Name | Teton Science Schools |
| Formation | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Jackson Hole, Wyoming |
| Region served | Jackson Hole; Grand Teton National Park; Yellowstone National Park; Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem |
| Focus | Environmental education; field-based science; experiential learning |
Teton Science Schools is a nonprofit organization based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, providing field-based environmental education, graduate programs, and conservation research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The institution operates field campuses, residential programs, and teacher-education initiatives that serve K–12 students, educators, families, and researchers from across the United States and internationally. Its work connects classroom curricula, park-based interpretive programs, and partnership research in places such as Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and surrounding public lands.
Founded in 1967 amid rising national interest in outdoor education and environmental awareness, the organization emerged during the era of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Wilderness Act, and the growth of field-based learning exemplified by programs tied to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Early collaborators included regional stakeholders associated with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, local chapters of the Sierra Club, and faculty from nearby institutions such as the University of Wyoming and Brigham Young University. Over subsequent decades the school expanded program models influenced by movements linked to the Progressive Education Association, the Outward Bound tradition, and graduate initiatives seen at institutions like Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of Michigan. Major developments paralleled national conservation milestones such as the passage of the Endangered Species Act and initiatives tied to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. Institutional growth included establishing residential campuses, building teacher professional development tied to standards influenced by the No Child Left Behind Act, and aligning graduate curriculum with trends seen at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Stanford University environmental programs.
Programs range from K–12 field education and summer residential offerings to graduate-level certificates and professional development for educators developed in collaboration with partners such as the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and university programs at the University of Montana and the University of Wyoming. Curricula incorporate place-based methods akin to those promoted by the North American Association for Environmental Education and use pedagogical approaches consonant with models from Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and the National Science Teachers Association. Offerings include wilderness expeditions that echo practices from Outward Bound USA and interpretive programs related to cultural sites like the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum and regional tribal nations including the Shoshone and Bannock. Graduate programs connect to frameworks used by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation and draw visiting faculty associated with centers such as the Yale School of the Environment and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Facilities include field campuses in locations adjacent to Grand Teton National Park and near Jackson, Wyoming, outfitted with classrooms, dormitories, field equipment, and research labs comparable to those at environmental centers like the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and the Flathead Lake Biological Station. The organization maintains partnerships for facility use with the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and land managers from Bridger-Teton National Forest. Infrastructure projects have been informed by grant programs from entities such as the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and private foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
Research and conservation initiatives focus on species and ecosystem studies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, collaborating with agencies including the Yellowstone Center for Resources, the Grand Teton National Park resource management staff, and university researchers from the Idaho State University and Montana State University. Topics have included elk and moose population dynamics studied alongside researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Wildlife Conservation Society, riparian restoration projects consistent with work by the National Audubon Society, and citizen-science monitoring related to air and water quality efforts seen in partnerships with the Environmental Protection Agency region offices. Conservation education and applied research have interfaced with policy stakeholders such as the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and national initiatives like the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.
Community engagement programs connect with local institutions including the Teton County School District, the Jackson Hole Community School, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, and tribal partners from the Wind River Indian Reservation. Collaborative work has involved nonprofit partners such as the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Lands Foundation, and regional museums like the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Outreach includes family science nights, teacher workshops funded by foundations including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and joint events with cultural institutions such as the Center for the Arts. Regional economic and tourism stakeholders such as the Jackson Hole Economic Development entities have intersected with program planning.
Governance has been overseen by a board of directors with members drawn from academic institutions (for example, University of Colorado affiliates), conservation organizations like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and philanthropic entities such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Funding sources include program tuition, competitive grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, corporate philanthropy from regional organizations associated with the National Park Foundation, and private donors tied to foundations such as the Annenberg Foundation. Financial oversight reflects nonprofit best practices promoted by associations such as the Independent Sector and reporting standards consistent with the Internal Revenue Service charitable organization classifications.
Alumni have included educators, conservation scientists, and leaders who later affiliated with institutions such as the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, universities like Yale University and Stanford University, and conservation NGOs including the World Wildlife Fund, the Defenders of Wildlife, and the NatureServe network. Program graduates have contributed to publications in journals similar to Conservation Biology, Ecological Applications, and policy fora connected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The organization’s impact is reflected in local workforce development tied to regional employers such as the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, contributions to ecosystem monitoring initiatives coordinated with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and influence on pedagogical practice mirrored in state education standards for Wyoming and neighboring Idaho and Montana.
Category:Environmental education organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in Wyoming