Thanks to a grant from the Turner Foundation Inc., a network of 11 schools from throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem now has access to an innovative educational approach. The EIC Model™—using local Environments as Integrating Contexts for learning—works to improve students’ academic achievement while increasing their connections to their communities.
Schools in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming were recruited for the Greater Yellowstone EIC School Network. Each school was sent a teaching team for professional development in The EIC Model™, including a week-long training institute, assistance with resource development, and evaluation services.
The EIC Model™ has been lauded nationally for its success in raising student test scores, generating enthusiasm for learning, and reducing discipline problems. Because EIC emphasizes use of a school’s natural and human-built surroundings as settings for learning, it is referred to as “environment-based education.”
The Wyoming schools participating in the Greater Yellowstone EIC School Network are