On-Demand and Self-Guided Professional Development

PLT’s online courses are grounded in best practices for online adult learning and teacher professional development. They prepare formal and nonformal educators to integrate PLT instructional materials into their instruction.

These self-paced, interactive courses provide guidance on making the most of the guide, strategies for leading activities outdoors, activity simulations, video demonstrations, reflection questions, and action planning.

What's Included In Online Courses

Screenshot of PLT's Online Courses Choose Your Own Path Map

Interactive Modules

Each course includes interactive modules that offer pathways based on the grade level of your students (K-2, 3-5, 6-8) or the setting in which you work with youth (formal education, non-formal education, standalone events or programs).

elementary students using navigation tools outdoors

Teaching Strategies

Online Courses provide step-by-step guidance to lead selected activities and tips on teaching outdoors.

Young female student measuring plant

Toolkit for Academic Standards

Most PLT Online Courses offer a connection to academic standards toolkit that explains how each activity supports three-dimensional science instruction and core academic benchmarks, useful for educators even if their state has not adopted National standards like Next Generation Science Standards.

PLT Online Courses

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Biodiversity Blitz

Biodiversity Blitz, part of PLT’s themed series for educators, features three grades 3-5 activities that invite learners to investigate species variability in an ecosystem, and how this variability – or biodiversity – helps sustain life on Earth.

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Cover of Carbon and Climate unit

Carbon & Climate

Designed for 6th-8th grade teachers, the fully online Carbon & Climate E-Unit provides activities and resources to introduce students to some of the complex issues involved in climate change.

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Connecting for Health and the Planet Cover

Connecting for Health and Planet

For educators of students in grades 3-5, Connecting for Health and Planet invites learners to investigate how being outside—and among trees, specifically—provides people with many different physical, emotional, social, and learning benefits.
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Discover Your Urban Forest

Encourage learners to investigate environmental issues that affect their urban community. By inspiring youth to learn about the place they live, these activities help students better understand how the world works and what sustains them.

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Sensational Trees

Sensational Trees is a downloadable resource for educators of students in grades K-2 that uses sensory exploration to understand objects, spaces, people and interactions.
Activity Guide
PreK-8 Activity Guide Cover

PreK-8 Environmental Education

Charting Diversity. Birds and Worms. Pollution Search. These are some of the 96 hands-on interdisciplinary activities found in Project Learning Tree’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.
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Nature of Fire

Nature of Fire features three PLT activities for educators of students in grades 6-8 about sustainable forest management and strategies to reduce catastrophic wildfire, ensure resilient forests, maintain forests, and restore degraded lands.
Activity Guide
cover of PLT's Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers guide over a background of a work with a high visibility vest in the forest

Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers

Help youth discover careers in sustainable forestry and conservation. The Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers unit includes four hands-on, NGSS-aligned, instructional activities to help youth research forestry jobs.

Why Take a PLT Online Course

Girl's hands picking leaves compares leaf to pictures in a book.

Center Learning Outcomes

Focus on learning outcomes important to today’s educators and planning and preparation. Modules include real-world applications and project-based learning, including videos of educators modeling activities, and interactive activity simulations.

Young girl points to the center of a tree cross section also known as a tree cookie

Local Connections and Contacts

Curated materials and resources will expand and deepen knowledge of relevant content areas including additional state-specific activities or resources, such as supplemental content, and local and state resources, including local contacts and connection to your PLT State Coordinator.

Forestry professionals participate in a PLT activity in a forest

Receive Continuing Education Credits

Select modules for just-in-time learning or complete the entire course and receive a certificate of completion with eligibility for continuing education or certified forester education credits (pending approval Society of American Foresters).

PLT’s Professional Development Model

PLT understands that not all professional development programs adhere to the same high standards. We design and deliver the highest-quality professional learning experiences, focused on outcomes and improving student achievement.

A close up of grass at park

Training for Teachers and Educators

PLT offers in-person and blended high-quality professional development events. PLT’s professional development is planned and conducted by locally trained facilitators and customized for specific grade levels, topics, and settings.

PLT’s Network and Partners

Project Learning Tree is distinguished by the quality, commitment, and extent of its network of national and state partners and sponsoring organizations.

Build Skills in Teaching Outdoors

Enhance your teaching skills, deepen your content knowledge, and become comfortable teaching outdoors in any setting, with PLT’s hands-on professional development.

Connect with your state coordinator