The goal of this project is to directly address the Student outcome within the Engage Communities, Environmental Literacy goal of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, and enhance the environmental literacy and stewardship behaviors of Maryland students.

This project will expand and enhance regional capacity-building efforts for environmental literacy, sustainability, and climate change education inclusive of Indigenous people in the Chesapeake region by establishing a new partnership network of University of Maryland teaching and learning researchers, Ohio University biologists, the Accokeek Foundation, Piscataway Conoy tribal members, teacher educators, curriculum specialists, and environmental literacy experts as well as school district leaders, classroom teachers, and nonformal environmental educators.

The primary focus of this team will be to develop a framework of guiding principles for developing culturally responsive curricula that leverage Indigenous Knowledge to foster personal connections with local environments and develop strong, sustainable stewardship ethics.

The team will develop this model by the design, pilot, and assessment of a project-based learning curriculum relevant to the existing Terrapins in the Classroom partnership program in Prince George’s County Public Schools 8th-grade science curriculum.