Action+Opportunities

=Opportunities to take action to support place-based education = Synthesized by our group from everything we learned in researching the topic of Place-based Education.

For Community Members:

 * Reach out to local schools with ideas for projects that relevant to your work, personal interests, or organization
 * Volunteer time and resources to support existing programs or create new ones
 * Volunteer to be mentors or tutors
 * Offer students internships and apprenticeships

**For students:**

 * ** Volunteer as mentors or tutors **
 * ** Volunteer in the community (retirement centers, parks & camps, government) **
 * ** Start a club with friends and peers to explore place-based education opportunities in your community **
 * ** Advocate with teachers and administrators to incorporate PBE in your school's curriculum **
 * ** Participate in and encourage (via feedback, etc) any PBE programs your school has **

**For parents: **

 * Know what's going on in the school--talk to the teachers and administrators about PBE
 * Organize parent volunteer groups to support community involvement (chaperoning, etc)
 * Volunteer with your kids in the community
 * Support PBE as a member of the community (see above)
 * If you can, enroll your child in PBE programs
 * Spread the word: tell other parents the benefits of PBE and build momentum among parents to implement it

**For businesses/organizations:**

 * Offer internships and apprenticeships to students
 * Look for ways students involvement/projects can add value to your business/organization
 * Donate materials, supplies, money, and time to PBE projects at your schools
 * Build strong relationships with school administrators and teachers--brainstorm PBE opportunities together

**For teachers:**

 * Seek out PBE-related professional development opportunities and training
 * Identify school and community resources that can benefit PBE projects
 * Establish and maintain strong ties to the community (support community clubs and organizations)
 * It's okay to start small: experiment with small, short-term PBE units/activities and build confidence/support
 * Advocate for PBE with school administrators/school board
 * Facilitate communication between all stakeholders via newsletters, listservs, blogs, etc.

For administrators:

 * Take the lead: bring PBE into your school
 * Provide appropriate PBE-focused professional development for your teachers
 * Reach out to other schools and districts with PBE in your area: share resources and ideas
 * Maintain strong ties to the community

For everyone:

 * ** Call or write to your representatives at the local, state, and national level to advocate for policy/legislative support for PBE. Specific relevant legislation under consideration right now at the federal level includes: **
 * ** [|H.R. 3225 Community Gardens Act of 2009] is a House of Representatives bill that would provide funds from the federal government to support community gardens, which could become a component of PBE. **
 * [|S. 968 Secondary School Innovation Fund Act] includes funds for improving community and parental involvement in students' education. The House version of this bill is [|H.R. 2239].
 * ** Educate yourself: Explore the rest of this site! **