WOW! Facilitator Program

Environmental Concern’s Wonder of Wetlands program is complemented by the expertise and commitment of volunteer instructors.These volunteers, referred to as Facilitators, are highly trained, talented, and motivated individuals. Facilitators receive specialized training to enable them to teach workshops. These Facilitators represent a wide diversity of backgrounds and special areas of expertise. Many of them are classroom teachers in K-12 public or private schools, while others teach higher education courses to pre-service teachers or other college students. A large number of our Facilitators work in local nature centers, museums, aquaria, and zoos, or provide interpretive services at state and federally owned parks. 

Interested in Becoming a Facilitator?

As an Environmental Concern trained WOW! Facilitator you will have the opportunity to:

• Teach professional adults about wetland education and motivate them to use wetlands as a focus for teaching youngsters
• Empower students to take control of their today through the Junior WOW! Wetland Youth Leadership Program
• Contribute to your community's understanding of wetlands and wetland related issues
• Gain hands-on experience teaching adults in a supportive learning environment
• Find out the latest information on wetland education, research and management
• Become an integral part of an international network of professionals in the fields of wetlands, natural resources, education and interpretation
• Earn incentive points toward our annual facilitator recognition program/prizes

What is expected of an Environmental Concern WOW! Facilitator?

• A dedication to wetland education
• A desire to utilize your skills and experience to further wetland education efforts
• A commitment to conduct at least one 7-hour WOW! workshop annually.

What will you do as a WOW! Facilitator?

A facilitator serves as a guide, helping workshop participants gain a better understanding about the WOW! program, its methodologies, and potential impacts on children's environmental awareness and understanding. As a facilitator, you set the stage for learning and encourage participants to explore and develop as professionals.

A WOW! workshop facilitator must put his or her biases and interests aside. This is admittedly difficult because many of the issues we talk about and many of the WOW! activities we work with touch meaningful aspects in our own lives. It is important that you help participants make their own observations, interpretations, and conclusions and to assist them in discovering the potential WOW! holds for them as educators.

The workshop format should show school teachers how to use WOW! to teach science, math, language arts, social sciences, art, health and physical education. Non-school educators such as outdoor school teachers, interpreters, docents, or youth organization leaders should be shown how WOW! can be used to enhance or compliment their work with both children and adults.

How Do I Become a Volunteer WOW! Facilitator? 

Environmental Concern provides facilitator training workshops throughout the nation. Please click here for our current workshop schedule. If you do not see a Facilitator Training scheduled in your state, contact Environmental Concern to learn how we can bring the workshop to you.

Facilitator training consists of learning from the best-experienced, seasoned facilitators. They help you absorb what will seem to be an impossibly large amount of material in a short period of time, sharing the ins-and-outs, tools and techniques of being a successful facilitator. You will learn some proven ways to teach the material as well as the 'how-to's" and logistics of putting a successful workshop together.

After training, you will have the knowledge and resources to schedule, plan, and facilitate you own educators workshop. You will become part of the WOW! Facilitator Network, a large family of experienced facilitators, which you can call upon for help or advice as you learn the ropes. In the end, you and your workshop participants will have had an outstanding learning experience!