Chesapeake Classrooms
Chesapeake Bay Foundation's summer courses provide teachers with outdoor learning experiences that are aligned with local school system standards. Courses are open to educators throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Join us for a summer professional learning adventure! Chesapeake Classrooms courses are designed to model a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) through participant-driven field experiences and authentic research. Each course equips teachers with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to create and implement their own MWEE. Collaborate with a community of educators in an immersive, joyful, and supportive outdoor environment.
2026 Chesapeake Classroom Courses
Registration is now open! The following information applies to all 2026 courses. For more information, please contact the Chesapeake Classrooms team, 410-268-8816.Important Information
Upon successful course completion, participants may be eligible for continuing education credit or contact hours. Graduate credit may also be available for some courses and requires additional forms and fees. See details on the Professional Learning Credits page.
Many courses are designed to meet the needs of a specific school district. However, there are several courses open to any teacher in DC, MD, VA, PA. Review the Course List below for details.
Attendance at an orientation is required prior to your course. Dates and times will be provided at the time of registration. Virtual meeting links will be included in your registration confirmation email.
Generous support from donors and grants allows us to offer each Chesapeake Classrooms course at a discounted rate. Additional school system discounts and teacher scholarships may be available. See course registration pages for details. Unless otherwise stated, lodging and transportation are not included.
Cancellations made six weeks before a course’s start date will receive a full refund minus a $75 processing fee. No refunds will be granted within six weeks of the course’s start date; however, we are happy to transfer registration to another course if space allows. All cancellation and transfer requests must be made in writing and sent to the Chesapeake Classrooms team.
Course registration will close three weeks prior to the course start date or when the course reaches capacity.
2026 Course List
The following is a list of available courses, grouped by week. An asterisk (*) indicates that any teacher in DC, MD, VA, PA is eligible to register. Select the course title to view the details and register.
Week of June 21-June 27
- Henrico County Explores Climate and Environmental Literacy – 4 days
- Newport News Chesapeake Resilience – 3 days
- Rappahannock Environmental Literacy* – 3 days
- Prince George’s CTE Ecosystem Explorations* – 3 days
Week of June 28-July 4
- Baltimore to the Bay and Beyond* – 3 days
Week of July 5-July 11
- Anne Arundel Explores Climate Change Impacts and Actions* – 3 days
- Montgomery County: Thinking Like a Watershed – 5 days
Week of July 12-July 18
- Pennsylvania Forests and Rivers Exploration* – 3 days
- Wicomico County Watershed: Inspiration for Learning and Leading – 5 days
- Worcester County to Tangier Island – 3 days
Week of July 19-July 25
- Blue Ridge to the Bay* – 5 days
- Prince George’s County Climate Action Chesapeake Exploration* – 5 days
Week of July 26-August 1
- Lancaster Watershed Exploration* – 3 days
- Teachers on the Estuary: Science and Supporting Student Success* – 5 days
- Virginia Beach Environmental Literacy Exploration* – 3 days
Week of August 2-August 8
Week of August 9-August 15
- Becoming an Outdoor Teacher* – 5 days
- Potomac River: Our Neighborhood, Our Watershed* – 5 days
- Kempsville Explores the Bay – 1 day
Monday, June 22-Thursday, June 25
Henrico County Explores Climate and Environmental Literacy
Open to Henrico County, VA teachers.
Join CBF for a multi-day professional development in June as we visit living buildings, explore the Chesapeake Bay, and bring our knowledge back to Henrico County. Participants will spend three days and two nights at CBF’s Port Isobel Environmental Education Center near Tangier Island. While there we will investigate the rich ecology and the nearby historic fishing community of Tangier in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. Together we will explore how inquiry, experience, and place intertwine for effective teaching and learning. The final day of the course will take us back upstream where we will investigate our local connections to the Bay and innovate approaches to enhance environmental literacy in Henrico County. This action-packed course will strengthen your connection to the natural world and equip you with skills and experiences to elevate our environmental literacy programs. This four-day consecutive experience is paired with an optional one-day program in early June for a total of five learning days.
Length & Location: Four days of collaborative, outdoor learning. Monday-Wednesday at CBF’s Port Isobel Island Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. These three days will begin and end at Smith Point Marina in Reedville, VA. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens. Thursday will be spent learning together in Henrico County.
Cost: $575. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Tuesday, June 24–Thursday, June 26
Prince George’s CTE Ecosystem Explorations
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
This three-day experience immerses educators in climate-smart agriculture and sustainability-focused career pathways through hands-on learning at Clagett Farm and the University of Maryland College Park. Participants will explore the UMD campus labs, greenhouses, and research facilities, connect with professors and industry experts, and examine how climate change is shaping agriculture and natural resource careers. The program also includes an exploration highlighting emerging sustainability careers tied to water, energy, and climate innovation. Educators will leave with practical classroom strategies, real-world examples, and stronger connections to regional institutions that support career-connected learning.
Length & Location: Three days of collaborative, outdoor learning in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Wednesday, June 24–Friday, June 26
Newport News Chesapeake Resilience
Open to Newport News, VA teachers. Priority given to teachers who participated in Newport News Climate Change Investigations and Actions—Summer 2025.
Dive into an immersive Bay adventure on Smith Island, MD. Assess climate curricula tailored for Newport News that connects students to their local environment and larger watershed. Spend three days with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation investigating ecosystems, studying climate solutions, and modifying climate literate curriculum to best suit the needs of Newport News students. Connect with brackish marshes from the seat of a canoe, tally biotic data aboard a 40′ research vessel, and study ecosystem resilience along threatened shorelines. Identify resources and learn from experts that can help you weave inquiry-based investigations into curricula that encourages classroom engagement and elevates student voice. This action-packed, immersive course will strengthen your connection to the natural world and equip you with skills to tackle environmental and climate concerns with your students. Participants that complete all coursework will be eligible for a stipend. See registration page for details.
Length & Location: Three days of collaborative, outdoor learning at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. The program will begin and end at Smith Point Marina in Reedville, VA. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens and transportation to and from the marina in Reedville, VA.
Cost: $375. School system discount available.
Tuesday, June 23–Thursday, June 25
Rappahannock Environmental Literacy
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and local partners for a three-day professional development course designed for educators in Virginia’s Region 3. Participants will discover how to utilize local and community resources to engage students in outdoor, hands-on science learning. Explore the schoolyard and nearby nature with a fresh set of eyes and helpful tools in a friendly, collaborative learning environment. Connect with nature in your own backyard and walk away with practical skills to incorporate outdoor learning, student action, and place-based discovery in your own classroom that ties directly to Virginia’s Standards of Learning. Each of the three days will be hosted at a new location from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.
Length & Location: Three days of collaborative, outdoor learning in and around Caroline, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Monday, June 29–Wednesday, July 1
Baltimore to the Bay and Beyond
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Immerse yourself in the interconnected systems of Baltimore’s urban environment and the Chesapeake Bay through a hands-on exploration of environmental literacy, sustainability, and green career pathways. From boat-based investigations aboard Baltimore Harbor’s Green Boat to on-the-ground experiences in urban agriculture, participants will examine how cities support healthy communities and ecosystems. This three-day experience provides practical strategies and classroom-ready connections that empower educators to link students to real-world environmental challenges and career opportunities in their own city and beyond.
Length & Location: Three days of collaborative, outdoor learning in and around Baltimore City, MD. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Tuesday, July 7–Thursday, July 9
Anne Arundel Explores Climate Change Impacts and Actions
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Discover how to use our local environment to engage students in hands-on learning that inspires climate resilience and action. Spend three days with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Anne Arundel County investigating ecosystems, studying climate solutions, and developing climate literate investigations that can be integrated into your curriculum. Connect with habitats in your own backyard, from the seat of a canoe, and along the shorelines of our local waterways. Identify resources and learn from a network of experts that can help you weave inquiry-based investigations into curricula that encourage classroom engagement and elevates student voice. This action-packed course will strengthen your connection to the natural world and equip you with skills to tackle environmental and climate concerns with your students.
Length & Location: Three-days of collaborative, outdoor learning in and around Anne Arundel County, MD. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Monday, July 6–Friday, July 10
Montgomery County: Thinking Like a Watershed
Open to Montgomery County, MD teachers.
Tell the story of your local environment. Discover who the characters are, what the plotline is, how points-of-view shift the narrative, and what themes and settings connect to your community. Join the Lathrop E. Smith Center and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for two days of local discovery and three days of Bay exploration and curriculum connections while staying at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center. Field-based investigations will introduce you to the plants and animals that share our watershed. Dive into the past, present, and future while learning how to elevate students as the storytellers of their local environment and community. Montgomery County teachers in all content areas and grade levels are encouraged to participate to enhance the cross-curricular experience.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning. Monday-Tuesday in Montgomery County, MD. Wednesday-Friday at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens.
Cost: $75.
Tuesday, July 14–Thursday, July 16
Pennsylvania Forests and Rivers Exploration
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Join fellow educators for a three-day professional development field experience in the Gettysburg, PA region that brings environmental literacy to life through place-based, phenomenon-driven learning aligned with PA STEELS. Participants will explore local waterways, historic landscapes, and the York County Resource Recovery Center through immersive field investigations that deepen both personal understanding and classroom instructional practice. Educators will engage in hands-on learning, model MWEE-aligned instructional strategies, and translate field experiences into ready-to-use schoolyard investigations for grades 4–8. This experience is ideal for educators seeking practical, locally grounded approaches that strengthen student sensemaking and empower learners to investigate real environmental challenges in their own communities.
Length & Location: Three-days of collaborative, outdoor learning exploring Gettysburg Battlefield, Codorus State Park, and the York County Resource Recovery Center. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Monday, July 13–Friday, July 17
Wicomico County Watershed: Inspiration for Learning and Leading
Open to Wicomico County Public School teachers.
Experience the joy of learning and design opportunities to connect students to outdoor investigations and community actions. This five-day course will investigate the connections between nature, culture, and history in Wicomico County using interdisciplinary and multimodal approaches. Together we will develop creative practices to foster environmental literacy and student engagement in the classroom. We’ll begin with two days of local exploration then travel to the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge to investigate the salt marshes and Chesapeake Bay. Wicomico County teachers in all content areas and grade levels are invited to attend to enhance the cross-curricular experience. Elementary teachers are enthusiastically encouraged to participate.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning. Monday-Tuesday in Wicomico County, MD. Wednesday-Friday at CBF’s Karen Noonan Memorial Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens.
Cost: $575. School system discounts are available.
Wednesday, July 15–Friday, July 17
Worcester County to Tangier Island
Open to Worcester County, MD teachers.
How can we use the tidal marshes, maritime forests, and estuarine beaches of the Eastern Shore as beneficial outdoor classrooms and create curricular inspiration that sparks wonder and curiosity in learning? Join CBF and fellow Worcester County teachers for three full days of field-based study in the heart of the Chesapeake at CBF’s Port Isobel East Island Environmental Education Center near Tangier Island, VA. On island, we will explore the unique and varied habitats and history of the Chesapeake Bay. Participants will experience the wonder of watershed ecology firsthand while studying the plants and animals of the Bay’s brackish water system. Be a part of expanding and refining the plan to integrate environmental literacy throughout a student’s education with Worcester County Public Schools.
Length & Location: Three days of collaborative, outdoor learning at CBF’s Port Isobel Island Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. The program will begin and end at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, MD. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens and transportation to and from the marina in Crisfield, MD.
Cost: $375. School system discounts are available.
Monday, July 20–Friday, July 24
Blue Ridge to the Bay
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, VA, PA.
This course, designed specifically for Virginia public school teachers in Region 5, will build a participant’s comfort and skill in utilizing nature as a context for learning in support of classroom curricula. Each day will provide opportunities for hands-on learning, interdisciplinary study, and collaboration across districts. The first two days will be spent comparing the Potomac and James River waterways at the northern and southernmost points of the region. Participants will then trace their waterways to the Bay to spend the final three days of the course on Smith Island in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. This course will help participants understand the ecological, cultural, and historic ties that connect the Blue Ridge to the Bay and meaningful methods to inspire learning, local connections, and student action in our own school communities.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning. Monday-Tuesday in and around Rockingham and Campbell counties. Wednesday-Friday at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens. The ferry will depart Wednesday and return Friday from a marina in Reedville, VA. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are
responsible for their own travel and accommodation Monday and Tuesday.
Cost: $575. School system discounts and scholarships are available
Monday, July 20–Friday, July 24
Prince George’s County Climate Action Chesapeake Exploration
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Immerse yourself in Prince George’s County’s climate action efforts through a five-day, place-based exploration of local ecosystems, community initiatives, and sustainability solutions. Participants will engage in hands-on investigations and site visits across the county including the new Schmidt Outdoor Education Center, Clagett Farm, and CBF’s Potomac River Environmental Education Program, examining how climate change impacts natural systems, infrastructure, and communities at the local level. Through discussions and collaborative learning, educators will explore climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, green career pathways, and opportunities for student engagement in real-world problem solving. This experience equips participants with classroom ready resources and practical strategies to connect students to authentic climate challenges and solutions happening in their own county.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning in Price George’s County, MD. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $575. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Tuesday, July 28–Thursday, July 30
Lancaster Watershed Exploration
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Join fellow educators for a three-day immersive professional learning institute in Lancaster County focused on environmental literacy, place-based learning, and PA STEELS-aligned instruction. Designed for grades 4–8 (all educators welcome), this hands-on experience pairs high-impact pedagogy with field investigations at Horn Farm Center, Lancaster County Environmental Center, and exploration on the Conestoga River. Participants will explore land use, school gardens, water quality, and climate change while modeling inquiry-based, phenomenon-driven teaching strategies. Leave with ready-to-use lessons, community partnerships, and practical tools to bring meaningful outdoor learning back to your classroom.
Length & Location: Three-days of collaborative, outdoor learning at Horn Farm Center, Climbers Run Nature Center, and other local areas in and around Lancaster County, PA. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Monday, July 27–Friday, July 31
Teachers on the Estuary: Science and Supporting Student Success
Open to middle and high school teachers in DC, MD, PA, VA. If you are a non-formal educator interested in attending, please join the waitlist. We will contact you in early July if a spot is available. Priority is given to classroom teachers.
Phenomena-based learning experiences boost student engagement and curiosity and helps teachers connect learning to real-world, local events. This course is designed to model various phenomena-based learning frameworks for middle and high school students through participant-driven outdoor field experiences and authentic research conducted by a community of educators in an immersive, joyful, and supportive environment. This dynamic five-day program to explore coastal habitats and iconic communities is offered in collaboration with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and with special guests from the Dorchester County Health Department to help us learn about local environmental and human health interactions.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning at CBF’s Karen Noonan Memorial Environmental Education Center for a residential experience. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens.
Cost: $125.
Monday, July 27–Wednesday, July 29
Virginia Beach Environmental Literacy Exploration
Open to any teacher in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and local partners for a three-day professional development course designed for educators in Virginia Beach. Participants will discover how to utilize local and community resources to engage students in outdoor, hands-on learning in science and beyond. Explore the schoolyard and nearby nature with a fresh set of eyes and helpful tools in a friendly, collaborative learning environment. Connect with nature and learn practical skills to incorporate outdoor learning and place-based discovery in your own classroom. This experience equips participants with classroom-ready resources and practical strategies to connect students to environmental challenges and solutions in their own backyard.
Length & Location: Three-days of collaborative, outdoor learning in and around Virginia Beach, VA. Please note, teachers from outside the course location area are encouraged to register but are responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Cost: $375. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Monday, August 3–Friday, August 7
Montgomery County: Exploring Climate and Environmental Justice
Open to Montgomery County, MD teachers.
Engage students in the story of a changing climate and environmental justice in Montgomery County and the Chesapeake Bay. Join the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in this study of our local environment and the people who call it home. This five-day experience will provide hands-on exploration of the ecological and social impacts of climate change, community resiliency surrounding climate change, and model the practice of student inquiry and problem-solving. Montgomery County teachers in all content areas and grade levels are encouraged to participate to enhance the cross-curricular experience.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning in Montgomery County, MD.
Cost: $75.
Monday, August 10–Friday, August 14
Becoming an Outdoor Teacher
Open to teachers in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Come explore the beautiful and diverse ecosystems of Maryland’s Eastern Shore! Connect local resources to classroom content and create rich learning experiences outside of the classroom. Spend two days exploring the local habitats and aquatic systems of the Choptank River, then travel into the heart of the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge for a residential experience at CBF’s Karen Noonan Memorial Environmental Education Center. This dynamic five-day program is offered in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning. Monday-Tuesday at Tuckahoe and Martinak State Parks. Wednesday-Friday at CBF’s Karen Noonan Memorial Environmental Education Center. Monday and Tuesday nights at Tuckahoe State Park in camper cabins equipped with ceiling fans, electricity, air conditioning, grill, fire ring, table, central bathhouse with showers and toilet facilities. Wednesday-Friday nights at the Karen Noonan Center equipped with climate-controlled dorm-style housing and shared bathrooms and shower rooms. Participants supply their own linens. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group; food, and cooking supplies are provided. Potable water will be available all week.
Cost: $575. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Monday, August 10–Friday, August 14
Potomac River: Our Neighborhood, Our Watershed
Open to teachers in DC, MD, PA, VA.
Inspire student action that conserves and protects water. Dive into this topic and your own watershed during a unique professional learning opportunity. Begin with two days of local exploration on and around the Potomac River. Then travel to CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center to learn what is downstream of the Potomac River and how these cultures and ecosystems are connected.
Length & Location: Five days of collaborative, outdoor learning. Monday in Montgomery County, MD and Tuesday in Washington, DC. Please note that teachers are responsible for travel, food, and lodging, on the first two days of the course. Wednesday-Friday at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center
for a residential experience. We will prepare and clean up meals as a group. Shared dorm-style housing, food, and cooking supplies are provided while at the center. Participants supply their own linens.
Cost: $575. School system discounts and scholarships are available.
Thursday, August 12
Kempsville Explores the Bay
Open to Kempsville Middle School teachers.
Explore our ecosystem and inspire student action that conserves and protects the Chesapeake Bay on this one-day professional learning experience. Study the sustainability features at the Brock Environmental Center and explore the habitats of the Lynnhaven River aboard a CBF research vessel. Learn about the fish, crabs, and oysters that call our waters home. Understand how to highlight and strengthen your students’ connection to the Bay and their community through hands-on outdoor investigations.
Length & Location: One day of collaborative, outdoor learning from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at CBF’s Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, VA.
Cost: No cost, thanks to special grant funding for Kempsville Middle School teachers.
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