Summer Courses

8 AM | Courses Begin

12-1 PM – Lunch 

5-6 PM – Courses End

Morning and afternoon breaks with treats and snacks daily.

Brain, Body, Connections

Instructor: Angela Carroll
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 2 – Wednesday, June 4
Audience: All educators
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380 + $5 fee
This interactive course explores brain-body connectivity and how movement affects cognitive function. Learn techniques to activate the brain, engage learners, and develop neurodiversity-inclusive lesson plans.

Cartography and Power 

Instructor: Andie Speed, PhD.
Course Code: HIST 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 2 – Wednesday, June 4
Audience: Secondary teachers
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380
Explore how maps shape understanding of history and identity. Learn to analyze maps critically and use QGIS software to create interactive learning experiences.

Experiential Education 

Instructor: Karen Immerso
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 2 – Wednesday, June 4
Audience: All educators
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380
Enhance lesson plans with experiential learning strategies. Explore project-based learning, service learning, and interdisciplinary teaching methods.

Cancelled: From Burnout to Balance 

Cancelled: Making Math Magic

Cancelled: Meeting the Content, Language, and Socioemotional Needs of Migrant Youth

Resilient Futures in Rural Colorado: Climate Change Science, Adaptation & Mitigation

Instructor: Katya Schloesser
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 1
Dates: Tuesday, June 3 – Wednesday, June 4
Audience: Secondary Science Teachers
Cost: Early Bird Discount $114 | Full Price $190 | +$5 Fee

Explore the latest climate science, local data, and teaching resources on wildfire risk, water challenges, and adaptation strategies. This course connects to CDE Science Standards and NGSS, with hands-on activities from NOAA, CU Boulder, and CLEAN to engage students in climate literacy. Additionally, we will share best practices for supporting students’ mental health and climate anxiety and resources on how to build a High School Diploma Seal of Climate Literacy program, a new option made available from the CDE. 

American Sign Language 

Instructor: Karen Immerso
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Thursday, June 5 – Saturday, June 7
Audience: All educators
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380
Gain foundational ASL skills for inclusive classrooms. Learn sign language basics, cultural considerations, and strategies for working with diverse learners.

An Educational Roundtable

Instructor: Angela Carroll
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Thursday, June 5 – Saturday, June 7
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380
Fostering inclusivity in the classroom is a challenge for all educators. This course provides a space to discuss, share, and brainstorm strategies for embracing student diversity, including neurodivergence and cultural differences. Educators will explore ways to create inclusive learning environments, address systemic barriers, and develop actionable strategies to support all students.

Bridging Language & Learning for Multilingual Excellence 

Instructor: Amanda Martinez
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Audience: All educators
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380
Explore instructional strategies for multilingual learners. Learn differentiation techniques and culturally responsive teaching methods.

Cancelled: Genre-Based Writing Within Different Disciplines

Cancelled: Self-Care for Teachers: Daily Practices for Stressful Times

Cancelled: Becoming a Climate Literacy Educator: Tools & Techniques

Building Bridges: Connecting Trauma Awareness and Behavior Strategies in Education 

Instructor: Leia Henaghan
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Audience: All educators
Cost: Early Bird $228 | Full Price $380 + $10 fee
Develop skills to create trauma-informed learning environments and apply behavior management strategies.

Connecting with Our Natural Surroundings – Part 2

Instructor: Rain Bodine
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 9 – Wednesday, June 11
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380 | +$10 Fee
This hands-on course explores experiential learning, nature journaling, and outdoor education through daily field trips in Gunnison, Colorado. Guided by book studies from Clare Walker Leslie and John Muir Laws, educators will develop strategies to integrate nature-based lessons into their curriculum, fostering curiosity, creativity, and environmental stewardship. (Part 1 is not a prerequisite.)

Intentional Differentiation & Language Routines in the Mathematics Classroom

Instructor: Madison Hays
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 9 – Wednesday, June 11
Audience: Secondary Math & Special Education Teachers, ELD & Newcomer Math Teachers
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380
Enhance math instruction with accessible, equitable, and engaging strategies that support all learners. This course explores intentional differentiation, language routines, and real-world applications to improve student achievement. Educators will develop a year plan, unit lessons, and a refreshed instructional approach to foster inclusivity and success in the math classroom.

Nature Writing, Environmental Literature & Field Experiences

Instructor: Molly Murfee
Course Code: ENVS 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 9 – Wednesday, June 11
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380 | +$15 Fee
Immerse yourself in environmental literature and nature writing through full-day field experiences in the wilderness. This course explores creative nonfiction techniques, freewriting exercises, and interdisciplinary approaches to foster critical thinking, observation, and storytelling. Ideal for educators in English, composition, and natural sciences, but adaptable to all subjects.

Spanish Language Learning

Instructor: Karen Immerso
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 9 – Wednesday, June 11
Audience: Secondary Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380
Develop basic Spanish speaking skills to communicate with students and parents in school settings. This interactive course focuses on vocabulary, verbs, listening comprehension, and conversational practice, while also modeling experiential learning for diverse classrooms. Designed for beginners and those seeking a refresher, this course builds confidence and supports CDE’s ELPD renewal requirement.

Beyond Dirt: The Ecology of Soil

Instructor: Jennie DeMarco, PhD.
Course Code: ENVS 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Thursday, June 12 – Saturday, June 14
Audience: Primarily Secondary Educators, Applicable to All Levels
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380 | +$10 Fee
Explore the structure, function, and health of soil and its impact on ecosystems. This interdisciplinary course blends science, art, literature, and social systems to examine soil conservation, policy, and management. Educators will engage in hands-on activities, soil testing, and lesson planning to bring soil science into their classrooms.

Cancelled: Engaging with Assets Pedagogies through Abbott Elementary

Exploring the Science, History, and Art of Silk Painting, Encaustic Collage, and Felted Fibers

Instructor: Rain Bodine
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Thursday, June 12 – Saturday, June 14
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380 | +$20 Fee
Discover the science, history, and techniques behind silk resist painting, encaustic collage, and felt-making. This hands-on course explores the chemical and historical foundations of these art forms while providing classroom-ready projects that encourage creativity and interdisciplinary learning. No prior art experience required!

From Story to Practice: Literacy for CLD Learners

Instructors: Karen Hausdoerffer & Rita Merrigan
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Monday, June 9 – Wednesday, June 11
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380
Use the power of storytelling to engage Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) learners. This hands-on course explores literacy strategies, diverse literature, and interactive activities such as theater, art, and discussion-based learning. Educators will leave with practical tools to create welcoming, engaging classrooms and meet CDE’s ELPD renewal requirement.

Outdoor Citizenry: Engagement, Skills, Connection & LNT

Instructor: Molly Murfee
Course Code: ENVS 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Thursday, June 12 – Saturday, June 14
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380 | +$15 Fee
Gain outdoor skills, environmental awareness, and Leave No Trace (LNT) training while hiking through Gunnison’s backcountry. Learn navigation, first aid, and nature identification while fostering a deeper connection to the natural world. Participants receive a Leave No Trace Outdoor Awareness Certificate and classroom-ready environmental education resources.

Cancelled: Rivers as Your Classroom

Wellness for Self and in the Classroom

Instructor: Angela Carroll
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Dates: Thursday, June 12 – Saturday, June 14
Audience: All Levels & Types of Educators
Cost: Early Bird Discount $228 | Full Price $380 | +$10 Fee
Explore the eight dimensions of wellness and their impact on personal and classroom well-being. This course provides practical strategies, mindfulness exercises, and wellness planning tools to help educators maintain self-care while fostering a positive classroom environment for students and staff.

Building Bridges: Trauma Awareness & Behavior Strategies 

Instructor: Leia Henaghan
Dates: June 15-August 4
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Audience: All educators
Cost: $380
Unlock your classroom’s potential with this HB 20-1128 and HB 20-1312-compliant course, designed for Colorado teachers and administrators. Learn how trauma impacts behavior, learning, and brain development, and gain tools to create inclusive, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed environments that support all students, especially those with disabilities.

Explore the basics of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), including reinforcement, punishment, and behavior shaping. Master the four functions of behavior and apply the ABC framework to tailor interventions. Through reflective practices and hands-on strategies, you’ll develop skills to manage sensory triggers, reframe negative thinking, and implement behavior contracts, group contingencies, and response cost systems. With resources like the Teacher Toolbox and ABA Visualized, you’ll leave ready to implement evidence-based strategies for a thriving classroom.

Retreat, Reflect, Renew: Creative Reflective Learning

Instructor: Melanie Reaves, PhD.
Dates: June 15-August 5
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 2
Audience: All educators
Cost: $380
Reflection is essential to learning. This course explores theory, research, and evidence-based methods for reflection, using journaling, metaphors, and collaboration to deepen understanding. Educators will engage in multi-genre writing, conversation, and arts-based meaning-making (no art experience needed). Participants will retreat to synthesize research, reflect on their own teaching, and renew their approach with practical techniques to help students develop reflective learning skills.

Who Gets to Tell the Story of Water?

Instructor: Sarah Johnson.
Dates: June 17-26
Course Code: ENVS 520 | Credits: 1
Audience: All educators
Cost: $190

Guatemala Immersion for Educators 

Instructor: Steve Foster
Dates: July 6-19, 2025
Course Code: EDUC 520 | Credits: 3
Audience: All educators
Cost: $2,599 (travel costs included, excluding airfare & personal expenses)
Experience a two-week cultural and language immersion in Guatemala, designed exclusively for educators. This travel course deepens understanding of language, culture, and their role in classroom instruction through hands-on experiences that go beyond traditional learning. Participants will engage in meaningful conversations, explore cultural sites, and apply learning through site-based activities.

Registration opens in April.

• Early Bird Discount: First-come, first-served for on-campus courses: credits are offered at a 40% discount, thanks to the Ann Zugelder Endowment
  • The early bird discount only includes the cost per credit; it does not include course fees.
  • Unless you hear from Teacher Institute staff after registering, you have received the early bird discounted price rate.
  • *Early bird cost is subject to scholarship fund availability; register early to guarantee a discount*
• The Deadline for Changes (No Fee) is May 15. After this date, changes may incur a $50 fee.
• Last Date for Refunds: May 15.

Register

If you are returning, log back in. 

First-time users: Create an account 

Start the “Center for Learning & Innovation Application 2025” 

Choose “Teacher Institute/Early Childhood Education” and the program of study. 

Please note: All prompts with a red star * must be completed for your application and subsequent registration to be successfully received. 

Register Now

Registration Confirmations
Registration will open in April. You will receive a confirmation email and further follow-up emails upon registration submission. If you have any questions about the registration process, please email teacherinstitute@western.edu.

Additional emails will follow closer to the Teacher Institute with course classroom location, instructor information, and instructions for payment and accessing the online web system.

• Invoices for courses will be sent in May to the email used during registration by the Center for Learning & Innovation.
• The Deadline for Changes (No Fee) is May 15. After this date, changes may incur a $50 fee.
• Last Date for Refunds: May 15.
• Cancellation Fee: Once registered, to drop/cancel a course, the Center for Learning & Innovation will assess a $50 fee.

For billing questions, contact the Center for Learning & Innovation at 970.943.2885 or center@western.edu.

The Teacher Institute reserves the right to cancel classes and make changes when warranted. If a class is canceled, participants will be notified via email and receive a full refund.

Courses with fewer than 5 participants on 5/15/2025 will be canceled.

Drops from a course will result in a refund if they occur before 5/15/2025 (drop deadline).

Non-attendance or non-payment does not constitute a drop. Full refunds are not given after the last day to drop. All drop requests must be in writing to the Center for Learning and Innovation at center@western.edu.

Transcripts for credit courses can be obtained by visiting www.parchment.com

At the conclusion of the class, students have an opportunity to evaluate the content and their instructor. Student input is important, as it helps improve future classes. Evaluations are anonymous.

Photos of students and instructors in various classes are often taken to promote the Western Colorado University Center for Learning and Innovation. Such photos are used in class schedules, flyers, and other marketing pieces.