Online North American Monarch Institute 

Description: The Online North American Monarch Institute (NAMI) course for educators includes three live sessions on Zoom full of discussion, activities, and monarch learning. You will also be expected to watch several videos with background knowledge on monarchs, complete a weekly learning journal, and complete three assignments outside of the scheduled sessions. Educators will leave the institute with tools and knowledge to help lead their students, colleagues, and/or community in the science and conservation of monarchs and other beneficial insects.


Upon completion of course and assignments, participants will receive a certificate for 10 CEUs. Each participant will also receive a Monarchs and More curriculum guide for the grade level of their choosing (K-2, 3-5, or 6-8). 

Dates : July 2, 9, & 23, 2025 + additional time (~5.5 hours) to watch videos and complete assignments and journal entries

Time: 6:00-7:30pm CT

Language: English

Instructors: Katie-Lyn Puffer, Jenna Totz, Rita Morris

Cost: $50 

Users will be prompted to create an account in order to register for and access the course. 

If cost is a barrier to your participation and you would like to request financial support, please email learn@monarchjointventure.org.

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About This Course

The North American Monarch Institute (NAMI) is an intensive professional development opportunity for K-12 and preservice teachers and non-formal educators.  At it's core, NAMI aims to provide participants with knowledge and confidence to use monarchs and other invertebrates to teach science, math, art, language or other subjects. Participants gain an introductory understanding of the monarch life cycle, migration, and conservation as well hands-on experience in practicing several of the lessons from the Monarchs and More curriculum, which is the backbone for content and instruction of this workshop.

The Monarch Joint Venture welcomes you to the Online North American Monarch Institute (NAMI) for educators. This online NAMI includes three live sessions on Zoom full of discussion, activities, and monarch learning. You will also be expected to watch several videos with background knowledge on monarchs, complete a weekly learning journal, and complete three assignments outside of the scheduled sessions. Educators will leave the institute with tools and knowledge to help lead their students, colleagues, and/or community in the science and conservation of monarchs and other beneficial insects. 

Upon completion of course and assignments, participants will receive a certificate for 10 CEUs.

GoalsThrough hands-on lessons and interactive presentations, participants will:

  • learn about monarch biology, ecology, and conservation
  • practice educational activities that can be done in the schoolyard or other green space
  • explore biodiversity and invertebrate identification
  • experience the process of science as practiced by professional scientists, and how to fully immerse students or other program participants in this process
  • reflect on the information given and plan on implementing the content in your education setting
  • become part of an international science partnership between educators, researchers and students along the monarch migration flyway

Learn more about NAMI here

Testimonials

I was so grateful to attend NAMI and to gather the information that I did. Learning from the diverse group of instructors and participants were highlights; in addition to the content learning I gained, I feel like the connections we made with one another were incredibly beneficial both at the workshop and for future collaborations. I found the hands-on learning to be very helpful, which is a good reminder and indicator as to why NAMI as a workshop is important since we aim to share more of this type of learning with others!

I loved every minute of this Institute...Every instructor was top notch...friendly...helpful

Thank you again all so much. My brain is spinning with information and excitement! You are all so wonderful and making a huge difference in the world.
 

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