K-12 Teachers Course: Teaching a Sense of Place

Teaching a Sense of Place: Nature, Culture, and Environmental Challenges of the Pacific Northwest

Developed in partnership with Lewis & Clark Graduate School, this course for K-12 educators will explore the ecology of the Pacific Northwest using the ecosystem of Oregon’s Great Basin as a case study.

PLAYA is able to offer a limited amount of funding stipends for Lake County and Klamath County educators to cover the cost of attendance and the Graduate Continuing Education credit. Additionally, there are a limited number of free accommodations available at PLAYA for which Klamath County educators will be prioritized.


As K-12 students learn to mitigate the environmental damage caused to our planet, it is important that they grow a comprehensive understanding of their own natural environment in order to offer meaningful repair. We will practice how to study a place with holistic understanding.
Lessons will include hands-on activities and outdoor experiences centered around respect for the land, and an understanding of our interdependence. We will highlight environmentally sound Indigenous practices and restoration efforts in the region as we study processes, systems, and interrelationships.
Participants will develop an ecology unit incorporating different aspects of a place of their choice within the PNW. They will be encouraged to include Native relationships and land practices relative to their chosen area to share with other teachers in the region. By the end of the course, we hope to build a library of lessons for K-12 teachers around the region to use in their classrooms.

Participants in this course will:

  • Understand a broad outline of the geologic history of Oregon’s Great Basin region, and basic elements of PNW ecoregions.
  • Explore historic and current land practices affecting the region.
  • Develop a teaching unit on some aspect of the above that is appropriate to their place, their community, and the level of their students.

This course is designed for educators of any grade and background.

Dates and Times: Friday-Monday, November 21-24, 2025
Location: PLAYA, Summer Lake, OR, 47531, (OR-31, Summer Lake, OR, 97640)
Instructors: Joe Minato, MTE and Amy Minato, MA, MS
Guest Speaker: Perry Chocktoot
Consultant: Art Ochoa

Graduate Continuing Education credit: CEED-866-01, 1 semester hour, $375. PLAYA is able to offer a limited amount of funding stipends for Lake County and Klamath County educators to cover the cost of attendance. Please contact info@playasummerlake.org for more information.

Lodging: The location for this course is at PLAYA, Summer Lake, Oregon, about two hours southeast of Bend. There are a limited number of free accommodations available at PLAYA for which Klamath County educators will be prioritized; and will open up to other out-of-area participants after September 30th. Please contact info@playasummerlake.org to inquire. Participants may stay at other local lodging facilities at their own expense, such as Summer Lake Hot Springs, Paisley Sage Rooms, or The Lodge at Summer Lake.

Please visit the Lewis & Clark Graduate School website to register.

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