Birds can be a source of inspiration for teachers and students learning about any subject. They can also serve as a bridge between subjects. Participants will learn how to find and share birds with their students in a way that meets the standards and engages the students. In this workshop participants will go on a multi-disciplinary, multi-modal bird walk seeing birds through the lens of student AND teacher. Location: Park in the New Paltz Municipal lot (53 Huguenot St, New Paltz, NY 12561) What to Bring: Binoculars if possible (but not required); water, snack, pen/paper, phone. What to Wear: Weather-appropriate clothes and footwear for sometimes-wet ground.

Please Register by 12/13/25
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

Hosted by the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center, this summer workshop collaboration with the NY State Master Teacher Program and SUNY New Paltz will provide educators with an orientation to the SeeStar All-in-One Smart Telescope and its use in K-12 instruction. Teachers will learn how this compact, portable digital telescope combines automated locating and tracking, smart imaging, and app-based control in a format that is accessible for classroom use. Participants will explore features such as simple setup, integrated imaging for capturing views of the sun, moon, and night sky objects, and tools that support observation, inquiry, and student engagement in astronomy. Completion of this training will allow participants to borrow a SeeStar from the MHTC for use with their students. The session will also highlight connections to the New York State Science Learning Standards across grade levels, from elementary observations of the sun, moon, and stars to intermediate, middle and high school investigations of space systems, scientific modeling, and evidence-based exploration. NOTE: Master Teachers seeking engagement hours credit for their NYSMT program must sign up through the Master Teacher Portal. br>
Please Register by 7/5/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

Hosted by the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center, this summer workshop collaboration with the NY State Master Teacher Program and SUNY New Paltz will utilize both the SUNY New Paltz John R. Kirk Planetarium and the MHTC Portable Go-Dome. Taking place at SUNY New Paltz, it will introduce K-12 educators to the planetarium as a teaching and learning space, along with hands-on exploration of Stellarium and other astronomy software that can support classroom instruction. Participants will gain practical ideas for using these tools to strengthen student understanding of celestial patterns, Earth's place in the universe, and observational science across multiple grade levels. The information shared in this workshop will help prepare educators who complete a separate training specifically for borrowing the MHTC Go-Dome Portable Planetarium for use in their own schools. The workshop will highlight connections to the New York State Science Learning Standards, including elementary investigations of observable patterns in the sky, intermediate elementary and middle-level studies of the solar system, and high school Earth and Space Science concepts. NOTE: Master Teachers seeking engagement hours credit for their NYSMT program must sign up through the Master Teacher Portal.br>
Please Register by 7/5/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

*Resilient Environmental Strategies Through Organized Regional Education
The RESTORE three day summer institute is focused on helping educators (grades 6-12) build a foundational understanding of the climate crisis and solutions. Produced by Sustainable Hudson Valley with funding from Rotary International, it will cover each of the major categories of climate solutions - decarbonizing our energy systems, shifting to circular materials management, natural climate solutions through land and water restoration, and adaptation/ resilience. The institute will culminate in a session devoted to integrating and personalizing the knowledge that has been acquired, and identifying paths of action by deepening awareness of the landscape of organizations that participants can get involved with.
Attendees will be encouraged to participate in a follow-up hands-on project of direct service to each community that hosts the RESTORE Leadership Academy. Each day of the workshop will include an hour's lunch which will be provided at no cost.

Venue: Curriculum Materials Center, Old Main 215, SUNY New Paltz, NY

Join Jennifer Tuthill and Terri Hatfield as we explore this fantastic new book by Mike Anderson, "Hugging Porcupines". Porcupine can describe those students who may seem "prickly" and unreachable to us. Through this short book and numerous other resources, we will learn how to respectfully form relationships with our students, as well as support them in school and other settings. Through a month-by-month examination, participants will gain numerous strategies to try in their own settings. An Action Plan will be completed to help participants implement what they have learned during the school year.

Synchronous Online Participants connect for video conference sessions using a computer with microphone & webcam. Phones are not adequate. Full attendance is earned by participation in discussions, interactions using digital tools, & creation of materials/ resources. It is verified by time on Zoom.

Please Register by 9/18/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

Join Terri Hatfield, School Psychologist and Special Educator, as we explore the teenage brain. Through readings, research articles, videos, and simulations, we will learn what is happening within our middle- and high-schoolers brains. Strategies for assisting our students as they navigate their emotional, social, academic, and other areas of their lives will be discussed. An Action Plan will be completed to help participants implement what they have learned during the school year.

Synchronous Online Participants connect for video conference sessions using a computer with microphone & webcam. Phones are not adequate. Full attendance is earned by participation in discussions, interactions using digital tools, & creation of materials/ resources. It is verified by time on Zoom.

Please Register by 9/19/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

In this workshop, we will: Understand the bilingual brain List the ontological differences between ELLs, MLs, and monolingual English learners, and how to address these differences in the classroom Develop teaching materials to build background knowledge, provide visuals, and leverage cognates Make connections to home languages within classroom activities Get resources to help students acquire vocabulary and background knowledge to make meaning when reading In this course, we will spend the first segment unpacking the full article of the brief to understand the data and research presented while absorbing the classroom examples, reviewing the conclusion and recommendations, as well as the references and resources so we can work together to reflect and apply the revised instructional practices during the second segment of the course.

Synchronous Online Participants connect for video conference sessions using a computer with microphone & webcam. Phones are not adequate. Full attendance is earned by participation in discussions, interactions using digital tools, & creation of materials/ resources. It is verified by time on Zoom.

Please Register by 10/16/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

In this workshop, we will: Gather activities to build upon early exposure to language, songs and stories in the home Understand the concept of dynamic assessments and how to use family input to better understand a student's true capabilities Practice building family partnerships by gathering insights about language use, literacy practices and daily life to affirm student identities and experiences Use home languages to promote equity engagement and academic achievement for all in specific classroom activities and culture In this course, we will spend the first segment unpacking the full article of the brief to understand the data and research presented while absorbing the classroom examples, reviewing the conclusion and recommendations, as well as the references and resources so we can work together to reflect and apply the revised instructional practices during the second segment.

Synchronous Online Participants connect for video conference sessions using a computer with microphone & webcam. Phones are not adequate. Full attendance is earned by participation in discussions, interactions using digital tools, & creation of materials/ resources. It is verified by time on Zoom.

Please Register by 11/7/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

In this workshop, we will: Discuss facts related to research and theory in second language acquisition and biliteracy Identify pre-literacy practices that are developmentally appropriate Gather materials that reflect home languages and cultures of students, such as bilingual and native language books Utilize the EML (Emergent Multilingual Learner) Protocol in a mock setting In this course, we will spend the first segment unpacking the full article of the brief to understand the data and research presented while absorbing the classroom examples, reviewing the conclusion and recommendations, as well as the references and resources so we can work together to reflect and apply the revised instructional practices during the second part of the day.

Synchronous Online Participants connect for video conference sessions using a computer with microphone & webcam. Phones are not adequate. Full attendance is earned by participation in discussions, interactions using digital tools, & creation of materials/ resources. It is verified by time on Zoom.

Please Register by 11/30/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.

In this workshop, we will: Identify the Big Six (phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, oral language) Name and describe the different pedagogical approaches such as learning to read versus reading to learn Design a comprehensive literacy instructional program that goes beyond the Big Six to encompass linguistic and cultural assets for multilingual learners (I.e. english language development, metalinguistic awareness, cross-linguistic connections, oracy and social justice and culturally relevant pedagogy) Use screener data appropriately Gather instructional strategies for the Big Six that incorporate ELL and ML considerations In this workshop, we will spend the first segment unpacking the full article of the brief to understand the data and research presented while absorbing the classroom examples, reviewing the conclusion and recommendations, as well as the references and resources so we can work together to reflect and apply the revised instructional practices during the second day.

Synchronous Online Participants connect for video conference sessions using a computer with microphone & webcam. Phones are not adequate. Full attendance is earned by participation in discussions, interactions using digital tools, & creation of materials/ resources. It is verified by time on Zoom.

Please Register by 1/2/26
Member districts receive priority for enrollment. Non-member districts are waitlisted until 1 week prior, then added if there is space.
MHTC only verifies hours of attendance. Your district must approve In-service hours for salary credit or other contractual matters.