The sun peeked through the trees on a hot July day at Stewart Creek in Smyrna, TN, as 15 environmental science teachers collected samples for water quality testing alongside the Cumberland River Compact Education Team. Some had on waders, others muck boots, and some watched from the rocky banks– but all wore smiles as they chatted amongst themselves and examined the water for color, clarity, and signs of life.
After the creek, teachers headed back to Murfreesboro’s Blackman High School, where they sat at clustered desks to perform data analysis, interactive labs, and exploration– just as their students would.
The Compact’s Education Team refers to this type of temporary role-reversal as “becoming science learners.” It allows teachers to experience the learning process from the student’s perspective, which can make instructional challenges more concrete and improve their ability to reflect on their own teaching.
But this was no ordinary teacher training day – this was the start of a deep partnership between the Cumberland River Compact and Rutherford County Schools to advance science instruction by making learning local. And these teachers were just some of the hundreds that the Compact is supporting this year. The Cumberland River Compact Education Team spent the summer of 2026 traveling across Middle Tennessee, providing customized training to science teachers so they can transform how their students ask questions, think critically, and solve environmental challenges.
Teachers are multipliers – for every teacher the Compact engages, we know we are impacting daily instruction for hundreds of students during the course of that teacher’s career.
The Changing Tide of Science Teaching
There is growing momentum across the field of science education to support science teachers through curriculum-based professional learning. In this approach, teachers learn new teaching approaches by experiencing them as students would, then apply them in their classrooms while receiving ongoing feedback throughout the school year.
“Transformation in science education occurs when professional learning engages teachers as learners first, addresses specific implementation challenges and provides ongoing support for shifting teaching practices rather than one-time training sessions.” – Jim Short, You’ve Heard of Science of Reading? The Nation Needs Science of Teaching Science, The 74 Million
For many years, science education has also shifted from teaching students to know things, a.k.a. rote memorization of facts, to teaching them how to think by asking questions, exploring ideas, gathering evidence, communicating their ideas, and more.
While these are important academic skills for students, they are also the essential skills we need across our communities to address environmental challenges. Not everyone needs to become a scientist or engineer, but they need to be able to engage deeply with the local issues that impact their lives. If we want today’s students to understand and address environmental challenges, we need to equip the teachers who can help them make sense of those challenges every day.
Where the Compact Comes In
As more schools and school districts are choosing to teach environmental science, the Compact has stepped in to support these schools, teachers, and students through professional learning. The Compact’s professional learning program is unique in the way that the Education Team works directly with school districts, embedding itself as a go-to resource for district leaders. Additionally, each school district partnership approach is designed specifically to meet the needs of those specific teachers and students. Here’s a glimpse of what we’re doing this year:
Making Environmental Science Local
Rutherford County Schools
The Education Team wrote a two-week storyline unit about the Compact-led dam removal project at Stewart Creek. Rutherford County teachers experienced the storyline through two days of professional learning led by the Compact. This unit was also embedded directly into the district’s scope and sequence (the guide teachers use to plan their classrooms). The Compact will reflect on implementation with teachers during quarterly study groups during the 2026-27 school year and through classroom walkthroughs.
Building a Shared Vision
Metro Nashville Public Schools
After working with the Compact for a year, MNPS was ready to solidify the integration of local phenomena into the environmental science curriculum. MNPS and the Compact recruited teachers to join a cadre working directly to find new ways to bring localization into the curriculum and to support connections to biology. The Compact will meet with this group throughout the 2026-27 school year to build a new scope and sequence for the district and implement the updates with other teachers.
Bringing Professional Learning to the Classroom
Sumner County Schools
Since 2022, the Compact has worked with Sumner County Schools to provide environmental education programming in classrooms. This year, that partnership expanded to include professional learning for environmental science teachers. After they receive training, the Compact will continue to support these teachers by bringing interactive programs to their classrooms, further demonstrating how to teach using local phenomena.
Increasing Access to Rural Educators
Multiple districts
This year, 12 teachers from 9 counties across Tennessee attended the Compact’s annual Teacher Retreat, which focuses on providing rural educators with the same level of high-quality professional learning. When teachers are in smaller school districts, they often have fewer professional learning opportunities available. The Teacher Retreat serves as a central hub for rural teachers to build community, learn from each other, and connect with the Compact
The Compact’s professional learning model relies on the ongoing touchpoints we’ll have with these educators throughout the year– but we also know, from talking to the teachers themselves, that there are immediate impacts.
“I have been teaching for 35 years,” says Bill, a science teacher at Liberty Creek High School. “This was hands-down one of the best in-service trainings that I have been to.”
“Seeing the other environmental science teachers throughout the year and… reflecting on our shared experience has helped us be more intentional about what we can do as educators,” adds Danielle, a teacher at Glencliff High School and member of the MNPS teacher leader cadre.
Building Momentum for Environmental Science
When Rutherford County environmental science teachers dusted the dirt from their shoes and packed up their bags for the day, it didn’t signal the end– but rather, the beginning. The Compact will work alongside these teachers to create an environmental science classroom that supports student achievement, improves environmental literacy, and connects students to their community. Some of them, hopefully, will join the ranks of veteran teachers who have been engaging with the Compact’s programs for up to 10 years.
This is also a beginning for the Compact. We envision a future where locally relevant and effective environmental science instruction occurs in classrooms across Tennessee. It will take all of us to solve tomorrow’s water issues– that’s why the Compact is building the infrastructure to ensure every student comes out of school ready to be a steward.
Thank you to Fortitude Re for supporting the Compact’s transformative education work.
If your school or school district is interested in working with the Cumberland River Compact, you can reach out to us at info@cumberlandrivercompact.org. The Compact’s Education Team will also be at the annual Tennessee Science Teachers Association conference in November 2026 to present about this work.
