2026-2028 Educator Summer Experience
Calling all grade 6-12 educators who want to prepare students for food systems careers!
Join NIU STEAM and NIU’s Edible Campus program for an immersive professional development community.
- Receive a $2,250 stipend plus compensation for travel, room and board.
- Learn from experts in food systems research.
- Connect with industry professionals using cutting-edge practices.
- Learn about emerging topics such as sustainable food systems, nutrition, specialty crops and scientific communication.
- Collaborate to create project-based, standards-aligned lessons that will be shared among the cohort and with other educators.
- Receive free lessons, supplies and resources for your classroom.
- Earn 40 PDHs.
Attendance at all sessions is required
Enrollment is limited to 20 participants who teach grades 6-12 regardless of content area. A waiting list will be maintained once the 20-educator enrollment has been met. Future cohort opportunities will also be available for those occupying the waiting list.
Important Dates
Spring Workshop
June 26, 2026
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Gardening, Resilience, Outreach and Wellbeing (G.R.O.W.) Lab, Gilbert Hall
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Summer Residential Experience
Aug. 3 – August 6, 2026
Field time, excursions to industry partners, lab time with NIU researchers and hands-on learning activities help you develop engaging curriculum
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Fall Workshop
Time and Date to Be Determined by the Current Participating Cohort
More about the Program Focus
The Edible Campus Immersion Teacher Experience and Development is an opportunity to participate in a dynamic professional learning community of grade 6-12 teachers. The goal is to equip teachers with the tools, knowledge, research and innovative vision to prepare students for future careers in food and agricultural sciences. You’ll engage in immersive, research-informed experiences with NIU faculty and staff, industry innovators and seasoned professionals while exploring emerging topics such as sustainable food systems, nutrition, specialty crops and scientific communication. You’ll connect directly with experts conducting current research and pioneers in various food system career sectors using cutting-edge practices.
Educators in the cohort will collaborate and draw upon on-campus experiences to create and publish open-sourced, standards-aligned learning experiences for students. You’ll implement these in your own classroom and share them with other teachers to advance grades 6-12 project-based learning. The cohort will collectively reflect upon data-driven results to identify the impact of instructing through student lead innovative thinking and problem solving, fueled by ongoing and future research.
Participation Requirements and Compensation
As a participant in this program, you will be expected to: Attend the on-campus spring workshop on June 26, as well as the four on-campus summer dates occurring between August 3 and August 6. This immersive educator experience is a residential teacher summer camp where the cost of room and board are covered by program compensation. Attend the required fall workshop to be held at a time and date that is determined by the cohort. Have two completed standards-aligned lesson plans that employ problem-based learning principles with food systems content by the time the teacher summer camp comes to a close on August 6.Pilot a problem-based learning segment (written during the summer immersive experience) within your own classroom during the 2026-2027 school year to evaluate the impact surrounding student career and sustainable food system awareness. Participate in related data collection activities for program evaluation.
Compensation: A stipend of $2,250 is provided, as well as compensation for travel, room and board. Curriculum created during the immersive experience is open sourced, so participants will ultimately have access to 120 lesson plans. Teachers will also receive free supplies and resources for their classroom.
Professional Development Hours: Teachers have the option to earn 40 PDHs upon completion of this program.
Applications are due no later than May 1, 2026.
This project is funded 100% by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
