2024 Application is available now! Deadline to apply is February 15, 11:59pm CST.

The Family Nature Summits offers an educator scholarship every year to one or more deserving educators. It covers registration, room, and board for the winning educator and a guest (child or adult educator).

And what a great opportunity for educators! Whether you want to observe the teaching techniques of award-winning educators or you want to learn about the ecology of the area – all of these opportunities will be open to you!

The Family Nature Summits firmly believes in experiential education – figuring it out yourself, and learning by engaging all of the senses and emotions. You will leave the Summit inspired and ready to go out and inspire your students.

The FNS Educator Scholarship covers summit costs for the recipient and one guest (child or adult educator). This includes registration fees, meals and lodging. The value of this package is approximately $3,100.00. All scholarship awardees will be responsible for their transportation to and from the Summit site.

All scholarship awardees will be expected to participate in the full program for the entire week, and at the end of the week, submit a written article or blog post and a video interview of the experience for use in future educational and promotional materials. Program offerings are curated based on the unique offerings in each location.  Many of our faculty members are nationally renowned in their respective fields. Scholarship awardees may also bring other family members at their own expense and are encouraged to bring children as the Family Nature Summit youth programs are an integral and valued part of what we offer.

To apply, fill out the 2024 Application. The deadline to apply is February 15, 11:59 pm CST.

If you have questions please email us at marian@familynaturesummits.org

Teacher Testimonials

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"I'm convinced that I would not have won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Elementary Science Teaching in 1996 if the Summits and its faculty had not been a part of my life. "

Betty T.
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"My students have benefitted greatly from my adventure as well. Upon return, we went outside to do my favorite exercise of all of the things I had learned. My class had been having a difficult time making detailed observations of natural items. We went outside, this is a huge process and big deal at my school, and began by covering our eyes in silence for about a minute and then opening them. I had the students write down their observations. Next went hearing, then touch. As my students sat inside the confines of the barbed wire, no-escape fence, they only made actual observations of sights, sounds, vibrations that were OUTSIDE the fence. We made the observations into a poem and I helped them to see what they were missing in the moment, in the space (as unwelcome as it was) they were in. They opened up to how upset they are to be in their own shoes, and were shocked to find that they had totally missed the Cosmos that were growing in the flower bed we planted, the sound of the baby birds in the garden, and the smells of the soon to blossom strawberries. In that moment, they learned to really observe."

Hilary B.2013 Bar Harbor Summit Teacher Scholarship Recipient
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"I attended many of the programs offered by the FNS. I found the cruises very exciting, getting my first glimpse at puffins and whales! Seeing bald eagles, osprey, seal, and porpoise on another cruise was exhilarating! The guides/teachers really knew their “stuff,” presenting the information in a manner to interest those in each class. I even joined up with several of the children’s programs to gain the perspective of the young people and their interaction with nature. The teachers of these programs did an amazing job with the kids! I found that the classes offered were diverse; sparking the wide range of interests of attendees. There were classes on anything from butterflies to botany, geology to marine mammals. I found the planning of local resources—people/teachers as well as museums—was very well done."

Mary C.2013 Bar Harbor Summit Teacher Scholarship Recipient
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"I wanted to again thank you for offering me the fantastic experience of participating in this years summit. The classes that I participated in developed my content knowledge, the field trips were fantastic and included a lot of content and instructional strategies, and the instructors were great. I greatly appreciate their willingness to not only share their knowledge of the area but also provide opportunities that encouraged others to share, to explore, and to ask questions.

After participating in the summit, I can see a stronger connection between the Next Generation Science Standards and getting students involved in nature. The rambles are good way to introduce or reinforce the cross cutting relationships of patterns, cause and effect, and stability and change while also addressing the science and engineering practice of asking and defining a problem. Many of the activities that I participated in could also connect to the English common core standards and next generation science standards for multiple grade levels.”

Carrie G.2014 Asilomar Summit Teacher Scholarship Recipient