The North American Monarch Institute
Professional Development for Teachers and Nonformal Educators from the Monarch Joint Venture
The North American Monarch Institute (NAMI) is an intensive professional development opportunity for K-12 and preservice teachers and non-formal educators. Sessions range from 1 to 3 days and may include asynchronous coursework through MJV's NECTAR Hub.
At it's core, NAMI aims to provide participants with knowledge and confidence to use monarchs and other invertebrates to teach science, math, art, language or other subjects. Participants gain an introductory understanding of the monarch life cycle, migration, and conservation as well hands-on experience in practicing several of the lessons from the Monarchs and More curriculum, which is the backbone for content and instruction of this workshop.
Much of the instruction takes place outside and is hands on and experiential.
Educator Benefits
Standards-based instruction led by experts in monarch conservation and experienced educators
12-24 Continuing Education Hours (depending on workshop length)
Curriculum materials, resources, and activities
Connections to other educators across the monarch flyway
All workshops are free to attend pending successful application; select workshops may have travel scholarships available depending on the funder
Participant Goals
Acquire a basic understanding of monarch biology and ecology
Explore biodiversity and invertebrate education
Gain confidence in teaching science and using NGSS standards
Practice educational activities that can be done in the schoolyard or other green spaces
Experience the process of science as practiced by professional scientists, and how to fully immerse students or program participants in this process
Participate in conservation efforts and research for monarchs
Join an international community of educators along the monarch migration flyway
Upcoming Workshops
Dates and locations are subject to change until applications officially open.
2025 Workshop Dates
- April 26-27 | San Diego, CA | San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido (Pending Funding)
- July 10 | Belle Plaine, MN | MJV Prairie Oaks Campus (Pending Funding)
- July 14-16 | Wood River, NE | Crane Trust (confirmed, application opening soon)
- July 31 | Belle Plaine, MN | MJV Prairie Oaks Campus (Pending Funding)
- August 4-6 | Twin Cities Region, Minnesota | Venue TBD (Pending Funding)
- August 23 | Belle Plaine, MN | MJV Prairie Oaks Campus (Pending Funding)
Questions? Contact Katie Puffer education@monarchjointventure.org
Teacher Workshop FAQs
Q. I am not a formal classroom teacher - I work at a nature center, zoo, museum or other educational institution, or a community organization. Can I still attend a workshop?
A. Yes! You are welcome to register. We encourage anyone who is interested in incorporating monarchs into their teaching or community engagement to attend our educator workshops.
Q. How does application and registration work?
A. Once dates are confirmed, applications will open and a link will be provided above. We encourage you to fill out the interest form to be one of the first to know. Once the application is open, these will be reviewed and accepted on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to educators (formal and informal) and those that meet any required demographics of the funding source (which will be listed when secured) until the workshop is full. Anyone who is not accepted initially or who applies after the workshop is full will be put on a waitlist in case of cancellations or added spots. Spots can fill quickly!
Q. How does the content compare between the 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day workshops?
A. the content is generally the same - all lengths of workshops will cover monarch biology, ecology and conservation, hands on lessons from the curriculum, and an introduction to monarch community science. The delivery and amount of time spent in each area will vary slightly.
All of the workshops are supplemented in some way with content on MJV's NECTAR Hub,. For the 1- and 2-day workshops, there is more preworkshop asynchronous learning. For all workshops, registration occurs through the NECTAR Hub and it's where we collect and then share all of the resources from the workshop with our participants.
Q. How are these workshops funded?
A. About half of our workshops are currently supported through generous funding from the US Forest Service International Programs, in a partnership that dates back to 2010.
We have additional supplemental funding through donations and memorial funds and are continually seeking other grant and foundation opportunities to help keep our registration fees free or low and more accessible to participants.
If you're interested in helping support future participants with a financial donation, please reach out to development@monarchjointventure.org.
Have a question that isn't listed above? No worries! Reach out to our team at education@monarchjointventure.org and we'll help you out!
Interested in a Contracted Workshop?
Schools, districts or other organizations can contract MJV to conduct a NAMI workshop for their teachers and staff. These workshops are typically 1-3 days, but can be shorter or made up of multiple shorter sessions depending on the needs of the group. These can be located anywhere in the US and the fees cover all materials and cost of staff and instructor time and travel. These can be customized to the needs of the group, but generally follow the same content and format as our public trainings with a few small tweaks specific to the contracting organization’s needs. Contracted workshops can be located anywhere, provided travel is an option. The contract fees cover the cost of MJV Staff and instructor time and travel as well as participant materials.
If you are interested in contracting MJV to provide a workshop at your school or organization, please contact the Education Coordinator at education@monarchjointventure.org.
USFS - International Programs Collaboration
Since 2010 these workshops have been funded generously by the US Forest Service International Programs and conducted in partnership with other organizations. Throughout its history, these workshops have brought together more than 1000 educators from across North America for a 3-day intensive professional development experience.