The Division of Natural Sciences partnered with the School of Education at Campbellsville University to conduct summer workshops for teachers at Clay Hill Memorial Forest June 2002 to June 2009.  In these workshops, more than 300 teachers received training in hands-on environmental science encompassing a wide variety of topics in physical and biological sciences.  In 2002, we hosted 17 teachers from four counties; in 2006, we hosted 85 teachers from 17 counties.  The costs of the program have been underwritten by grants from government agencies, private foundations and companies with ties to central Kentucky. The workshops are now managed by a cooperative effort of Natural Science Faculty from Campbellsville University and Clay Hill Memorial Forest.  

     Purpose:  The OCI Program primarily serves teachers in central Kentucky,  an area with few opportunities continuing science education.  It is our goal to enhance science teaching in this region by increasing science content knowledge, improving environmental awareness, enhancing teacher awareness of non-professional educators and agencies that can assist them in teaching,  enhancing teacher awareness of and familiarity with Clay Hill Memorial Forest and the services it can provide, and assisting in the development of networking so that teachers may share ideas.