Online Courses

In order to enable educators and technical assistance providers maximum flexibility, the University of Wisconsin has developed two online courses on mercury in schools and the community. Learners may take either course, although it is recommended that the second course be taken following the first, unless you already have a background on this topic. For more information on how to enroll, contact the mercury in schools team at mercuryk12@uwm.edu. Below is a brief description of each course:

Mercury in Schools

Mercury Reduction for Educators

Mercury in Schools

The goal of this online course is to provide middle and high school educators and technical assistance providers with a basic understanding of the environmental and health impacts of mercury to enable them to more effectively integrate mercury reduction and awareness activities into the existing curriculum. Learners will also gain an understanding of key educational principles, why mercury in schools is important, history and current usages of mercury, and how to deal with mercury in schools.

Course objectives include:

• To provide an overview of the health and environmental issues related to mercury usage,
  
• To instruct teachers in the key educational principles and teaching activities underlying the Mercury in Schools curriculum, and
  
• To help teachers identify mercury usage within their schools.

For more information, please visit http://www.uwsp.edu/extension/credit/schedule/credit.asp?dept=NRES&num=405%2F605&sec=881&semester=Spring&year=2003.

Mercury Reduction for Educators

Course Objectives

The goal of this online course is to provide educators and technical assistance providers with an advanced understanding of issues affecting mercury reduction throughout society. Educators will learn how to apply lessons learned in the Mercury in Schools course to other key sectors of the economy. Learners will also gain an understanding of governmental approaches to reducing mercury usage, storage issues, other toxic waste reduction efforts within schools, and ways to apply life cycle analysis to product use and disposal.