Enrollment
Contact us to enroll your school, register your planning committee, and pay your one-time enrollment fee on the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) website. When the AWF receives your enrollment, we will send you your free Habitat Learning Lab Planning Guides and an HLL Specialist will contact you to set up a meeting with you and your planning committee. Once the school is officially enrolled in the Habitat Learning Lab Program, be sure to notify the faculty and place an announcement in the school’s newsletter so that everyone will be informed of your plans and progress.

Habitat Learning Lab Program Benefits
The HLL program partners strive to provide as many benefits and opportunities as possible for enrolled Habitat Learning Lab Schools, including the following:

Recognition
> Upon enrollment, your school will be added to the Habitat Learning Lab Schools Map on AWF’s website which will link to a customized webpage for your outdoor classroom.

Technical and Organizational Assistance

> AWF Habitat Learning Lab Consultants, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) Agents, and trained Master Gardeners provide free technical advice and organizational assistance.
> AWF’s Habitat Learning Lab E-newsletter includes important information about grants, workshops, activities, and maintenance tips to help you create, use and sustain your Habitat Learning Lab.
> Your local Habitat Learning Lab Consultant will work with your planning committee to develop a Master Plan with short-term and long-term goals, a Habitat Learning Lab site map that demonstrates where the various learning stations will be located, and a list of materials and estimated budget for each of the learning stations.
> Your local Habitat Learning Lab Consultant will work with your planning committee to help you hold Habitat Learning Lab Work Day(s) so that your students, teachers, parents and community volunteers can work side-by-side during a school day to build new outdoor learning stations, plant plants, and/or carry out maintenance tasks.

Educator Workshops
> AWF Habitat Learning Lab Consultants provide free in-service Habitat Learning Lab Workshops and Webinars  and professional development.
> AWF, ACES, and other AOC Partners offer thematic Habitat Learning Lab Workshops and Webinars throughout the year that provide tips, advice and activities about a wide variety of topics such as “Birds & Butterflies,” “Citizen Science Activities,” “Gardening,” and other topics.

Grant Opportunities
> AWF offers competitive, annual Habitat Learning Lab grants (when possible) for schools enrolled in the HLL program. Visit the Habitat Lab Funding & Support section of AWF’s website for details.

Habitat Learning Lab Social Media
> The Habitat Learning Lab Program Facebook group includes posts by HLL Consultants and teachers about resources, grants, and activity ideas for schools with outdoor classrooms.
> Follow the Habitat Learning Lab on Pinterest for ideas about outdoor classroom activities, learning stations, educational signs and more.

Certification
> Once a school completes Habitat Learning Lab certification requirements (see Step 10 for certification details), a Habitat Learning Lab Consultant will help your school host a Certification Ceremony to celebrate your accomplishments.
> HLL certification benefits include a personalized certificate, a Habitat Learning Lab sign, a full set of the APTV Discovering Alabama DVDs, and a National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitats® certification (optional).

Questions? Contact April Waltz, Habitat Learning Lab Program Coordinator, at aprilwaltz@alabamawildlife.org.