The Northwoods Academy is part of the Wisconsin Academy Staff Development Initiative, a statewide staff development program. Patterned after the highly successful Cray Academy which has been held for sixteen years in Chippewa Falls. The Northwoods Academy is a collaborative effort of the Nicolet Distance Education Network, the Northwoods School to Work Consortium, Nicolet Area Technical College, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies 8 & 9, and the Wisconsin Academy Staff Development Initiative. The goal of the Academy is to provide educators with a high quality, standards-based staff development program designed to improve teaching and learning in the schools and to assist educators in meeting Wisconsin recertification standards.

The Academy is a learning experience for all public and parochial elementary, middle and high school educators, as well as for vocational/technical educators. The Academy planners interpret the term educators to include all administrators, teachers, and support staff who work with students and programs in the schools, including those who are responsible for curriculum planning, assessment, school to work transition, special education, guidance, technology planning, media services, and program improvement. Courses are designed to appeal to a broad range of educators, from those who are novices to those who are seeking more advanced training.

Educators will be provided with experiences at the Northwoods Academy which will enhance teaching and learning and which will promote:

	experiential learning, problem solving, critical thinking, cooperative learning, and curriculum integration;
	the use of educational technology;
	implementation of math, science, and technology standards;
	knowledge of new, simple, inexpensive and easily accessible materials and technology;
	practices which promote equity and meet diverse learning needs; performance based and other authentic assessments;
	special education integration;
	school to work initiatives and community connections; and new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.