We want to support school science programs to include STEM and STEAM concepts and to be leaders in environmental education. The Gardens’ has taught NGSS to students across Contra Costa County and inspires them to ask questions, record data and use their results to make changes. We will teach teachers as if they were the students in one or two of our Natural Science classes. We will ask them to investigate the nature they see on campus or explore and compare what they find in a fossil dig. We will then build on this teacher experience in an interactive workshop focused how to guide students to be nature advocates. Some examples that we have seen so far this year have been a regular trash pick-ups on campus and building barriers to protect potential habitats against foot traffic. Finally, we will show teachers how to use the resources available through the California Education and Environmental Initiative to extend the lessons and ideas that we present to their students at all grade levels.
