Dual Language STEM

What’s in Your Watershed? Bilingual Workshop Aims to Close Critical Gap

In 1999, a national study found that 59% of Americans didn’t know what the term ‘watershed’ meant. Even today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) notes that approximately 80% of Americans in urban areas are unaware of the networks of urban creeks and waterways that run through their communities. 

Yet watersheds are vital to local ecosystems and community health. They function as natural filters for the water we drink and use for agriculture, prevent erosion and flooding and support biodiversity by providing habitats for wildlife. “It’s very important for people to understand where they live and why it’s important to protect the watershed,” says Lourdes Flores, owner of Simbiosis Consulting. “It matters what we put in the water.” 

That message was at the heart of a recent Watersheds and Healthy Ecosystems workshop conducted in both English and Spanish. The City of Olympia funded the workshop through an Inspire Olympia grant as part of a larger effort to connect the Hispanic and Latino Heritage community in Olympia and surrounding areas to nearby nature and share Spanish-language resources with dual-language educators.

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Community Collaborators

‘A Hidden Gem’: Partnership Brings Wetland Education to Washington Teachers

At its best, professional development doesn’t just introduce content, it inspires teachers while providing them with clear strategies and resources they can use right away. Even better, it includes potential avenues for student civic engagement. That’s what middle school teacher Kate Schrock took away from a March workshop at Theler Wetlands, a 150-acre site located at the southern end of Hood Canal.

“My next steps are to see my students getting involved with their community, taking these ideas and making sure that streams and fish are healthy,” says Schrock, who teaches 6th-grade English Language Arts (ELA), social studies and STEM at Key Peninsula Middle School. “If they know what’s going on, they’re going to be harder to be a part of it and not just sit by the wayside.” 

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Civic Education

Civics in Action: YESS Students Visit State Capitol

The word ‘engagement’ is right there in the title of Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS). Students who participate in YESS contribute to their local watersheds, forests and marine ecosystems through three to six weeks of project work, guided by industry professionals. In March, students from four YESS programs took that engagement to a new level, visiting the Washington State Capitol and meeting with legislators from their respective districts. 

“The visit provided an opportunity to highlight a transformative program that offers students paid summer experiences while earning high school credit,” Vargas says.

YESS participants and teachers from the Onalaska, Toppenish, Tumwater and Yakima districts joined PEI executive director Kathryn Kurtz and Associate Director of Green Jobs Heather Spalding for a tour of the Capitol building. The group observed the Senate voting on House bills before splitting up to introduce themselves to their local legislators. 

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Tools & Tips for Teachers

12 Nature Walk Activities for Earth Day (or Any Day!)

Doing a nature walk is not only about celebrating Earth Day. It’s also an opportunity for learning experiences in a variety of subjects such as science, geography, math, and art. Each nature walk offers something different for students to explore – even if you walk the same trails from one day to the next. If you live in a colder climate, the changing seasons can be another great way to observe plants and animals as the weather shifts.

Such experiences can be exhilarating, fun, and inspirational. We often hear students say, when we go outdoors we don’t really know we’re doing it, but we’re actually learning math, doing science, and practicing English, so it’s just making it educational and fun at the same time.

Here are some activities that will ensure your nature walks are an engaging and enriching learning experience for students of all ages.
 
Source: Project Learning Tree

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Thank you, March investors!