CREEC Region 10 Fall 2013 e-Newsletter
Riverside, Inyo, Mono and San Bernardino Counties
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Happy Autumn Harvest Season and Welcome to the 2013/14 Academic Year!
May your own sense of wonder continue to grow as you discover new & fun ways to cultivate a sense of curiosity and appreciation for our natural world within your students, both in and outside your classroom.
Palm Springs will be the site for for this year's CSTA conference, October 25-27th! Look for special strands on STEM Ed, Common Core, NGSS and many other workshops to infuse your teaching with new ideas & creative approaches.
If you are a 6th -12th grade teacher interested in engaging your students in Environmental Service Learning, please consider bringing a team to our 7th Annual EYE for Leaders Fall Kick-Off Conference November 14th at The Living Desert.
I look forward to connecting with you!
Jen Futterman, Region 10 RIMS Coordinator, jen@creec.org
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
601 North E Street
San Bernardino, CA 92410
Phone: (760) 799-7106
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Introducing the All-New CREEC.org Website
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CREEC is proud to announce the launch of our newly upgraded site
with an all-new Resource Directory!
If you're an EE PROVIDER: please visit the new CREEC.org to create a master account for your organization and post your programs, resources, video and more, so teachers can find them! We have an illustrated user guide that can help!
If you're a TEACHER, please visit the site to get a sense of what's on its way to you, and come back again in a few weeks after more providers have had a chance to post!
You'll be able to search for programs by topic, grade level, or content standard, to find the right programs to meet your needs. Our events calendar works great on a mobile device, so you can always see what local EE events are available in your area, even when you're on the move!
No matter what your interest in EE, you'll want to bookmark the EVENTS CALENDAR so you can stay informed of great events and happenings.
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8th Annual Desert Garden Community Day
October 19. 2013; 9am-1pm FREE
Desert Garden Community Day is part of the Desert Horticultural Society's ongoing efforts to educate Coachella Valley residents about water conservation and landscapes that support local wildlife. This free event features exhibits, informational booths and workshops on everything you need to know to create and maintain a desert garden. Classes will include "Designing a Desert Garden: Painting with Plants" and Growing Vegetables in the Desert. It's a great place to network and find support to start or redesign the desert garden of your dreams!
Teacher Family Day at Aquarium of the Pacific
October 19, 2013; 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
School Teachers and their guests are invited to the Aquarium on Teacher Family Day to preview it for a future field trip for your class! You and one guest have
free admission and $8 parking with your school or district ID, paystub, union card,or other proof of school teacher eligibility. You'll be treated to a visit with over 11,000 Pacific Ocean inhabitants and our penguins at our new habitat. Check in between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m on the 19th, and stay until as late as 5pm. Reserve your space by calling Guest Support Center at (562) 951-1630, or at the link above. Space is limited! Register now!
Environmental Youth Experience (EYE) for Leaders Fall Kick-Off Conference,
November 14, 2013 at The Living Desert 9am-4pm
Calling all Environmental Youth Leaders in grades 6-12 and teachers interested in guiding these students in making a difference at school or in your community through spearheading an Environmental Service Learning that addresses an identified community need.
This one-day skill building conference will be an engaging & fun
 exploration of hands-on science, service learning, & communication techniques. Students will work on projects from Nov. to April and present their experience of implementing their Service Learning project in May at the EYE Spring Full Circle Celebration. Sub reimbursement funds available upon request. For more info, contact Jen.
The Wildlands Conservancy Environmental Education Programs
1. Oak Glen Preserve: Trails and parks open every day 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Use of trails and picnic areas and all programs offered free.
Donations are accepted. Free outdoor science and nature based field trips for grades 3-6. In October:
5th-Astronomy Program 6:30 pm
Astronomers from San Bernardino Valley Amateur Astronomers share their telescopes and knowledge. Recommended for ages six and older
12th- Monthly Volunteer Project Day 9:00 am
Help TWC staff maintain the trail system for the tens of thousands of visitors who will enjoy Oak Glen this apple season. Free apple pie and ice cream for trail volunteers this month only. Recommended for ages twelve and older. Minors must have an adult volunteer participating.
19th- Behold the Beauty- Art in Nature -1:30 pm
Topic and medium to be decided. - No previous art experience necessary. All supplies provided. All ages and skill levels.
19th- Night Walk - "By the Light of the Moon"- 7:00pm.
Naturalist guided trail walk and interpretive program. Recommended for ages 10+
In November:
9th- Family Steward Day
An all ages volunteer project day. Tools, gloves and fun provided for the littlest of helping hands. Campfire and snacks. Families and youth groups, all ages.
16th- Behold the Beauty- Art in Nature -1:30 pm.
Topic and medium to be decided - No previous art experience necessary. All supplies provided. All ages and skill levels.
16th- Night Walk- "Thirteen Moons on a Turtles Back"- 5:00 pm.
Naturalist guided trail walk and interpretive program. Recommended for ages ten and older
2. Whitewater Preserve RESERVATIONS REQUIRED and space is limited.
Please call ahead to guarantee your space. Programs are free of charge and donations are always greatly appreciated. Most of our events are held outdoors, so bring your hat, sunscreen, walking shoes, and water.
Groups of 5 or more can request educational programs led by TWC Naturalists: Canyon Walk, Get to Know Your Desert's Watershed, Leave No Trace, Meet a Tree & Nest Display. Busing grants are available for school groups. Contact Email Caroline Conway. Please check the Whitewater Calendar for information on Stargazing Oct 4th & Dec 20th, special hikes and Family Stewardship Day February 8th at the preserve!
October 19: Geology Lecture and Slideshow 9:30am to 1pm Joe Migliore's "Living in Earthquake Country" presentation uses dramatic animations illustrating how the fault has created the spectacular valley landscape and what can be expected when the southern San Andreas Fault moves again. The program will be followed by an interactive walk to observe visible geologic formations and rocks within the canyon. Bring a sack. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Best for ages 12 and up.
November 2nd & 3rd Wildlife Weekend 10am to 4pm
A two-day celebration of desert wildlife for the whole family. Enjoy guest speakers on topics that include bats, reptiles, birds and wildlife research in our local area. We will also be sharing pictures from our wildlife camera. Both days feature kids' activities; story time, insect pit traps and nest displays.
Bird Walks 8am to 10:30am on Oct. 8th & 22nd, Nov. 12th & 26th, Dec. 10th, Jan 14th & 28th, Feb 11th & 25th
The wetlands within Whitewater Canyon attract many local and migrating birds. Join us for a walk through different habitats while looking for some of the more than 216 bird species that frequent the preserve. Bring binoculars and scopes.
Volunteer Projects 9am to 12pm
on Oct 30th, Dec 22nd & Jan 12th Help us care for the preserve by joining ranger-led work projects. Projects include trail building and maintenance, invasive plant removal, general cleanup, and native plant restoration. Be prepared to get dirty!
The Living Desert's Fantastic Educational Programs:
Living Desert University (Adult Classes and Hikes) Email Michelle Moe
Santa Ana Watershed Association Provides free interactive field trips to students in the Santa Ana watershed area (San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange Counties). Their standards aligned field trips focus on water and water conservation. Busing grants are also available.
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Terrific Trainings ~ Riverside & San Bernardino Counties
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Science Fair Expo online registration
For Science fair coordinators, K-5 teachers, science teachers, parents, and students
Saturday, October 5, 2013 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Attendee Limit: 300 Fee: None
RCOE Conference Center 3958 Twelfth Street Riverside, CA 92501
The Riverside County Office of Education is proud to announce the sixth annual Science Fair Expo. The intent of the Expo is to support our students with their research projects. Workshops will be available for science fair coordinators, teachers, parents, and students. These workshops are centered on topics specific to the nature of scientific study, engineering, society for science, public programs, and other topics related to K-12 student's science of engineering projects. Hear from students who will present their winning research projects as well as share insight from their experiences. Completing a research project is ideal for implementation of the scientific or engineering practices as well as the California Common Core Science Literacy Standards. Scientists and engineers will be available to consult with parents, teachers, and students regarding the research process.
Contact us to ask how you or your organization can sponsor a booth, provide awards, or make a donation to send students to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF).
2013 California Science Education Conference in Palm Springs
October 25 - 27, 2013
The California Science Education Conference is the annual conference of the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA). For over 20 years the conference has been providing up-to-the-minute educational programs for California's science educators. The conference features the perfect mix of hands-on workshops, engaging lectures from professional scientists and university-level educators, in-depth three- and six-hour courses, one-of-a-kind field course experiences, and quality networking opportunities that are only possible when meeting face-to-face. The 2013 conference includes special programming strands designed to meet your needs: STEM Education, Common Core State Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.
Implementing the Common Core Literacy Standards in the Middle School Science Classroom
Date: November 13, 2013 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Cost: $75.00 Attendee limit: 40
This one-day workshop will provide participants with strategies and ideas for integrating the Common Core State Standards and science content. Help students access and apply subject matter knowledge and skills for preparation for college, career, and the 21st century.
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Teacher Trainings - online and surrounding counties
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EEI- CEU Course "Teaching the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum" Upcoming courses October 28 - December 6, 2013 and January 13 - February 23, 2014
This 6-week online-based course is available to the first 20 paid registrants. You'll teach a class of students the EEI Curriculum unit you choose, engaging them with new and exciting standards-based and Common Core connected curriculum. Selecting the unit you want to teach ensures you can stay on your schedule -- and of course, curriculum materials are included in the course cost. By completing this convenient and flexible online course, you will earn one university credit issued by the Department of Extended Learning at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). For the course syllabus, cost, and how to register visit the website.
Water: The Essential Resource Online Course
October 9 - December 11, 2013
National Geographic Education and Annenberg Learner invite you to join them this fall for a FREE online teacher professional development course, Water: The Essential Resource. This course focuses on ocean and freshwater systems and incorporates strategies for teaching environmental topics. Designed for 4th-8th grade teachers, this experience supports the California Environmental Education Initiative (EEI).
Project WET Workshop
October 12, 2013; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Inside the Outdoors' administrative offices off of Santiago Canyon in the city of Silverado
Inside the Outdoors and the Santa Ana Watershed Association invite Southern California educators to join us for this exciting workshop integrating study of the Santa Ana River watershed with the interdisciplinary, 'hands-on' activities of Project WET! Project WET activities integrate real-life scenarios designed to supplement your existing curriculum and complement use of EEI (Education & the Environment Initiative) curriculum units, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) Education, and/or Service-Learning in the classroom. Project WET activities are aligned to California Content and National Common Core standards. A draft aligned to Next Generation Science Standards is also now available. Join us for a day of education, fun, and walk away with your own Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 guide upon completion of the training! CEU credit (0.6 CEU) is available through CSU San Marcos for those wishing to register and purchase. To register, please email Erin Eberhardt,
The ENC Excellent Educator series brings all kinds of educators together to learn exciting hands-on ways to teach children about science and nature. Everyone is invited!
Classroom teachers, outdoor educators, scout leaders, homeschool parents - anyone who wants to be a better educator. For details about each workshop or to register, visit the ENC's website. Questions can be directed to Lori Whalen at lori@encenter.org or 949-645-8489. Cost is $10 for non-members and $9 for members. ENC Project WILD Aquatic with Sama Wareh:
Saturday, October 26, 2013; 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
All attendees receive the Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide.
Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE)
Fall Conferences
Northern CA Section: October 18 - 20, 2013
Southern CA Section: November 1 - 3, 2013
The Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education supports and inspires educators in their quest for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to help all learners understand, appreciate and care for their environment. As an integral part of achieving our mission, we encourage direct experience outdoors. At these conferences you will have the chance to connect with outdoor and environmental educators and share ways to renew yourself and rediscover the joy that is found in teaching. There will be a variety of workshops to choose from. The registration fee is $30 (plus $15 AEOE membership) and includes two nights camping and Saturday dinner. For more information visit the website.
STEM Conference: Invest in California STEM Education: Innovate, Integrate, and Inspire! November 18-19, 2013
Location: Sacramento Convention Center
This conference will bring together 2000 teachers, administrators, students, higher education representatives, program providers, philanthropic representatives and industry representatives to engage them in STEM education by providing strategies and resources for program implementation. It will highlight leaders in classroom innovation from across the state and attract student teams to showcase critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork.
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Lexus / Scholastic Eco- Challenge
- Air/Climate due Nov 11thMiddle and high school teams are invited to participate in one or both of the two initial challenges, each addressing different environmental elements: land/water and air/climate. Teams define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report the results. There will be sixteen winning entries - eight middle school and eight high school teams. The winning teams each will receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and grants, to be shared among the students, teacher, and school. Teams can submit written a application or PowerPoint entry
Lowes Toolbox for Education
Deadline: October 15, 2013
Raise up to $5,000 for your school in minutes. It's almost that easy when you take advantage of Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) knows how hard you work for your kids and your community and we're dedicated to helping your parent-teacher group achieve even more for your school. Apply for our Toolbox for Education Grant now and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe's.
Specialized Secondary Programs Request for Applications for Environmental Ed For background information about the SSP, please visit the CDE SSP Web page
Deadline: October 18, 2013.
This funding can be used to support specialized programs in any content area or a Career Technical Education sector for high schools (including the agriculture and natural resources sector, which includes the environmental sciences). Selected programs will receive grants up to $50,000 to provide start-up funds for the establishment of new, advanced programs in California high schools. The programs are expected to develop new standards-based model curriculum and utilize innovative instructional methodologies or organizational structures that promote advanced, in-depth study of a targeted content area. The primary purpose of the SSPs has expanded from a focus on technology and visual and performing arts to include programs that feature all content areas or a Career Technical Education (CTE) sector. The expanded focus provides opportunity for the development of new Linked Learning pathways, career academies, arts integrated models, and other integrated approaches. The SSP funds must be spent for a new program or school rather than for maintenance of an existing program at a high school. Please contact Tony Quirarte at 916-319-0388 if you have any questions
Every Day Capacity Building Grants Deadline: October 30 h 2013 for Winter Cycle projects.
Public Lands Everyday announces the award of grants to 27 grantees in the most recent round of their grant awards to support communications, fundraising, technology updates, website development, and other capacity building projects! The Every Day Capacity Building Grants are part of the National Environmental Education Foundation's Public Lands Every Day initiative and made possible with the generous support of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Whole Kids Foundation School Gardens
Deadline: October 31, 2013
Whole Kids Foundation created the School Garden Grant Program in partnership with FoodCorps to provide a $2,000 monetary grant to fund school gardens and related activities.
Captain Planet Foundation
Deadline: January 31st 2014 for Fall & Winter projects
The mission of Captain Planet Foundation is to promote and support high-quality educational programs that enable children and youth to understand and appreciate our world through learning experiences that engage them in active, hands-on projects to improve the environment in their schools and communities.
Environmental Solutions Community Grants
Deadline: December 16, 2013
Wells Fargo and NFWF launched the Environmental Solutions for Communities initiative in 2012, designed to support projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment. Funding priorities for this program include: supporting sustainable agricultural practices and private lands stewardship; conserving critical land and water resources and improving local water quality; restoring and managing natural habitat, species and ecosystems that are important to community livelihoods; facilitating investments in green infrastructure, renewable energy and energy efficiency; & encouraging broad-based citizen participation in project implementation. Grants will be offered twice a year to support priority projects in states and communities where Wells Fargo operates, including the
Inland Empire. Grant awards will typically range from $25,000 to $100,000, with an average grant amount of $40,000.
Trees For Wildlife
Deadline: February 24th, 2014 for Spring 2014 applications.
You may apply any time before the deadline. Start planning your event by downloading our planning, plant and tree care guide. Plant Trees, Protect Wildlife and Improve Your Community! Trees for Wildlife is an educational program of the National Wildlife Federation providing adult leaders with fun, hands-on science-based activities to help young people learn about the importance of trees and how to plant and take care of trees for the future. This program aims to educate and prepare a generation of environmental stewards, expand the world inventory of trees and to protect and improve natural resources. You can join us by organizing a tree planting and/or tree giveaway events in your community that will improve the environment and provide children and youth with opportunities to practice stewardship. Read the Guidelines and then Apply and you may receive free native trees for community tree plantings or a community giveaway event.
The United States of Fish and Wildlife Service
The Schoolyard Habitat Program helps teachers and students create a naturalized wildlife habitat for classroom field studies and observations by providing technical and organizational assistance to schools to create outdoor classrooms. Qualified schools or organizations serving K-12 students are eligible for funding and may receive up to $8,000 for projects.
Brightschools Program
The Energy Commission is reopening the Bright Schools Program and is accepting applications for technical assistance to public K-12 school districts such as energy audits, reviewing designs, developing equipment performance specs. All publicly funded California K-12 school districts are eligible. Call (916) 654-4104 or email.
Deadline: November 1, 2013
The California Coastal Commission's Whale Tail Grants Program is now accepting applications for funding. Applicants must be either a non-profit organization or a governmental entity. Applicants may request any amount up to $50,000, and 25-50% of the funding will be allocated in small grants under $10,000. Categories of Grants: The WHALE TAIL� Grants Program funds projects that fall into any one of the following three categories: 1) Adopt-A-Beach� programs; 2) Youth programs; 3) Programs for the general public. For the 2013/14 and 2014/15 grant cycles, they have added a special subcategory for projects addressing climate change and/or ocean acidification.
CREEC.org has all the latest GRANTS!
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This contest is designed to showcase the talents of young artists who share a passion for modern agriculture. The winning design will be chosen as the official National Ag Day poster. The contest is open to all amateur artists enrolled in high school or college. The theme is "Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed." Get to Know Contest Deadline: November 1, 2013 Encourage your students to get outdoors, be active and develop a deeper appreciation for nature and their neighbors of other species by participating in the Get to Know Contest. The contest is all about celebrating every participant for getting outdoors and connecting with nature in their own way, whether that be hiking, canoeing or just spending time in their own backyard! Youth are asked to get outdoors and then share their experiences by creating original works of art, writing, photography, video or music! The goal of the contest is to use the power of art as a connector in helping youth feel more connected with nature. Winners will receive some wild prizes including art supplies, books, cameras, and outdoor gear! Teachers, check out the website for more information and to access a series of webinars to help you with best practices to harness art to connect kids to nature. Imagine This....Story Writing Contest Deadline: November 1, 2013 This contest promotes creative writing, students' imaginations, and agriculture-based research all while meeting Common Core State Standards. Six stories, one from each grade level of third through eighth, will be selected as state winners. 2014 Kavli Science Video Contest Entry Period: November 1, 2013 - March 21, 2014 Investigate how science is portrayed in TV, films, and games. Find an example using a film, TV show, or video game, then compare to what we can do today with current or emerging technologies. Or tell us what science needs to discover to make it really happen. The more you research, the more you will discover, and you might end up being surprised by what you find out.Make a video (: 30 -: 90) that shares your discoveries and states your case. Contest open to Grades 6-12, International Students and US. Prizes for winning students! California Coastal Art and Poetry Contest Postmark Deadline: January 31, 2014 The California Coastal Commission invites California students in kindergarten through 12th grade to submit artwork or poetry with a California coastal or California marine theme to the annual contest. Winners will be selected to win $100 gift certificates to an art supply or book store, and each winner's sponsoring teacher will receive a $50 for educational materials from Acorn Naturalists. Other prizes are also distributed. Students may have their work featured in California Coastal Commission materials and webpages.
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Provider Perspectives
This section of the newsletter is specifically for naturalists,
docents, interpreters, and any other staff of
Environmental Education and Science Education Providers.
OC Wild Presents 16th Annual Docent Day,
October 19, 2013; 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: San Joaquin Marsh, 5 Riparian View, Irvine 92612
Attention docents, trail guides, naturalists and interpreters!
Join us for an educational day featuring informative presentations by OC's finest researchers, biologists and specialists. Learn new details about your favorite natural niche to share with others. Network with your fellow nature enthusiasts while enjoying a scenic day outdoors! As space is limited, advanced reservations are required. Lunch and educational literature are provided. The program fee is $10.00 per participant. Reservations are required by Monday, October 14. For more information or to register please call or Email Winter Bonnin: (949) 497-7647
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CREEC Regional e-Newsletters are a publication of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Office, California Department of Education.
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Copyright � 2013 Reprints and Permission: Although CREEC holds the copyright to this email, we grant permission to use our copyrighted text for a variety of education related purposes, and therefore encourage dissemination and sharing via social media and other reprint, reproduction or dissemination whether electronic or hard copy print.
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