Winter 2014 | CREEC Region 10 e-Newsletter
Serving Inyo, Mono, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties
|
| Message from your CREEC Coordinators |
|
|
Happy New Year!
We hope you enjoyed the winter holidays and are refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to take advantage of all the great stuff in this newsletter!
Please help us welcome new CREEC Region 10 Inland Area Coordinator, Carrie Raleigh! Carrie Raleigh has worked in the field of Environmental Education since 1996. She is currently the Education and Public Outreach Manager at the Santa Ana Watershed Association, an environmental non-profit based in Riverside. Ms. Raleigh has her MA in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. In 2013, she was selected as part of the California Task Force on Environmental Literacy as well as the Project Wet Advisory Committee.
She is thrilled to join the CREEC team, we are equally thrilled to have her! 
Must We Always Teach our children with books?
We look forward to connecting with you in the new year!
|
|
|
|
CREEC EVENTS CALENDAR
|
|
|
|
Let CREEC help you work better in 2014!
|
CREEC looks forward to an exciting 2014 with 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 in 2014! We'll help you teach content standards, and be a resource to you through the standards transitions! 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
|
|
Region 10 Teacher wins 2014 California Teacher of the Year! and EE
|
Congratulations to Region 10's Mrs. Jessica Pack, who uses movie making in the classroom to keep students engaged in using today's technologies to tell their stories.
Mrs. Pack also provides educators with lots of Resources and Guidance and guidance on her website, to help you use technology and movie making in the classroom.
|
|
Tips for Teachers - The Hashtag
|
 |
|
Have you ever wondered what a Hashtag is, or how it can be useful to you? Well wonder no more, this edition of Tips for Teachers is all about the Hashtag!
A Hashtag is the number symbol - # - typed in front of a word, like this: #Hashtag.
It can be very useful! Use them to:
- search for particular topics and participate in conversation (#nativeplants, #naturalscience)
- connect with other #educators
- make your own posts easy to organize and find (internal organization - #ProjectGNVBY)
- search for information and resources (#grants, #teacherresources)
Hashtags were first used as a tool for Twitter - when people wanted to find information or participate in a topical conversation, they would search for terms using a relevant hashtag or make posts containing hashtags on key words. Today, hashtags are commonly used on a variety of social sites including Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.
As an example, if you were looking for information on education grant opportunities, you might search those sites for #Education #Grants. Just type those hashtag terms in the Twitter search bar, and all the posts that contain those hashtags will show up in your search results.
If you had some good grant opportunity information to share, you might write a post like this: Check out (relevant link here) for great #education #grant opportunities!
Now your post will show up when someone else searches for those terms. If you click on one of the hashtags, you will be presented with search results for that tag. It's a great way to find and share useful information and a powerful tool that can significantly cut down your research time!
|
|
|
| Environmental Youth Leaders work on year long projects! |
 | |
Students learn about cactus propagation during the EYE Conference 2013.
|
Environmental Youth Leaders in grades 6-12 and their teachers gathered in November for CREEC's 7th Annual Environmental Youth Experience (EYE) for Leaders Fall Kick-Off Conference.
This daylong, skill-building conference provided students with hands-on science labs, service learning training, and collaborative brainstorming for their environmental service learning projects.
Students are working on their projects until next spring, when they will reunite to give presentations about their projects at the Environmental Youth Experience (EYE) for Leaders Full Circle Celebration in May!
Check out the video, and contact Jen to attend the Celebration at the Wildlands Conservancy's Whitewater Preserve!
o
|
|
2014 Kavli Science Video Contest
Submit by 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
Submit by January 31, 2014
The California Coastal Commission invites California students in grades K-12 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 gift certificate for educational materials from Acorn Naturalists. Other prizes are also distributed. Students may have their work featured in California Coastal Commission materials and webpages.
The Howard Bell Award
Submit by March 1st
The Howard Bell award was created to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions in the area of outdoor education. Any member of AEOE (Association for Environment and Outdoor Education) may submit a nomination form to the Board of Directors for this annual award. Nominees do not have to be an AEOE member.
Nominations are due by March 1st of each year and are kept on file for three years for future consideration. The award is presented at the annual spring conference and the awardee must be able to attend the conference.
Environmental Educator of the Year Award
Deadline: ongoing, with awards presented at the AEOE Fall Conference
The Environmental Educator of the Year Award is awarded to one representative from the Northern and Southern California area annually. This award is given to someone who is still currently teaching in the field and loving it, someone who has contributed to the success of Environmental Education in the state, and leads by example within the field.
Nominations are accepted all year and the awards are presented at the fall conference. The recipient must be an active member of AEOE and attend the fall conference. For more information visit the California Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education
|
|
|
|
For ALL Grant Opportunities, visit CREEC.org GRANTS!
A FEW opportunities to look at in 2014 include:
California Fertilizer Foundation School Garden Grant due in January 2014
Teachers starting or expanding a school garden are invited to apply for one of the twenty-four grants of $1,200 each plus educational materials. At the end of each year, one of the recipients will receive a free agricultural field trip and an additional grant of $1,500.
2014 Mantis Tiller Award for Community and Youth Gardens due March 7, 2014
Each year, Mantis presents 25 Mantis Tiller Awards to charitable and educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life in their host communities.
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation-Fruit Tree 101 brings fruit tree orchards to schoolyards, so students can make a positive environmental impact at their school, while creating a source of tasty, healthy snacks for decades to come.
The United States of Fish and Wildlife Service Schoolyard Habitat Program
The Schoolyard Habitat Program helps teachers and students create a naturalized wildlife habitat for classroom field studies and observations by providing technical and
 | |
photo for CREEC by Mel Kay
|
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.
Bright Schools Program
As school budgets are shrinking, costs for school operations keep going up. One way to save money is by reducing your energy costs. The Bright Schools Program can help!
All public or non-profit California K-12 schools are eligible for technical assistance. The Bright Schools Program offers services to help identify the most cost-effective energy saving opportunities for your school facility. Savings can typically reduce annual utility costs by 10 percent or more. Call (916) 654-4104 or email email now! Download the PDF.
For more GRANTS please visit the
CREEC grants page
|
|
Professional Development Programs
|
The Living Desert University Adult Education Programs and Lecture Series Where do the worlds of conservation and education meet? At Living Desert University (LDU), the Coachella Valley's premier environmental learning center. Students learn how to preserve and protect the fragile beauty of our desert through a fun and fascinating series of adult classes and programs. Our goal is to offer a broad range of classes that increase environmental sensitivity and ecological action in everyday life. Check out these three upcoming LDU and Lecture Series events: - Coachella Valley Geology, Landforms & Luncheon at Smoke Tree Ranch
Saturday, January 04, 2014, 9:00AM- 12:30 PM. $59 (member price) and $69 (non-member price) - Valley Trek: Deep Canyon Research Center, January 16, 2014, 9:00AM- 12:00 PM. $15 (member price) and $20 (non-member price)
- Turtle Trouble! Applying Science and Technology to Turtle Conservation
Thursday, February 13, 2014, 6:00PM, Free - RSVP Required.
For more great LDU listings, visit the CREEC Region 10 Calendar of Events! SENC Excellent Educator Series: Various Topics Ongoing classes, $10 Registration Required, at the Environmental Nature Center, 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663 The ENC Excellent Educator series brings all kinds of educators together for fun afternoons of learning exciting hands-on ways to teach children about science and nature. These courses are for classroom teachers, outdoor educators, scout leaders and parents - anyone who wants to be a better educator. Everyone is invited! Questions can be directed to Lori Whalen at lori@encenter.org or 949-645-8489.
 March 28 - 30, 2014. SCICON Outdoor School in Springville, CA (Tulare County, northern CA) The California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education holds their Statewide Spring Conference from March 28 - 30, 2014. The conference will provide more than 60 workshops or field trips, meals, entertainment, networking, speakers and more! Registration is not yet open, but questions can be emailed or visit the Spring Conference web page. Online Opportunities:
EEI- CEU Course "Teaching the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum" Upcoming course 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. Annenberg Learner Video on Demand Courses for Teachers Video on Demand - at your convenience Annenberg Learner professional development workshops and courses provide teachers with content and pedagogical learning to strengthen their professional credentials. Workshop and course resources consist of video, print, and Web components. CEUs available for many courses.
|
|
Visit these and more Providers on the new CREEC.org!
The Wildlands Conservancy provides programs for nearly 25,000 children each year at its preserves and provides funds for nature-based field trips and a week-long outdoor science school for an additional 60,000 children each year. Contact Caroline Conway caroline.c@twc-ca.org
The Living Desert's mission is desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation. The Living Desert's Student Programs help them fulfill that mission and provide some great environmental science learning opportunities to educators and students! The Living Desert provides an introduction to desert ecology to thousands of school children each year. Field Trips have exciting options, including our regularly scheduled storytelling, live animal encounters, Wildlife Wonders Show, Village WaTuTu, hands-on Discovery Center and our desert play land, Gecko Gulch. Picnic areas are also available.
Joshua Tree National Park invites you and your students to attend ranger-led education programs. Most in-class programs are 45 minutes long. Programs given in the park last from 1-1/2 to 4 hours.There is no charge for education programs, but reservations are required and may be made a year in advance. Maximum group size will depend on the program and the number of park staff available. Most in-park programs are designed to accommodate two classes (60 students). Visit the website (name link) or call the Education Office at 760-367-3011
Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which offers free environmental education programs taught by Naturalists who specialize in conservation, watershed issues & ecology. Please visit the CREEC events calendar for events!
Santa Rosa Plateau Foundation
Mission Statement: To inspire and motivate children to learn and care about the natural world. They accomplish this by providing No Child Left Inside environmental education programs.
|
CREEC Regional e-Newsletters are a publication of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Office, California Department of Education. Region 10 RIMS serving Riverside, Inyo, Mono & San Bernardino Counties is housed by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
