Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/748197
Eco Ambassadors Program a Natural Teaching Tool Creative Lessons Bring Schoolyard Science to Life B Y R E N E E B R I N C K S A s fifth-graders in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) study environmental science this school year, they'll trade textbooks and desk chairs for flowers and watering cans. Through the innovative Eco Ambassadors program, approxi- mately 800 students district- wide are engaging in hands-on lessons that playfully explore the ties between native plants, polli- nators and water. The district launched Eco Ambassadors in 2015, bringing exper ts from three par tner organizations into all 11 MPUSD elementary schools. Superinten- dent Daniel "PK" Diffenbaugh invited representatives from the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, Arts Council for Monterey County and Return of the Natives, a group that spearheads local environmental education and habitat restoration efforts, to collabo- rate on the curriculum. Initially funded by a State Farm Youth Advisory Board grant and savings collected through MPUSD sustainability efforts, including new solar panels and turf replacement work, organizers have outlined activities that incor- porate several aspects of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education. Throughout each semester, Eco Ambassadors representa- tives visit classrooms to lead sci- ence and ar t activities that emphasize critical thinking and communications skills. When stu- dents discuss the interaction between pollinators and plants, for example, they might also dis- sect flowers or draw pictures of the local food chain. Last year's participants wrote songs about pollinators and acted out scenarios related to the natural world. After mapping schoolyard vegetation and ana- lyzing water flow, students also helped plan, establish and care for native plant gardens outside their classrooms. Some explained scientific principles to younger students while acting as garden tour guides; others painted outdoor murals inspired by local ecology. The goal, Eco Ambassadors leaders explain, is to make schoolyards more dynamic and exciting, while also challenging children to draw con- nections between their lessons. "Plenty of educational research says that when kids are involved in hands-on science and environmental work, their grades go up across dis- ciplines," says Laura Lee Lienk, Return of the Natives director. "They have 178 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6 Children at local schools learn about native plants with the Eco Ambassadors program and create signs to identify them. Photos: Courtesy of Jaqui Hope