CAL POLY
Environmental education program teaches children sustainable practices
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 5:07 PM by KSBY News (Staff)
Updated: Feb 23, 2012 8:16 AM
The next generation of environmentalists is hard at work in local schools.
Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara students are teaming up to mentor students in first and second grade classrooms around the area.
They're part of the Environmental Education for the Next Generation program.
"Starting them young is the best way to it," said Jamee Curran, Regional Program Director for SLO Environmental Education for the Next Generation.
The program was started by undergaduate students at UCSB and has since expanded to include a chapter at Cal Poly.
Now, more than 100 students volunteer to be a part of an eight-week program at local elementary schools.
They break the classroom up into teams of five to eight students per instructor and cover topics that range from soil science to recycling.
Every week, the students do an experiment or project to help learn each lesson.
One of those projects at C.L. Elementary in San Luis Obispo is a garden the first grade class planted in front of the school.
"Their minds are still forming right now if we instill this in them now then it's going to make a huge difference. They're going to hopefully continue to use this information that we're giving them," Curran said.
Program volunteers say their goal is to keep the education going outside the classroom. They say many students take the lessons home to teach their friends and family members.
If you'd like to get involved with EENG by volunteering or inviting the student instructors to your classroom, click here for more information.
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