Green STEM Learning ~ Review of 2016 and Next Steps 2017

Here's my review of Green STEM Learning for the year 2016.

Thank you to clients, individuals and organizations I've worked with this past year to bring outdoor programs to students. 

And here's to a healthy and inspirational new year 2017!

 

Green STEM Learning 2015 and Vision for 2016 in Support of an Environmental Literacy Coordinator for APS

Here's the year end report for 2015 for my business Green STEM Learning, including work for clients Jamestown Elementary School PTA and Meridian Homeschool.

My cover photo shows Jamestown School yesterday. The Weeping Cherry Tree and Vegetable Beds are still under their blanket of snow! In the background, you see the big Willow Oak tree that is at the heart of the school's courtyard, and creates a wonderful shady place for classes to gather on hot summer days!

Green STEM Learning Report Year 2015 by Mary Van Dyke from Mary Van Dyke

This spring and summer at Jamestown School, I'll work on some of the projects highlighted in the report. While the snow is melting, it's a good time for me to meet with teachers to plan the vegetable gardens, native gardens and student outdoor projects.

And for Meridian Homeschool Club this spring, I'll continue working with the older students on their year-long Earth Force/Caring for Our Watershed civic engagement project. A couple of weeks ago, we went outside and measured the trees at the church where we meet. Then we calculated the ecosystem services the trees provide with i-Tree Design. We also identified the invasive plants on the property: there's lots of English Ivy and Bush Honeysuckle.  Next stage, the students are making a video for the church congregation and our partner schools in NM and PA.  I don't yet know what the students will come up with as a solution to the issues they are finding, as the project is student-directed and we have a few months to go!

Other projects for 2016, include my continued volunteer advocacy for enhancing sustainability and outdoor learning coordination within the Arlington Public Schools.

• Why not invite the APS School Board to fund an Environmental Literacy Coordinator position?  I spent a couple of snow days this week making an aspirational pitch deck for the job - as if the School Board had funded the position. So stay tuned!  

Want to help with advocacy in the meantime?

• Please do write to the APS School Board school.board@apsva.us with your comments in support of the APS Science Advisory Committee recommendations that include for cultivating integrative learning and also funding a Sustainability and Outdoor Learning Coordinator position.
• A Sustainability and Outdoor Learning Coordinator (aka an Environmental Literacy Coordinator) as recommended by the Science Advisory Committee could help to more effectively evaluate programs, and share standards-aligned curricula and best practices through a collaborative and integrative approach that facilitates more creative problem-solving opportunities for students outdoors!
• There's other priorities for the School Board, including the capacity issues and needing more seats for students.
   
• So now's the time to ask for a balanced budget to include for this sustainability and outdoor learning coordinator position.

Mary Van Dyke, works part-time for Jamestown Elementary School PTA

as Visiting Horticulturalist, and as a volunteer she has interests in coordinating outdoor learning for schools in Arlington.

Mary serves on the APS Science Advisory Committee,
the APS Superintendent's Advisory Committee on Sustainability
and the Advisory Committee of NoVA Outside,
a regional alliance of environmental educators.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.

Environmental Literacy - The Governor's Challenge

On Earth Day 2015, Governor Terry McAuliffe launched an Environmental Literacy Challenge.
Click for links to the news release and the full text of the Challenge.

Here below are my notes to Terry McAuliffe in words and images.

Environmental Literacy - For Terry McAuliffe by Mary Van Dyke

Growing Outdoor Learning and Sustainability at Your School?

Are you trying to grow outdoor learning and sustainability in your school community?
Here's a presentation I gave a couple of weeks ago to the Jamestown Elementary School PTA on Growing Outdoor Learning and Sustainability at the school. 

We discussed our school community, vision, goals, wishlists, budget and funding sources - and several of the many environmental education and sustainability programs and projects for 2014 - 2015.




I am working part-time as "Visiting Horticulturalist" at the school and help to coordinate and facilitate outdoor learning. I appreciated this opportunity to meet with the PTA and discuss vision, goals and funding for the next year.

Garden Adventures - Grow Eat and Learn in your Schoolyard - presentations at two upcoming conferences

Here is Garden Adventures, a ten-week after-school schoolyard gardening program focused on growing food and healthy eating that I co-facilitated at Arlington Traditional School Garden in 2011.

Here below is the powerpoint on Garden Adventures  I am presenting at two upcoming conferences:
Virginia Association of Environmental Educators (October 16-18)
and Virginia Association of Science Teachers (November 14-16).

Garden Adventures Grow Eat and Learn in your Schoolyard VAEE VAST 2013 reduced file size from MaryVanDyke

• Click here for registration and details for VA Environmental Education Conference - October 16-18 at Shrine Mont, VA.

• Click here for registration and details for VA Association of Science Teachers Annual PDI Conference - November 14-16, Norfolk VA.

I based the Garden Adventures program on the session framework from Project PLANTS (from University of Kansas, fall and spring after-school food and nutrition programs) and activities from the Junior Master Gardeners curriculum.

See details on the Garden Adventures spring program at my archive blog:  ATS Gardening, March - May 2011.

Project PLANTS will soon be online!

Back to School: ideas for play, math, science and design with gourds, pumpkins and squash

Here for K- 5 educators - ideas for play, math, science and design with gourds, pumpkins and squash.

Gourd Math from MaryVanDyke

Check out planting, growing and harvesting details for gourd family plants in your zone.
Here in VA, gourds, pumpkins and squash are easy to plant in May and June.
The plants can then look after themselves over the summer vacation...and will be ready to harvest when kids go back to school in the fall.