CEL begins Partnership with California State Parks Foundation to bring Youth to their Watershed
On July 30th, 2018, the Center for Environmental Literacy (CEL) at Saint Mary’s College of California received a $10K grant from the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF). CSPF is a member-supported nonprofit whose mission is to protect, improve, and advocate for California’s state parks. Both CEL and CSPF work to provide students with holistic environmental education as well as time and hands-on experience in nature. Several of CEL’s River of Words Art and Poetry Winners and Finalists even celebrated in CSPF’s annual Parks Advocacy Day “Our Parks, Our Future” by sharing their art and poetry inspired by the natural world at the reception, back on May 30th. Youth engagement programs from the Los Angeles Audubon Society, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter, California Department of Parks and Recreation, Jack London State Historic Park, and the Regional Parks Foundation are just a few of organizations that have received support from CSPF.
Together, CEL and the CASPF will provide resources for bothCalifornia youth and educators. CEL Director, Luz Casquejo Johnston, had this to say: "The Center for Environmental Literacy is excited to partner with CSPF to provide staff development for local teachers through [CEL’s] Watershed Explorer Curriculum.” Teachers from from Mount Diablo, Moraga, Hayward and Petaluma Unified School Districts will convene at SMC on October 20th for a workshop focused on the curriculum’s cross-disciplinary approach to inquiry based learning and environmental literacy. In addition, Casquejo Johnston says, “CSPF funds will be used to provide transportation to local state parks where teachers will use the Watershed Explorer with their students.” These field trips to state parks, such as Mount Diablo State Park, are integral because, “This connection will enhance the students experience and develop a deeper connection to their local parks and watersheds.”
Through this partnership, students will interact and observe their watershed up-close and create visual art and poetry inspired by their lessons and explorations within the state park. The art and poetry created by the students will then be submitted by their teachers to CEL’s 2019 River of Words Youth Art and Poetry contest in the spring.
This partnership will be a model for expanding CEL’s youth engagement throughout California – especially for those from underrepresented or low-income communities – and will set a precedent for CSPF and CEL’s collaboration to grow in the future.