ECOLOGY IN CLASSROOMS AND OUTDOORS

IN 2024, ECO OFFERED A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING IN-PERSON ECO LESSONS, SPANISH IMMERSION AVES COMPARTIDAS PROGRAMMING, CLIMATE ACTION EDUCATION, AND PLACE-BASED UNITS.OUR EDUCATORS DELIVERED 391 LESSONS TO 18 SCHOOLS IN THE PORTLAND METRO REGION, ENGAGING 4,350 STUDENTS IN CLASSROOM-BASED LEARNING, SCHOOLYARD EXPERIENCES, AND SERVICE-LEARNING FIELD TRIPS. ECO EDUCATORS REACHED 145 CLASSROOMS ACROSS FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IMPLEMENTING OUR PROVEN HANDS-ON EDUCATION MODEL TO ENGAGE YOUTH WITH OVER 5,000 HOURS SPENT IN NATURE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.OUR CURRICULUM IS ALIGNED WITH THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS, OREGON ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY PLAN, AND STEAM TEACHING TARGETS. IT IS ALSO ENHANCED BY INTERACTIVE, HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES THAT RESONATE WITH STUDENTS OF ALL INTERESTS AND LEARNING STYLES. OUR FREE LESSONS ARE HOSTED ONLINE AT TEACH.ECOLOGYOUTDOORS.ORG, ALLOWING US TO REACH ADDITIONAL URBAN AND RURAL EDUCATORS.OUR CLASSROOM-BASED LESSONS BRING ECOLOGY TO LIFE AND PROVIDE HANDS-ON, STANDARDS-ALIGNED LESSONS TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH COMMUNITY. OUR PLACE-BASED UNITS ARE COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM KITS THAT INTEGRATE SCIENCE CONCEPTS ACROSS CORE SUBJECTS AND EXTEND OUR IMPACT TO RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BY EQUIPPING K-5TH GRADE TEACHERS WITH THE TOOLS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN SCIENCE LEARNING AND PROMOTE A DEEPER CONNECTION TO THEIR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS. WITH TEACHER GUIDES, PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHEETS, GAMES, AND HANDS-ON MATERIALS, THESE KITS CONTAIN EVERYTHING THAT EDUCATORS NEED TO DELIVER ECOSYSTEM LEARNING MODULES. THE AVES COMPARTIDAS PROGRAM, INTEGRATED IN LATE 2023, PROVIDES BILINGUAL, CULTURALLY RELEVANT EDUCATION FOR LATINX AND SPANISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN LESSONS ON ECOLOGY AND STEWARDSHIP. OUR CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAM FOR 6-12TH GRADE STUDENTS ADDRESSES THE GAP IN FORMAL CLIMATE EDUCATION IN OREGON AND PROVIDES SOLUTIONS-BASED LESSONS ON CLIMATE SCIENCE, RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND BIODIVERSITY TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR OUR CHANGING WORLD. OUR EFFORTS WERE SUPPORTED BY DIVERSE PARTNERS, INCLUDING GREATER THAN, THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY, PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION, AND THE CLACKAMAS PARKS & RECREATION DISTRICT, AMONGST OTHERS. THESE COLLABORATIONS CREATED FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN INTERACTIVE AND OUTDOOR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.