This year, we were able to meet the following educational goals through our summer program: Instruction in arts that connects to Nature Experiences & Environmental Stewardship

Following a field trip to Santa Monica Beach, we facilitated a creative poster design activity with children, inspired by their visit. The purpose of the posters was to inform and encourage the public to protect our beaches and oceans. This project not only harnessed the children's artistic talents but also instilled a profound sense of environmental responsibility, connecting their experience at the beach with environmental stewardship.

Healthy lifestyles and sound nutritional habits.

In pursuit of our educational goal to promote healthy lifestyles and sound nutritional habits, we planned a field trip to Underwood Family Farms. This unique experience not only transported our youth participants from the urban environment to the serene setting of a farm but also provided them with invaluable hands-on experience in the harvest process and an interactive encounter with farm animals. Following the farm visit, youth participants were encouraged to bring the harvested produce home and, with their families, prepare a meal using the freshly picked ingredients. This initiative aimed to empower the children to actively incorporate healthier food choices into their daily lives. An encouraging outcome emerged as our youth participants enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to be actively involved in the cooking process. The experience not only ignited their interest in the journey of food from farm to table but also provided a platform for them to share their newfound knowledge and skills with their families. This ripple effect further reinforced the importance of healthy living within the broader community.

Foster Stewardship of the Environment

Our organization strategically planned and executed field trips to the Whale Watching Cruise, Aquarium of the Pacific, Tree People's Coldwater Canyon Park, and the Los Angeles Zoo to achieve the educational goal of fostering environmental stewardship. Our goal was to have our participants understand their impact on the environment and learn practical solutions to the challenges facing our community. In preparation for our whale-watching cruise and aquarium visit, we prepared instructional worksheets on marine life for the children to fill out during their experience. The whale-watching cruise offers a firsthand encounter with marine life in their natural habitat. The subsequent visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific reinforced these concepts through interactive exhibits and educational presentations, emphasizing the urgency of preserving ocean environments. This intentional approach aimed to instill a sense of curiosity and connection, enabling children to appreciate the intricacies of ocean ecosystems, and reinforcing their role as future stewards of the environment.

Youth participants were introduced to the significance of urban green spaces and their role in supporting biodiversity through a guided tour of TreePeople’s Coldwater Canyon Park. The tour was led by knowledgeable Eco-Educators who shared TreePeople's history, local environmental challenges, and practical solutions that individuals and communities could implement at home. A guided nature walk also enhanced the educational experience. At the end of the field trip, each child was given a plant to care for. This intentional activity aimed to instill a personal connection to nature and the understanding that they can play a crucial role in the well-being of their surroundings. Our participants also visited the Los Angeles Zoo to gain exposure to the challenges facing wildlife and their habitats. During their visit to the Los Angeles Zoo, each participant was armed with a personalized worksheet in their field guide, which required that they select a specific animal and delve into the intricacies of its habitat, behaviors, and conservation status. This thoughtful exercise not only encouraged observational skills but also instilled a sense of responsibility. Participants were not just passive observers; they became advocates for the well-being of the animal kingdom. By immersing them in this interactive process, we aimed to cultivate a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship, inspiring these individuals to become informed and proactive contributors to the preservation of all creatures on our planet.

HSP’s OEP school program “Vamos Afuera” has succeeded in taking students on a journey outside where they learn about their urban environment and their impact on the environment. Students visit a creek, a river, and the ocean. Students draw, collect leaves and put them in their nature journals, they bird watch and they learn about how human activities affect water quality. At BSLT’s Carr Lake outdoor classroom participants explore native plants, trees, and pollinators. While nearby agricultural ditches and historic creeks, offer hands-on learning about watersheds, stormwater runoff, and aquifers. Day Camp Programs on BSLT preserves deepen understanding of conservation and ecosystem health. Youth learn to identify wildlife through tracks and scat while exploring the role of wildlife corridors. Custom Youth Naturalist Journals guide participants through plant ID, mindfulness exercises, and nature art projects

Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of Burbank & Greater East Valley:

Together, we meticulously planned and successfully executed six enriching field trips, engaging a total of 41 youths from our community. BHC collaborated with BGC so that they could implement our field journals, which we designed to foster a sense of exploration and learning during our field trips. We saw our participants provide more open feedback through the field journal prompts.

The partnership with BGC staff proved instrumental in ensuring the seamless integration of our field journals into their programs, enhancing the educational aspect of these excursions. This partnership taught us the importance of effective communication and shared planning to create meaningful experiences for our youth. Burbank Community YMCA: We partnered with the Burbank Community YMCA so that our youth participants could practice their water safety skills before going on our beach field trip.

In addition, we coordinated with the YMCA to create a special swimming class just for our summer program. The Burbank YMCA's generosity was evident in its willingness to provide us with a discounted rate for these classes, underscoring the significance of community support. In addition, BHC and the Burbank Community YMCA expanded our initial partnership by offering swimming classes to 30 more children during the Fall 2023 season. These 30 children were not currently enrolled in our summer program but were still residents of our affordable housing community. Our goal was to provide free swimming classes to a greater number of youths in our community, in the hopes that it will facilitate greater participation in an upcoming family outing at a local State Beach. Our alliance with the Burbank Community YMCA has been pivotal in enhancing the overall well-being of our participants. This partnership taught us the importance of leveraging local resources to create comprehensive programs and the positive impact that community organizations can have on each other's missions.

Both CCA and HSP are forging new partnerships with the Salinas Union High School District to involve more students from their Migrant Academy and who live adjacent to our program core. BSLT has partnered with the Urban Arts Collaborative to host an “Art Experience in Nature” at Carr Lake. HSP has partnered with bilingual educators at Pacific Grove Natural History Museum (PGNHM) and at the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) and we’ve also made connections at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve (ESR). Other HSP partnerships include new relationships with Alisal Union School District (AUSD) schools and administrators.

We observed challenges in maintaining children's engagement during outdoor activities due to the summer heat. To address this, we intend to reevaluate the timing of specific field trips, ensuring the children's comfort and enjoyment.

Our all-age field guide, while comprehensive, posed difficulties for younger participants who required one-on-one assistance. In the upcoming year, we aim to develop age-appropriate field guides and allocate dedicated time after the field trip for reflection journal completion.

Our valuable partnerships with local organizations significantly contributed to program enhancement. Their support and collaboration enriched the learning experiences we offered to the children. Furthermore, while planning field trips, we encountered scheduling conflicts with certain venues that had their own summer programs, limiting our ability to align our activities within the same timeframe. In light of this, we will explore alternative arrangements to ensure seamless coordination and execution of our planned excursions.

Communication amongst OEP partner organizations and outside partners has presented our greatest challenge. HSP has liaised early with school district administrators and transportation leaders. HSP has adjusted programming making certain lessons shorter and others longer based on student feedback. For family field trips, locations are selected due to weather and including favorite local State Park beaches. HSP and BSLT have developed a good working relationship with CCA’s Garden Coordinator for recruiting participants for family field trips. Weekend programs in Salinas have also been adjusted to being more hands-on lessons and less discussion based lessons. Communication between partners BSLT and CCA has been a challenge, brought about by CCA staff turnover and discomfort with overnight camping in Big Sur. Recruitment for Salinas based programs has been very successful. Consistent touch-backs between new and veteran staff from our three core partners, HSP/BSLT/CCA is essential.