Educational goals achieved are as follows:

Educational goal #1: Instruction in arts, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that connects nature experiences, or environmental stewardship. The following activities contributed to educational goal #1: Wellness and sustainability series, Animals in Nature, Animals and Safety in Nature, Water Testing, Exercise in Nature, Nature Conservancy, The Living Desert, Mindfulness and Self Discovery series, Whale Watching, and Rock Climbing. The goal guided the development of the lesson plan for these trips as well as the activities incorporated into the trip. Trip leads incorporated STEAM into these activities via journaling, group discussion, drawing, and painting. Participants learned how to identify types of plants, animal habitats, and local wildlife based on scat and tracks.

Educational goal #2: Foster stewardship of the environment using curriculum pursuant to Public Resources Code, Division 24, Part 4: Statewide Environmental Education Teaching about animal conservation, how certain animal populations can affect others, and how animals are affected by the environment. Game-based instruction, hands on instruction, teacher-led. Additionally, guidance from Beetles Science and Teaching for Instructors will be used for: Focused explorations, Investigations, Assessment & Reflection. The following activities contributed to educational goal #2: Wellness and sustainability series, Careers in Nature, Animals and Safety in Nature, Water Testing, Exercise in Nature, Nature Conservancy, The Living Desert, Mindfulness and Self Discovery series (White Water Preserve, Painted Canyon), Whale Watching, and Joshua Tree Rock Climbing. The goal guided the development of the lesson plan for these trips as well as the activities incorporated into the trip. Trip leads incorporated hands-on learning via hiking and rock climbing and encouraged students to follow a leave no trace principle.

Educational goal #3: Curriculum that is aligned to the content standards for California public schools adopted by the State Board of Education, including, but not limited to, the Next Generation Science standards, or the California History-Social Science Standards. The following activities contributed to educational goal #3: Wellness and sustainability series and skill building/community gathering. The goal guided the development of the lesson plan for these garden workshops. Events incorporated STEAM into these activities via group discussion, drawing, and painting. Participants learned about green space cultivation and development specially to benefit their San Bernardino neighbors and family members.

The Wild L.A. program helps youth to develop their STEM identity and build comfort in nature. By comparing participants’ responses on the “pre” and “post” surveys, we found significant growth in their understanding of what a scientist does and how someone can become a scientist . Both of those constructs are associated with building one’s STEM identity. In particular, there was also evidence of growth interns’ personal connection to nature . While most interns already expressed feeling connected to nature on the first day - with seven (50%) selecting “strongly agree” and five (36%) selecting “somewhat agree” - on the final day, all interns agreed that they felt connected to nature; two-thirds “strongly” agreed. The interns also met the goal of developing their science communication skills through both shadowing, practicing, and facilitating nature walks and hikes with Museum staff, community members, and with interns from other Museum programs.

In the first year from the grant award until December 1st, 2023, SHiNE has fostered strong partnerships with various organizations, each making significant contributions to the program’s achievements. SHiNE has maintained consistent communication with both partners outlined in the grant: Outdoor Outreach and the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD). Additionally, two new partnerships were established with the UCCE Master Gardeners of San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire Resource Conversation District (IERCD).

Four youth overnight trips have been facilitated by Outdoor Outreach and additional partnerships have already resulted in the successful execution of three garden events. Furthermore, our collaboration with SBCUSD has played a pivotal role in recruitment efforts, enabling us to expand our reach to youth and families throughout San Bernardino.

SHiNE plans to continue working with partners to maximize efforts and increase community impact. One notable lesson includes the importance of proactive communication and preparation. Setting a designated time for pre-event meetings has been a key practice, allowing us to review lesson plans, agendas, and logistics ahead of time. This ensures that everyone is on the same page on the day of the event, contributing to smoother execution and successful outcomes. Additionally, establishing clear expectations with partners regarding overnight trips has been vital. Regular communication throughout the year and addressing any changes or updates has allowed us to work more collaboratively and maintain transparency among stakeholders. These lessons learned emphasize the significance of strategic communication, preparation, and ongoing communication in order to maintain a successful partnership and maximize the impact of our programs.

Since the last update, the Wild LA program has continued to deepen its partnership accomplishments through co-created field trips, campouts, and internships with community partners such as EXPO Center, Extraordinary Families, Breathe SoCal, LA Metro on the Move Riders, Self Help Graphics, EXPO Center Ahmanson Senior Center, Latino Outdoors, Self-Help Graphics, Proyecto Pastoral | IMPACTO, Native Ways 2 College, LA Nature For All, and Homeboy Industries. A key accomplishment has been the successful integration of our partners in every step of the program’s development, ensuring that the activities not only meet but are tailored to their communities’ needs. By co-designing some of these programs, our partners have enriched the experiences offered, ensuring they are culturally relevant, engaging, and impactful.

In our journey of developing our outdoor program, we’ve discovered that continued trust and relationship building with families plays a pivotal role in the program’s success. To foster a sense of community, we ensure there is a familiar face present at every event. We’ve learned that effective communication is key, and therefore we started utilizing the platform SimpleTexting to keep our participants informed about upcoming events in both English and Spanish. This not only facilitates the dissemination of information but also provides a direct avenue for families to ask questions.

To boost participation, we’ve found success in sending out fun and appealing flyers as well as scheduling reminder emails and text messages. Prior to trips, preparation emails with packing lists help participants feel more confident and prepared. On the day of the event, having sign-in sheets ready streamlines the check-in process and allows us to keep accurate records. Pre-event meetings have proven to be very beneficial, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding agenda, logistics, and any questions event leads or partners may have.

Furthermore, we’ve learned that post-event feedback is crucial for improvement and have implemented surveys for both participants and event leads/support staff. Understanding our family’s concerns has made all the difference. From this feedback we found that many parents wanted to be more involved in the program and participate in trips with their children. We took these notes seriously and have adjusted programming accordingly to be even more family focused, and allow additional opportunities for parents to be involved in activities. Taking the time to interact with families and youth has allowed us to better understand the needs of our community and has significantly impacted the way we tailor our programs. Along with utilizing SimpleTexting, we always make sure a Spanish speaker is at every event in case someone needs a translator.

Lastly, an important lesson learned is that flexibility and planning go hand in hand. Developing an open mindset and learning to pivot is a skill we learned in year one. This could entail investing extra time in staff training to ensure everyone feels well prepared or having to present without a slide deck because the projector malfunctioned. These instances required us to problem-solve and learn from our mistakes, which in turn helped us overcome immediate challenges but also encouraged continuous improvement for future events.

Lessons learned during Year 2 of the program will inform Year 3 in the following ways: Interns provided feedback that they’d like to see their weekly schedule of activities organized around themes which would allow for a more focused approach to the subject matter. Our internship partner, the EXPO Center, recommended extending the internship through July to provide more engaging activities and environmental education for interns leading up to the start of the school year. Interns expressed that field trips were the highlight of their experience and requested more visits to natural areas, aquariums, and zoos as part of their experiential learning. The Wild LA program will increase its focus on team bonding and engagement to address concerns about cliques and behavioral issues. Coordinators will expand the number of advance visits with the Teen Leadership Program and increase team bonding activities in both spring and summer to further strengthen trust and camaraderie.