The Escondido Creek Conservancy achieved all 3 Educational goals implementing our outdoor education programming funded by this grant, as listed in our application.

Goal #1 is reached through our pre-program lessons. (Technology) Teachers receive a lesson plan to teach students how to utilize the iNaturalist app on the trail to identify plants an animals. We also utilize pre and post program surveys on iPads to collect evaluation data. (Art) During field trips, the nature journals provide multiple places for students to illustrate the habitats we hike through for comparison and observation. (Science) Our program is based on curriculum that covers biology, ecology, and anthropological impacts on local habitats.

Goal #2 is reached in Section 71301 when listing the environmental principals and concepts to be included in curriculum. Out of the 14 listed, we teach to environmental justice, environmental sustainability, fish and wildlife resources, pollution prevention, water, resource conservation, waste reduction, and recycling in our curriculum.

Goal #3 is reached as we teach to two Next Generation Science Standards during the Habitats program as listed in our lesson plans including: 3-LS4-3: In a particular habitat, some organisms survive well, some less well, and others not at all AND 3-LS4-4: Changes to an environment affect the types of plants & animals that live there—some survive and some die, some move out and some move in. The Digging into Food Systems program with Coastal Roots Farm has met all 4 of the educational goals. As outlined in Goal 1, students grow their own snap pea plant, actively engaging in the plant life cycle. As their snap pea plants grow, they measure and graph the height of their plants. While on the Farm, students engage in an engineering project where they are tasked with upcycling “trash materials” into a new tool for the Farm. Students are first presented with three real-life examples of how our farmers have upcycled materials into new tools and then are encouraged to collaborate with peers and let their creativity guide them. Additionally, as outlined in Goal 2, students engage with the CA Environmental Principles and Concepts in a hands-on and engaging way as they explore the Farms compost operation, learn what materials can be added to a compost pile, and see the process of decomposition before their eyes. They use this experience as a phenomena to return to their schools and complete a conservation project to teach other students how to properly sort their waste in the lunchroom and beyond. Each of these previously mentioned projects are aligned with NGSS as outlined in Goal 3. The 4-LS1-1, 4-ESS3-1, and 3-5-ETS1-1 standards are all met throughout various stages of the program. Finally, being on a farm is the perfect opportunity to engage students in age-appropriate nutrition education as outlined in Goal 4. Students walk through fields of crops, see how different fruits and veggies are grown, are invited to harvest, and get to taste familiar and new foods. As students are performing this “harvest taste test”, they are prompted to engage all their senses and verbalize the flavors and textures they are experiencing. This low-pressure, positive exposure cultivates a willingness to try new foods in the future and the likelihood of enjoying more diverse foods.

ECC 1 was met with lessons teaching iNaturalist app use for plant and animal identification and pre/post surveys. Students engaged in art through nature journaling, observing and comparing habitats. Science was central, with lessons on biology, ecology, and human impacts on ecosystems. 2 was addressed by teaching environmental principles like sustainability, pollution prevention, and wildlife conservation through interactive activities. 3 was fulfilled by aligning with NGSS standards, including 3-LS4-3 and 3-LS4-4. CRF 1 was achieved as students grew snap pea plants, charted their growth, explored farm trellises, and designed prototypes. 2 was met through hands-on engagement with compost operations, decomposition processes, and waste sorting conservation projects. 3 aligned with NGSS standards such as 4-LS1-1, 4-ESS3-1, and 3-5-ETS1-1. 4 focused on nutrition education, where students harvested and tasted crops, engaging their senses to promote healthy eating habits.

The Escondido Creek Conservancy and Coastal Roots Farm have partnered on this grant to provide Outdoor and Environmental Education services for all 3rd and 4th grade students in the Escondido Union School District. We are communicating well as grantee and sub grantee partners. We both partner with the Teacher on Special Assignment at the district level in order to schedule and communicate with teachers and book buses for field trips. This district to nonprofit communication continues to work effectively and efficiently to complete the administrative tasks associated with each program. These two organizations are not the only nonprofits partnering up in this district. We are 2 of the many that have partnered up in a consortium with the goal of providing ALL students K-8 in the Escondido Union School District with Environmental and Outdoor Education opportunities.

The Escondido Creek Conservancy partners with the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve and the Park Rangers from Olivenhain Municipal Water District in order to provide services at their park in the Interpretive Center that the Conservancy raised funds to build. The Education Team and Park Rangers have a collaborative and effective relationship in this process. Lessons learned since the last status update include: During the 2022-2023 school year, we had all four schools involved in this grant participate in our programs between September 2022 - May 2023. This year we collaborated with the district to ensure that all four schools attend our programs over a shorter period of time (September - December 2023).

The Escondido Creek Conservancy had a full internship program for this school in the 2022-2023 school year. The internship program provided valuable experience for college aged students to assist with our programs. Two of the interns ended up being hired as educators on staff after the internship concluded. The 2023-2024 school year provided a more challenging experience to bring on interns. We were only able to bring on 1 intern for the 2023-2024 school year. As the students must be available for all of the field trip dates over our 4 grants, many eligible applicants did not have the availability. We will be sure to plan more appropriately and increase our marketing efforts to bring in local college students. We will also reach out to recent graduates that may have more availability to participate in our programs.

The Escondido Creek Conservancy and Coastal Roots Farm still partner together and with other like-minded organizations through the Conservation Consortium with the Escondido Union School District. We began more heavily partnering with the Nature Collective, which provides 5th-grade programming to the students of this school. These organizations meet every month to collaborate and plan training events for staff. In August of 2024, we had a half-day training session at Coastal Roots Farm where educators participated in activities to sharpen their inquiry-based teaching techniques, classroom management skills, and learn more about the curriculum we each teach to the students of the Escondido Union School District. The Escondido Creek Conservancy also partnered with Orange Glen High School as a part of their separate Outdoor Equity Grant to provide programming to their students as well. All other partnerships mentioned in last year’s report are still intact and growing stronger each day.

During the 2022-2023 school year, we had all four schools involved in this grant participate in our programs between September 2022 - May 2023. This year we collaborated with the district to ensure that all four schools attend our programs over a shorter period of time (September - December 2023). This will allow us to report and request reimbursement for funding in a more efficient manner while ensuring that our reports are due soon after our programs occur.

The Escondido Creek Conservancy had a full internship program for this school in the 2022-2023 school year. The internship program provided valuable experience for college aged students to assist with our programs. Two of the interns ended up being hired as educators on staff after the internship concluded. The 2023-2024 school year provided a more challenging experience to bring on interns. We were only able to bring on 1 intern for the 2023-2024 school year. As the students must be available for all of the field trip dates over our 4 grants, many eligible applicants did not have the availability. We will be sure to plan more appropriately and increase our marketing efforts to bring in local college students. We will also reach out to recent graduates that may have more availability to participate in our programs.

To deepen students’ learning of diverting waste, Coastal Roots Farm has adjusted programming to involve an engineering design challenge to upcycle farm waste into a new farm tool. Students work as a team to creatively reframe their thinking of waste and find a new, improved use for it.

ECC Efficient Scheduling: All four OEP-funded schools scheduled in the fall streamlined reporting and reimbursement, enabling a full-year reimbursement by February 2024. Intern Program Expansion: Marketing improvements brought two interns onboard; updated policies enhanced training and impact. Extended Field Trips: Adding one hour allowed for more engaging lessons, guided hikes, and new activities like the watershed model and wingspan art. Transport Challenges: Adjusted start times due to bus delays improved flow and enhanced hands-on activities. CRF Unified Visits: Hosting full grade levels in one day fostered collaboration and unified debriefing among teachers and students. Refined Engineering Activity: Refocused projects on snap pea plants, creating better connections between farm and classroom learning. Integrated Curriculum: Hands-on activities now align more closely with classroom goals, enhancing authenticity and engagement.