Our program offerings have enabled us to achieve numerous educational goals (as defined by the Education Definitions for the Outdoor Equity Grants Program).

Since receiving funding and implementing our new program, we have excelled in achieving program goals, specifically in getting youth outside on a weekly basis with over 180 classroom meetings (Nature Scouts) and outdoor excursions (SALT, Nature Scouts, summer field trips, overnight trips). Nature Scouts was a new program in 2022, and thanks to the funding from the OEP grant, this curriculum-based club is here to stay.

We also launched new trips, including Family Camp and our Winter SALT trip, which enabled us to achieve our goal of bringing multi-generational groups together to learn new skills, foster stewardship of the environment, and explore the outdoors.

We have further broadened our reach by hiring our first Outdoor Education Interns from a pool of high school R.O.C.K. alumni over the summer, one of whom returned to intern with us during the school year and supports all SALT activities. We track the progress of our programs through attendance, student surveys, and family surveys, and have received great feedback from our community and partners as well.

R.O.C.K.’s Outdoor Education Program has enabled us to achieve several educational goals (as defined by the Education Definitions for the Outdoor Equity Grants Program). Educational Goal 1: instruction in STEAM relating to nature and environmental stewardship Educational Goal 2: fostering stewardship of the environment Educational Goal 4: service-learning opportunities between schools & local communities; promoting healthy lifestyles and sound nutritional habits. Our program has continued to grow thanks to OEP funding. We continue to achieve objectives by providing opportunities for participants to deepen their connection with the natural world. We continue to add more Nature Area Trips to our curriculum to better achieve Goals 1 and 2. Additionally, we have worked with local organizations and our school communities to implement opportunities for students/families to establish healthy lifestyle and nutrition habits in our Nature Scouts program and community gardening days (Goal 4).

Since starting our Outdoor Education Program in 2022, we have collaborated with several incredible partners, including:

• California Academy of Sciences – partnered with the Academy’s Science Action Club (SAC) and Bayview Science Institute (BSI) to expand our science curriculum for Nature Scouts programming, access educator training and professional development opportunities, and bring students and families out to visit the museum.
• City Surf Project – partnered to host a special beach cleanup and surf day with CSP and Hunter Pence’s Healthy Planet Project during the summer of 2023, as well as an Intro to Surfing course for middle school students enrolled in our SALT program this past fall. We also established a long-term partnership to provide surf outings during each SALT session (fall, winter, spring).
• Golden Gate Bird Alliance – led a bird watching activity for our SALT students this past fall and are looking forward to partnering again in the future. - Outward Bound California – completed two ropes courses for middle school students aimed at building community, overcoming challenges, and learning new skills.
• Literacy for Environmental Justice – hosted local ecology and conservation lessons, as well as kayaking instruction for youth. Youth also participated in three bird watching excursions.
• Candlestick State Park – brought students to park in collaboration with the park interpretation team to lead lessons about local ecology, land history, park service, and more. - Greenway Project – community service opportunities and garden workdays for students and families.
• Environmental Traveling Companions – partnered to offer whitewater rafting on the America River and sea kayaking around the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Coffee with Critters – provided farm tours and lessons on daily farm upkeep in Mariposa during our Winter SALT Trip.
• Yosemite Bug – provided hostel-style lodging, local connections, and meals each night during our Winter SALT Trip.
• Udall Foundation – partnered with the foundation’s Parks in Focus program to lead 3 trips to Yosemite National Park.
• Slide Ranch – provided educational trips to their local farm, which included lessons on local flora and fauna, learning about a working farm and garden, harvesting, and more.

One of the most valuable lessons we learned during this past year and a half of partnerships was the power of making local connections. In addition to partnering with several incredible community organizations, parks, and nonprofits in the Bay Area, we expanded our horizons and fostered relationships in areas around the state–something we would not have been able to do without the OEP Grant. For example, our Winter SALT Trip was our first winter trip in several years, and we wanted to create meaningful experiences rooted in outdoor education and fun recreation. We met several local organizations and individuals in Mariposa who connected us with other groups and folks who made our trip a huge success. We are bringing this valuable lesson into our future trip planning as we look for new activities and new opportunities for local partnerships.

Urban Based Adventures (UBA) - provided students with trauma-informed mental health support focused on movement (rock climbing) and healthy relationship building. Crosstown Trail - community partner for our first annual R.O.C.K.-a-Thon, a community event during which we collaborated with local organizations to bring awareness to public spaces in our city. We hosted a student and family-friendly walk-a-thon event along the Visitacion Valley Greenway, as well as a walk across San Francisco’s 17-mile Crosstown Trail for 22 adult community members. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) - provided tickets for our SALT students to visit Alcatraz Island, the Rosie the Riveter Museum, Muir Woods National Monument events, as well as other connections to outdoor opportunities offered in the Bay Area. Alemany Farm - donated edible plant starters used to grow and harvest food in our elementary school gardens.

Our biggest tip to enhance future outdoor programs is to embrace the power of collaboration! Through partnerships and collaborative planning, we have been able to provide dozens of activities for our youth that we simply could not provide alone. Working together with local environmental organizations and community groups has not only increased our capacity to bring new experiences to our students, but it has also led to meaningful connections and friendships.

Additionally, we have learned through trial and error that recruitment can be difficult, but we have found some best practices that work well for our programs. We begin recruiting for trips and activities as early as possible, create printed materials in multiple languages, and make our staff available to families and guardians when questions arise. By fostering relationships in our community built on trust and integrity, we have found that families are more likely to engage and approach us with questions, thus leading to increased enrollment.

We faced some unforeseen challenges that led to key learnings this year. In August, we had our annual Family Camp trip planned at Candlestick SRA, which was cancelled with short notice due to the park’s lack of restroom facilities. We tried to rebook with another FamCamp location, but were advised by staff to avoid camping in December (earliest available). We faced a similar situation during a planned trip to Redwoods Richardson Reserve after storm damage blocked access to the site. Fortunately, we were able to book at another State Park with the help of their staff. We had difficulty connecting with State Parks staff this year–we called many disconnected phone numbers, got outdated information from websites, and even drove to Visitor Centers only to be informed that they were not operable. We learned that it is crucial to plan far in advance and to always have a backup plan. We also recommend bringing a skillet for fire pits in parks–we have encountered several missing/broken grates.