Each class conducted a project-based learning unit on different environmental justice and sustainability topics, such as: the role and importance of insects in their ecosystems; identifying and understanding why native ecosystems are crucial for the future; understanding the relationship between flowers and pollinators and problem-solving for how to create more flowers on campus and in our neighborhood; interviewing environmental justice non-profit leaders, families in the community and researching the history of environmental justice in our neighborhood; learning about the importance of birds and how to increase bird populations at school; and, where our drinking water comes from, how not all drinking water is safe, and how water can be cleaned. The above topics were reinforced through in-door lessons, and outdoor learning sessions on campus, as well as on our nature area trips. In addition, we had several guest speakers in classes from local organizations focused on the environment and assemblies. Older student leaders also had a role in developing their own presentations about conserving energy that they delivered to the younger students. The project-based learning units concluded at our Earth Day event, where every student had a project on display for the community, the local Telemundo station, and school district leaders to learn more about environmental justice and sustainability in our neighborhood.

Our school won the prestigious Golden Bell Award for “Climate Change Innovation.” CSBA awards and recognizes outstanding programs The specific award is given to programs that “promote awareness of the effects of global climate change and engage students in creative solutions” ( awards.csba.org ). We designed our Therapeutic Garden. The garden was funded by the OGALS, Philanthropic Ventures grant, and funding from the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. Additionally, our school composts 100% of our uneaten fruit and vegetables from the cafeteria due to our composting program. Earthday event was attended by 500 community members and featured on local news networks. James Lick High School seniors presented their “Bio-Lit” culminating project from their biology class. Our fifth graders presented their environmental literacy projects to the seniors.  We went on twenty-one field trips this year, as well as a 5th-grade science camp. Our field trips had a 2:1 student-to-adult ratio.

Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful: Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful tabled at our Earth Day, and gave presentations and lessons to our 5th grade classes.

Our City Forest: Our City Forest tabled at Earth Day and signed families up for their urban tree program. They donated multiple trees to our campus. And they also were interviewed by our 3rd-grade class studying environmental justice.

Beautify SJ: Beautify San Jose tabled at our Earth Day event, gave a presentation for our Environmental Justice League, and gifted the school trash picker-uppers and safety vests.

California Native Garden Foundation: The California Native Garden Foundation tabled at our Harvest Festival event, collaborated with us on a field trip, gave us free seeds, and we are currently working together on a project for the school grounds.

Life Lab: Life Lab co-developed a professional development series for our staff on NGSS and Common Core standards in the garden. Garden to Table Silicon Valley: Our school has participated in three separate field trips to Garden to Table Silicon Valley, a local urban, organic garden in San Jose.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife: A US Fish and Wildlife warden led an assembly about native animals and habitats in Santa Clara County.

Walk N Roll SJ: Walk n Roll San Jose led assemblies for the whole school, gave out free helmets, and facilitated a full school “Walk n Roll” to the school day.

Master Composters of Santa Clara County: The Master Composters of Santa Clara County gave our staff professional development on worm composting, hot composting, and cold composting, and loaned our school worms and vermicompost.

CalFresh Healthy Living and the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: CalFresh Healthy Living and the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County tabled at multiple school events, and delivered seedlings from the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara County Office of Education: We fostered relationships with the Santa Clara County Office of Education through meetings with Dr. Dilafruz Willams and Jennifer Mutch, who both work towards garden-based education and environmental education in Santa Clara. We are working on a plan to incorporate our Environmental Justice and Sustainability programming into the after-school organization at our school.

Veggielution: Veggielution provided guidance on the planting of our school garden, tabled at our Earth Day event, and was interviewed by our 3rd graders on environmental justice in the San Jose area.

Santa Clara University students delivered lessons from January 2024 to March 2024. Also, we are now working with Santa Clara University’s Sprout Up chapter to work with our 1st and 2nd graders. The Sprout Up instructors have conducted six lessons for classes at our school to increase our students’ environmental literacy.  Garden 2 Table Silicon Valley is bringing a microgreens program to our 4th and 5th-grade students. Two instructors from the local environmental nonprofit delivered twelve sessions, teaching students the benefits of growing microgreens and modeling the process step by step. Also, as part of the program, Garden 2 Table Silicon Valley donated four sets of microgreen growing equipment to our school to continue the program. The Master Gardeners of Silicon Valley donated plants on two separate occasions to the Russo/McEntee edible garden. Since we do not have a greenhouse, delivering seedlings ensures we have healthy plants to use in our lessons.

Each partnership brings a unique perspective and knowledge base to the program. There are a lot of people and agencies working in this field. It is a matter of reaching out and talking to them. This work is very time-intensive, and we need a dedicated person working on developing these partnerships. We also feel that there is no database to introduce to all the schools and agencies already doing this work.

Some of the unforeseen challenges we faced were the significant increase in prices for our trips and objects we wanted to purchase for our Outdoor Education program at our school. Since the prices of the charter busses are more than 3 times the cost of getting our school bus, we are limited to the trips we can attend due to bus availability. We are competing with other schools in our district and following our transportation department's guidelines.

Additionally, working with our internal maintenance department trying to get the projects initiated has been challenging. We have been able to overcome many of our challenges because we have an Outdoor Ed Coordinator, we are able to make connections with many agencies who have stepped up to support our students and provide us with knowledge and expertise in various fields. Additionally, we find it very helpful to have all of our staff, families, Superintendent, and Board engaged in our efforts to provide an excellent Outdoor education program at our school.

Successful methods: Collaboration with community partners to offer more outdoor learning opportunities for our students and families.Our collaborations have opened many new opportunities for our students and community. Unforeseen challenges: This school year, we cannot take as many family members on field trips because our transportation department has fewer bus drivers and fewer buses. We also cannot go to Santa Cruz for field trips anymore because the bus drivers are not able to return in time for their afternoon bus routes. Recommended solutions: Not having the 5-mile radius rule as it opens up more opportunities. My recommendation would be to have a process to request exceptions to the Nature Area Trip rules if there are extenuating circumstances, such as changes in busing, which limits our options for possible nature area trips.