By Nathan Zabel, NSEA’s Environmental Education Coordinator
Last fall, several Whatcom County public school districts and community partners collaborated to facilitate an outdoor learning program in response to challenges some families faced when schools shut down due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The Connections Program aimed to mitigate barriers to remote learning access, provide access to meals including breakfast and lunch, and enhance meaningful time outdoors with peers and caring adults for 6th graders and kindergarteners in the Mount Baker and Blaine School Districts. Eligibility for access to this new program focused on but were not limited to; students with low attendance or engagement in spring or fall remote learning and teacher or specialist recommendation. We are excited to announce that the effort was so impactful it will continue this Spring to support nearly 100 students!
During a typical spring, NSEA’s Education Team is busy facilitating the Students for Salmon (SFS) Program to fourth graders in classrooms and along local waterways throughout Whatcom County. However, this past year has been anything but typical. In addition to pivoting to put SFS online for ease of access for 4th grade teachers and students, NSEA staff supports the Connections Program by providing field staff to provide meaningful outdoor experiences to supplement classroom learning this season.
Colin Long, NSEA’s AmeriCorps Environmental Education Associate, is looking forward to “participating again as an educator because it’s a way to give back to this community that I have come to love. It’s a way to help young people develop a passion for and understanding of their environment.” Shelby Kita, NSEA’s AmeriCorps Environmental Stewardship Associate, is looking forward to “working with local 6th graders and teaching them about their natural surroundings, while being able to take them outdoors using the environment as a teaching tool. It’ll be enjoyable to see where the students’ curiosity and imaginative minds take them.”
Together, they are teaming up to teach 6th graders from Acme, Harmony, and Kendall Elementary school who will all be classmates at Mount Baker Junior High next year. They will teach outdoor nature curriculum centered around themes such as “community” and “growth,” at Kendall Elementary School and Camp Saturna once a week allowing students a safe space to meet their future peers and set them up for success as they advance in their academic careers.
Meanwhile, Nathan Zabel, NSEA’s Education Program Coordinator, will be teaching kindergarteners in Blaine weekly at the Birch Bay Bible Community Church. Through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, themes like “Earth science” and “Spring” will be explored by combing the beach for rocks or listening for migrating birds in the forest. At this young age, students will have equitable access to the outdoors and connect with their natural surroundings, a framework for this next generation of environmental leaders.
In a tumultuous year, the Connections Program has allowed us to directly connect students to their local watersheds while fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and social emotional learning. This led to, as a Blaine Kindergarten teacher said, “[Connections] created meaningful opportunities [for students] to learn and engage by providing extra support for families.” We look forward to continuing to provide support for students and their families through safe outdoor exploration.
For more information about NSEA’s participation in this program, please contact Nathan Zabel at nzabel@n-sea.org or call 360-312-3094.