“The students cleared a local pond that frequently gets clogged with natural or human-made pollution. On their return visit, they saw that a huge log had been thrown into the pond–but when they went to remove it, they found a thriving ecosystem of snails reclaiming the wood. So the students made the independent decision to […]
Last week Ten Strands and the San Mateo County Office of Education—STEM Center hosted the second iteration of the San Mateo Environmental Learning Collaborative (SM ELC), a professional learning workshop for San Mateo county teachers. The SM ELC brought together area nonformal environmental education partners, curriculum experts from the State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER), teacher trainers from CalRecycle’s Office of Education […]
Last week I attended ChangeScale’s 2nd Annual Environmental Literacy Congress. Beyond just learning from the presentations, I had a true ‘aha’ moment when I looked around at all the different organizations being represented and realized that environmental literacy is not a sidelined goal or initiative. We are at the beginning of a growing movement that […]
Today my team at Ten Strands and I were pondering the bubble we live in here in the Bay Area. In general, everyone we talk to and work with seems to understand that climate change is a pressing issue that impacts us now and will impact future generations even more severely. It got me wondering […]
literate (adj.) “educated, instructed,” early 15c., from Latin literatus/litteratus “educated, learned,” literally “one who knows the letters,” formed in imitation of Greek grammatikos from Latin littera/litera “letter” Literacy, as traditionally defined, describes the ability to use written language actively and passively; to read, write, spell, listen, and speak with some degree of proficiency. However, as we move further into the 21st century […]
Stargazing on an exceptionally clear night. Looking up at a ginormous redwood tree. Walking up to the Grand Canyon for the very first time. No matter your age or interests, there is nothing like experiencing awe. The best interjections for awe—“ooh”, “ah”, and “oh”—are probably most often heard out of the mouths of babes, but […]
We all heard the news. It was as if the environmental movement had finally medalled in the Olympics after years of not making the podium. A Global Climate Deal. More than 150 leaders from around the world gathered in Paris with the intention of making serious commitments towards preserving our planet for future generations. BBC […]
The holidays are upon us once again, and as we prepare to celebrate the season of giving I’m feeling hopeful about the coming year. There are so many good things happening out there! If you’re looking for some presents to put under the tree or alongside the menorah this holiday season, you’re in luck, because […]