Program:
Core Programs: School & Group Programs, summer Science Camps, After School Programs
- Budget:
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$936,808
- Category:
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Education
- Population Served:
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Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.)
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Female Youth/Adolescents (14 - 19 years)
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Male Youth/Adolescents (14 - 19 years)
Program Description:
YSI Partners with Nature to Teach Kids Science!
YSI currently serves 10% of Santa Clara County's public school population, or 30,000+ pre-K--8th grade students: 28,000 of whom come to us with their classroom teacher.
Our long-term vision is to increase the number of children we reach and the frequency with which we reach them, primarily by partnering with other organizations, while continuing to ensure equal access to all students regardless of economic capacity.
Three of our strategies for achieving this vision are:
1) To increase our delivery to under-served youth, particularly those served by YSI Alum Rock in East and South San Jose; these are the County's communities of highest need as determined by the U.S. Census.
2) To further develop and implement middle school programs.
3) To partner with districts, schools, other nonprofits, and funders to deepen and extend our reach in ways we could not do alone.
PROGRAM GOALS – ALL PROGRAMS
*Engage students in active learning that ignites subject interest and improves academic achievement by delivering grade-appropriate, high-quality, structured and safe hands-on science programs in outdoor and classroom settings, correlated to State Standards
*Develop critical thinking skills and positive self-esteem while improving students’ learning behaviors, attitudes and skills by engaging them in small-group lessons that are engaging, fun and memorable
*Provide a direct, safe animal encounter with some combination of reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds and mammals; many students have never touched a live animal before (half of our programs involve our animals)
*Support YSI instructors through the availability of quality teaching materials and professional development that develop and support best teaching practices
*Maintain the well being of all YSI animals, ensuring their continued availability to students
ADDITIONAL SCHOOL AND GROUP PROGRAM GOALS
*Support classroom teachers’ curricula objectives by working with them to choose programs and activities that align with their curricula requirements that can also be leveraged across other subjects
*Achieve consistent survey results indicating sustained and increasing teacher satisfaction with YSI programs
Of the 30,000 children we teach year, 33% are Title One students on a free/reduced lunch program; 28% are English Language Learners. Teachers confirm that our small-group, hands-on programs are effective for all of their students. National studies and local School District leaders confirm that hands-on science experiences build literacy, particularly in English Language Learners.
No classroom or student making a request was turned away for lack of funds. YSI raised funds to provide an average of 40 camperships per summer to low-income, at-risk youth to attend camp primarily children from East San Jose.
YSI also conducts a popular Junior Curator Program, Family Science Safaris, and special annual events, including an Insect Fair in May and Wildlife Festival in October.
Most of YSI's programs are delivered at its three Science and Nature Centers, which are located in County and City parks, where YSI has long-term leases. They feature interpretive exhibits of live mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians and birds in some combination, as well as hands-on artifacts, which reflect the natural science and history of the surrounding area.
Teachers overwhelmingly prefer to bring their students to our Centers. When classrooms cannot come to YSI, programs are delivered to the school. 50%+ of teachers return to us year after year.
Alum Rock Park Science and Nature Center where YSI was founded (a City of San Jose park), exhibits animals from the Mt. Hamilton Mountain Range and features an aviary where rehabilitated and non-releasable birds of prey are featured instructors. There is also a self-guided geology trail and a renowned museum collection showcasing 100 birds from around the world, some now extinct.
Vasona Lake County Park Science and Nature Center features native and non-native live animals as well as a native plant trail and a large collection of bones and preserved animals. Interactive exhibits enable children to do their own archeological dig and to understand the watershed they live in.
Sanborn County Park Science and Nature Center features animals which are native to the Santa Cruz Mountains and other locals, and an extensive collection of insects, as well as an organic garden and Ohlone Native American exhibits.
In 2009, under a new contract with the City of Los Altos Parks Department, YSI will begin School and Group Program delivery at Redwood Grove in Los Altos.
YSI programs are delivered by a professional team of instructors with an average tenure of eight years. YSI provides excellent training for these instructors in effectively teaching science, curriculum development and classroom management.
Each year, many of our part-time and summer camp instructors and aides go on to become public and private school teachers. This creates a ripple effect in improving the quality of science education in our schools.
YSI collaborates with several other science and environmental education organizations to leverage the resources of all parties. YSI is proud to have initiated a long-term partnership with the Alum Rock Union School District to deliver an increasing number of programs there, and leverage resources by enrolling other partners.
YSI is a founding member of four significant collaborations: the Mountain View Whisman Science Education Collaborative, the Xilinx Ecosystem Partnership, the Digging Deeper Collaborative, and Science By Nature (www.sciencebynature.com).
Additional partners include the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, the City of San Jose Parks Department, the City of Los Altos Parks Department, the Bay Area Children in Nature Network, the national "No Child Left Inside Movement," and others.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
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