Catalina Educator Symposium

Educators across the Island came together on October 23rd for the Conservancy's Catalina Educator Symposium. More than 30 education thought leaders gathered at the Trailhead for the opportunity to network and collaborate about connecting with learners of all ages and to share the beauty and uniqueness of the Island through experiential learning.

Sarah Marcotte, public engagement specialist, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, kicked off the program with an inspiring keynote address detailing the public engagement pathway they use for effective communication.

Three other speaker sessions tackled how to measure your impact, taking idea to action and creating successful partnerships. Catalina Island Conservancy's Director of Education, Dr. Leah Melber, spoke about incorporating evaluation as an important means of measuring program impact.

Hillary Holt, Catalina Island Conservancy Interpretation and Outreach Specialist, discussed many of the Conservancy’s programs, including Families in Nature, Course Catalina and NatureWorks. Facilities for deeper learning, such as the Conservancy Nature Center in Avalon Canyon and Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, provide more opportunities for hands-on learning, and interpretive displays at Airport in the Sky and the Trailhead engage visitors at popular stops.

Tony Budrovich, Conservancy President and CEO, shared his long term perspective on education and reaffirmed the Conservancy’s ongoing commitment to education programming. The educators agreed that Catalina is a unique, amazing place for sparking a love of science and nature, with many programs working to inspire change on both a global and individual scale.

“The 2019 Catalina Educator Symposium was a fantastic opportunity for educators from around the Island to have a full day to connect, share best practices and even plan for future collaborations,” said Melber. “While meetings like this are incredibly beneficial to our individual organizations, it’s really those who take part in our programs - who come to Catalina to camp, learn, explore, and recreate - that ultimately benefit from these learning exchanges.”