Crissy Field Center
OUR MISSION 2015 STATISTICS
26,357
Total participants served
693,092
Total participants served since 2001
305,087 Total number of contact hours
11.6 hours
Average contact time per participant
538
Crissy Field Center’s programs and staff
Through strong partnerships with schools
encourage new generations to become bold
and community organizations in under-
leaders for thriving parks, healthy com-
served areas, the Center is able to focus on
munities, and a more environmentally just
engaging people who traditionally have had
society. The Center’s highly trained, diverse
little, if any, access to national parks, due
staff provide multicultural programming
to a variety of barriers, including financial
that instills environmental values, civic
factors, language, and cultural relevancy.
responsibility, park stewardship, leadership development, and a commitment to
The Center provides a majority of its
sustainability.
programming for free or at very low cost,
By taking a “ladder of learning” approach
and develops culturally relevant education
and offering multiple, stepped programs
opportunities that inspire young people to
that promote long-term relationships, the
lead positive changes in the national parks,
Center nurtures youth both personally and
their communities, and their lives.
offers programs in multiple languages,
professionally and introduces them to career opportunities.
OUR APPROACH
Total number of programs
938
Youth placed in green jobs since 2001
83%
College attendance rate for youth enrolled in leadership programs: 2001–2015
Youth-Centered Leadership Development
Multicultural & Environmental Learning
Our leadership programs have been developed for young people —by young people.
Our hands-on, environmental learning is rooted in the lives of youth and their personal experiences.
Each program is infused with the principles of youth development: safety, supportive relationships, meaningful leadership opportunities, a positive sense of purpose, and skill-building.
Our programs help youth build confidence and skills to engage in real social, political, and environmental causes.
Thriving Urban Parks Setting Our parks are powerful outdoor classrooms that are all about enjoyment and fun. Parks help us engage youth through unique activities like park improvement, volunteering, and preservation efforts. Our urban park model is influencing related park efforts across the U.S. and around the world.
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
STAFF: WHO WE ARE The strength of our staff lies in its diversity and cultural competence. Staff members represent 10 different ethnicities, speak a total of five languages, and average more than six years of experience working at the Center. Our staff welcome a broad community to the parks and actively connect community members to resources and new experiences.
Our staff is a passionate mix of educators, activists, and youth workers. They are diverse culturally and generationally, bringing various talents, passions, and experiences to their work. Crissy Field Center staff believe that a national park experience is one that should be defined by the communities they serve. If the Crissy Field Center is a lab for engaging youth and community in national parks, the staff are its mad scientists, committed to experimenting with challenging norms, inspiring free thinkers, and creating bold leaders. –Ernesto Pepito
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS
YOUTH CAMPUS Located on the eastern edge of Crissy Field, our LEED Platinum-certified, sustainably designed building is the temporary home for Center staff and programs. The staff are currently planning for the facility and program opportunities created by moving back to the Center’s permanent home at Building 603 in late 2019. Along with a newly restored Tennessee Hollow Watershed, an expanded youth campus as part of the forthcoming Presidio Tunnel Tops project, and improved access to the Main Post, the move will open an exciting new chapter of environmental learning at the Crissy Field Center.
KEY PARTNERS
Camping at the Presidio
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
6,435
Total participants served
33,500
Total participants served since 2007
108
Bay Area youth with disabilities served
Camping at the Presidio (CAP) provides
Community organizations or schools qualify
youth who traditionally have not visited
by meeting certain criteria, such as offering
national parks with meaningful overnight
free or low-cost services; or working with
camping opportunities. Co-designed by
children and youth who are members of
community organizations and schools,
families with limited incomes, receive
CAP offers dynamic outdoor activities at
free or reduced lunch, live in affordable
the Presidio’s Rob Hill Campground
or subsidized housing, or have emotional,
for youth who lack access to camping
physical, or developmental needs.
experiences—while providing a gateway to explore the Golden Gate National Parks and parklands far beyond our urban center.
Consideration is also given to participants experiencing economic, cultural, or other barriers that have typically prevented them from visiting their national parks.
250
First-generation university students served
116
Total number of new leaders trained
811
Total number of leaders trained since 2007
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS The community-building youth center Seven Tepees has brought youth to Rob Hill for a number of years. From those
Overall, to be able to spend time together
experiences, Seven Tepees developed a “family camp” inviting
outside in nature with a multigenerational
their primarily Mission District-based community members
group of people was amazing. People strived
to spend a night under the stars, participate in a Spanish
to make connections with one another and
language walk to Lobos Creek, and continue their communal growth through unstructured gameplay and activities.
step out of their comfort zone; whether it be going on a hike, sleeping in a tent, sharing a memorable moment around the campfire, or simply letting themselves play, everyone challenged themselves and grew because of it. –Jessica Torres, Learning Center Program Manager, Seven Tepees
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS MEETING THE GROUPS’ NEEDS Spending multiple nights camping is im-
James Denman Middle School loves
portant to groups like Refugee Transitions,
bringing an entire grade level to Rob
a community-based nonprofit agency. Serv-
Hill. Staff describe the trip as formative
ing high-need, low-income refugee, asylee,
in building camaraderie and creating
and immigrant newcomers from over 50
lasting memories with students. The trip
countries, the organization finds that many
is an annual staple in the school year and
participants are anxious upon arrival at the
a graduation requirement for physical
campground. Group leaders say that staying
education. CAP staff piloted trips with
at least two nights helps the group find a
other middle schools and will serve 350
space to relax, play games, and discover
youth through similar visits.
their fellow community members during the stressful transition to a new home.
KEY PARTNERS
I-YEL
Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
14
I-YEL interns from seven schools, and representing five home languages spoken and eight cultural backgrounds
Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders (I-YEL)
created art that addressed violence, black
is a high school leadership program for
feminism, and self-image, and their work
youth attending San Francisco public
culminated in an art show at SOMArts.
schools. Through event planning, project management, community involvement, and environmental trips, participants learn the skills necessary to be stronger leaders in their community.
68
Youth participants, representing six organizations, attended Backyard Bound
100
Attendees at the SOMArts art exhibit and live screening of the intern video
The Media team explored freedom for youth in open space. They created a video showcasing six fun things youth can do in the Golden Gate National Parks. The work has been shared to a live audience and on social
This year, I-YEL interns explored the idea
media channels. The third team worked
of freedom as it relates to youth culture and
on the Backyard Bound youth summit—a
the national parks. Three distinct teams
two-day, one-night event at Rob Hill Camp-
engaged in youth-led, project-based pro-
ground to explore the theme of “Freedom of
gramming around the theme of “freedom.”
Technology” in the national parks.
The Arts team explored artwork connected to the theme of freedom of expression. Interns
328
Youth socialized at Friday Lights for Youth (FLY), which provides youth with a safe, educational, and fun Friday night in the park
65
Youth, leaders, and teachers from schools and organizations attended a youth reception to meet the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize winners, who are introduced by I-YEL interns CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS This year, the program hired Kathleen Wong, an I-YEL alum.
Lurleen Frazier, an I-YEL intern, was selected to be the
As High School Programs Instructor, Kathleen supports the
ambassador for the Golden Gate National Parks at BioBlitz,
current I-YEL program with curriculum development and
a large-scale event co-hosted by the National Park Service
mentorship. However, her biggest job is to jumpstart the
and National Geographic Society. She represented Golden
I-YEL alumni program.
Gate at the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park BioBlitz. Lurleen engaged with the Youth Ambassador program and created games to teach visitors about flora and fauna found
My hope for the alumni program is to keep
in the Golden Gate National Parks.
the connections we built with students during their time in I-YEL, and to continue to support them through their college years. Meanwhile, we create a reliable and dependable team to help with the future of not only I-YEL but of the Crissy Field Center and Golden Gate National Parks as a whole. –Kathleen Wong
Lurleen Frazier, I-YEL intern (left), and Kathleen Wong, I-YEL alum (right).
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS
To celebrate the National Park Service Centennial in 2016, I-YEL is taking their annual youth summit, Backyard Bound, to Yosemite. Sixty youth will head to Yosemite National Park for three days and two nights to explore the history of Buffalo Soldiers and the role parks play as a place for young voices. Activities created and led by the participants will inspire other youth to stand up as leaders and stewards of the national parks.
School Programs
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
Field trips are an exciting part of any school day. For students, getting out from behind
89
Elementary-school field trip programs
2,447
Participants
7,341
Contact hours
their desks can transform a lesson into a hands-on exploration of the unique habitats of the Presidio. Crissy Field Center staff work closely with teachers and school district partners to engage all of their students’ senses. Together, we help achieve learning goals and ensure a welcoming, engaging, and interactive learning environment that grows from the parks, continues in the classroom, and extends all the way home. Programs align with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
3 hours
Average field-trip duration
3
Languages (English, Spanish, and Cantonese programs, depending on class needs)
Flyin’ High Grade Level: K–1 Length: 2.5 hours All living things need a viable habitat. Students become scientists as they exercise their observational skills to collect data on how shorebirds use Crissy Field. Through hands-on activities in the Urban Ecology Lab, students learn what makes a good habitat for birds and how human activity can have an impact on that habitat. In the Arts Workshop, students create take-home dioramas that demonstrate what birds and children need in a healthy environment. The best months for viewing birds are October, November, December, and January.
My Favorite Marsh Grade Level: 2–3 Length: 3 hours Wetlands are vital components of coastal ecosystems. They serve as filters for pollution, provide wildlife habitat, are havens for biodiversity, and offer special places for human recreation and reflection. In the Urban Ecology Lab, students use marsh models to learn about the various roles that wetlands play in our urban environment and why wetlands are important to each of us. Then, groups of students equipped with digital cameras head outside to investigate the Crissy Field Marsh and dune system during an exciting game of marsh bingo. In the Arts Workshop, students express their new knowledge of wetlands through a creative arts project. The best months for Crissy Field Marsh investigations are January through May. Budding Botanists Grade Level: 4–6 Length: 3 hours Urban youth become plant sleuths through hands-on investigations of native species in the Crissy Field marshland. The budding botanists learn to identify local plants through hands-on investigation in the Urban Ecology Lab. Then, students divide into research teams to study indigenous plants in the field. From traditional Ohlone uses to modern marketable products, students will explore how the plant world ultimately sustains human life and ecosystems. The best months for Crissy Field Marsh investigation are March, April, and May.
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS As a reflection piece to their coursework, teachers often submit thank-you letters, postcards, and other materials from their students that highlight a youth experience while learning in their national park. Youth write and draw out their thoughts and feelings by choosing a memorable moment or key aspects of the lesson during their trip.
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS living things move?” Education specialists and raptor experts from the GGRO (a Parks Conservancy program in cooperation with the NPS) worked together to pilot a program to engage young scientists in the park and young anthropologists at home. Students learned about hawk migration—and heard stories of human migration as well. San Francisco Unified School District schools currently scheduled to participate To start the 2015–16 school year, the Crissy Field Center and Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) partnered to develop a special 4th grade program, Hawks on the Move, supporting the Every Kid in a Park initiative of the National Park Service (NPS). The program encouraged participants to explore the essential question: “Why do
in Hawks on the Move: Chinese Education Center Mission Education Center Longfellow Elementary School Glen Park Elementary School
KEY PARTNERS
Community Group Programs
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
133
Programs delivered
115
Groups receiving access support
3,659
Children served
3,145
Adults served
The Community Programs and Outreach
own communities, the staff are able to build
team offers single-visit and multi-visit
rapport and create meaningful connections.
programs to community groups that
In the park, staff showcase the cultural
serve people of all ages who need support
and natural history and the recreational
due to transportation barriers, economic
opportunities that the Golden Gate National
challenges, or special needs—or who simply
Parks have to offer. The team works with a
are unfamiliar with the park. Staff facilitate
wide diversity of groups, such as youth in
programs in the park and in the community.
foster care, people with high health risks,
An entry point for new audiences is often
and new immigrant families.
a personal connection with staff. By establishing an authentic dialogue and developing relationships in the participants’
Healthy Parks Healthy People is a global movement that harnesses the power of parks
12,274
Total contacts during the year through programs, events, and outreach
and public lands in contributing to a healthy civil society. The National Park Service’s Healthy Parks Healthy People U.S. program was established in 2011, to reframe the role of parks and public lands as an emerging, powerful health prevention strategy. With this renewed focus on health, the program aims to bring about lasting change in Americans’ lifestyle choices and their relationship with nature and the outdoors.
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS Ten years ago, while pushing a stroller, Matilde Tellez attended her first guided Community Group Program. Today she is a key collaborator and coordinator, linking single parents, low-income families, and recent and long-time immigrants living in the Mission District to the national parks. She works closely with park staff to build rapport within the community and develop relevant and engaging programming. Matilde’s efforts have contributed to the development of programs like Mission: Presidio, a five-mile interactive historical walk that literally links their neighborhood to their national park, while promoting health and wellness.
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS
KEY PARTNERS
The National Park Centennial
Good Samaritan
generates many opportunities for
Camp Unity
deeper community engagement. The staff are strategizing on how to get every 4th grader into a park, as part of a nationwide program. New
Mission Neighborhood Center: Capp Head Start Visitacion Valley Strong Families
partnerships are emerging, including
Portola Family Connections
one with the San Francisco Public
Excelsior Family Connections
Library and its many neighborhood
Edgewood Foster Youth
branch locations. Staff are also facilitating Junior Ranger Days that bring families to Muir Woods,
Edgewood Southeast Families United Multicultural Institute
Alcatraz, Marin Headlands, and the
Mission Dolores
Presidio for a first-time visit.
Albert J. Boro Community Center Bahia Vista School Leap: Family Center BMAGIC Mo’MAGIC Hamilton Family Center Native American Health Center
Summer Camp
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
88
Children served
40%
Of campers receive full scholarships and 10% of campers receive reduced fees
Crissy Field Center facilitates outdoor
Older children explore farther afield in
environmental day camps that provide
the Junior Rangers camp. Each day,
children with meaningful experiences in
participants explore a different park site,
the Golden Gate National Parks and beyond.
venturing to Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Marin
Children ages 6–11 can enroll in 1–2 week
Headlands, Point Reyes National Seashore,
camps where they learn about what makes
and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front
a thriving park, healthy communities, and
National Historical Park. As part of the
a just society. Participants create lasting
culminating experience, the campers stay
memories, experience self-discovery,
overnight at Rob Hill Campground and are
forge friendships, and learn about their
sworn-in as official Junior Rangers.
surroundings through hands-on science
6:1
Participant to staff ratio
15
Number of park sites visited by participants
20
Number of miles hiked during entire summer
experiments, multimedia projects, and outdoor excursions.
It is my job as a Junior Ranger to protect all the national parks in
Younger children embark on a national
the world, and that is what I am
park adventure closer to home in Presidio
going to do.
Trekkers. Small group size ensures that
–Stella Stanley
children and instructors foster community while hiking along the bluffs, volunteering at the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, or learning at the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center.
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS Nature Matters! Summer camps at Crissy Field Center taught my children how to love and appreciate nature. They explored our beautiful coastline and parks close to home and learned how important it is to take care of it. I love that it has opened their eyes and senses to their surroundings as nature conservators. –Lisa Lee Sosa, parent of Estrella and Sotero, campers for the last three summers
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS
Every day is an adventure when you’re a Presidio
put to use in building three-dimensional park models
Trekker. Campers explore the meaning of a national
incorporating lesson elements in the construction.
park and the responsibility of ownership through first-
Inspiration leads to creativity through the design of
hand experiences visiting a different park site each
park-themed stop-motion movies, which students
day. Students will be able to frame their experiences
create from storyboard to show time.
in the park through guiding questions like: What is important for parks to have? What is justice? How do
All young children deserve summer learning oppor-
we work together?
tunities in a fun, collaborative, and engaged environ-
Trekkers develop comfort and confidence identifying
intimate, small-group day camp opportunities to an
native plants and animals through investigation of
economically diverse population.
environments like the Coastal Trail and Crissy Field Marsh. Exploration leads to discovery, which students
ment. Crissy Field Center is committed to offering
Urban Trailblazers
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
60
Participants completed a seven-week summer program
12
Middle schools represented (Francisco, Hoover, Visitacion Valley, Roosevelt, Presidio, A.P. Giannini, Marina, Aptos, Lawton Alternative, Alice Fong Yu, Rooftop, MLK)
Respect, integrity, courage, and humility.
trips to other national parks such as Lassen
These are values and themes that Urban
and Yosemite. UTB also represents many
Trailblazers (UTB) took on in 2015 as partic-
participants’ first internship, in which they
ipants explored social and environmental
earn a $250 education award upon successful
justice issues through media and art courses.
completion.
UTB is a youth leadership program designed especially for middle school-age youth.
Youth have the opportunity to continue on
For seven weeks each summer, a group
in which youth delve deeper into the
of 66 culturally and economically diverse
dynamics of leadership and engage in
students from San Francisco Bay Area
youth-led service projects.
in the school-year UTB Saturday program,
public schools are introduced to leadership through art, media, and science workshops and to service through projects both within—and beyond—the Golden Gate National Parks. They also go on overnight
12
High school students employed as summer interns
I really enjoyed getting to know my group and have fun with them. UTB taught me how to be a better
200
Contact hours per participant during the seven-week summer program
1,296
Contact hours during Saturday school-year programming
me and express myself. We would like to teach adults that not all young people are rebellious. We want to teach them that they can learn stuff from us, just as we learn stuff from them. –Nala Trosclair
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS I gave my first speech roughly six years ago with the Urban Trailblazers. That night Sam told us in tears, ‘Apply, apply, apply. I hope you apply what you learned this summer to your own life.’ Unlike the traditional middle school I attended, which normally kicked me out of class the moment I stepped in, UTB offered me a platform to share my voice and gave me a second chance. Six years later I’m pursuing a history and education major at the University of
GROWING UP AND GIVING BACK Nathaniel Ng joined the UTB program as a partici-
California-Santa Cruz. Coming back to UTB this past summer, I sought to replicate my initial interaction
pant in 2010. Through his years in UTB, and later on
with my UTB instructor—the same amount of
the I-YEL team, Nat continued to learn, grow, and
tenacity, passion, and emotional investment. Every
develop his leadership skills. He now attends the
summer with UTB has impassioned me to continue
University of California-Santa Cruz—and works as one of the UTB instructors.
to work with my community. I aspire to provide young people similar opportunities that sparked positive change in my life. –Nathaniel Ng
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS TAKING THE UTB PROGRAM TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS In 2015–16, staff will take the UTB program to San Francisco after-school sites. The Roving Ranger is a “mobile trailhead” truck that takes a piece of the park experience into classrooms. With a focus on healthy parks and healthy people, instructors are developing cooking classes that will engage middle school youth during their after-school programs. These young people will have the opportunity to apply to the UTB summer program and deepen their park connections.
KEY PARTNERS
WISE
Watersheds Inspiring Student Education
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
116
Galileo Academy of Science and Technology students completed 50 hours or more of field study, through 17 biweekly field trips in the Presidio of San Francisco
97%
Students reported viewing the park as a place that belongs to them and their community, as a result of attending Project WISE
Now in its 15th year, Project WISE engages
Utilizing the national parks as their class-
students from four Advanced Placement (AP)
room, students come to understand the
Environmental Science classes at Galileo
human impact on Bay Area ecology and
Academy of Science and Technology, a public
conduct their own scientific investigations.
high school in San Francisco. In this year-
At the end of the school year, students pres-
long, place-based, student-centered program,
ent their projects at an annual symposium
youth learn about their impact on the natural
to peers, park officials, school district admin-
world and realize their potential to become
istrators, and members of the community.
socially and environmentally engaged members of their communities.
Five Project WISE Biodiversity Fellowship program students were selected to participate in the 2015 BioBlitz survey in
89%
Students reported increased interest in using science and/or technology in their future career, since participating in the program
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, where they helped with species inventories and produced a video highlighting the importance of conservation and education.
15
Students attended sessions through Access SFUSD, a school district program supporting students with disabilities
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS POINT REYES SCIENCE ADVENTURE WISE instructors and 13 youth took part in the Point
Two Project WISE Biodiversity Fellows were also hired
Reyes Science Adventure, a program focused on
as summer high school interns at the Crissy Field Center.
authentic scientific research. They spent one week at
Chantal Peng focused on creating educational videos that
the Historic Lifeboat Station working with staff from
emphasized the importance of conservation, environ-
Point Reyes National Seashore and the National Park
mental experiences, and leadership. Teresa Yu developed
Service, conducting research on ecological projects,
the AP Environmental Science curriculum that will be
including plant species distribution, hydrology profiling,
used as part of the 2015–2016 Project WISE program.
and fish monitoring.
What I liked most about the field trips to the parks is having the opportunity to collaborate with my classmates to work on science-based projects. I think the field trips helped me gain first-hand experience of what it is like to conduct a project and helped strengthen my understanding of social and environmental issues revolving around my community. Teresa Yu, Project WISE Biodiversity Fellow (left) and Chantal Peng, Project WISE Summer Intern (right) at the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park BioBlitz.
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS
–Teresa Yu
KEY PARTNERS
The Project WISE curriculum also helps students in their future school and career paths, by developing skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, conducting scientific investigations, and producing digital media. Content closely aligns with AP Environmental Science class curricula and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS Project WISE has worked with other teachers and classes from Access SFUSD, Leadership High School, and Wallenberg High School. The team is exploring other high schools to work with in the upcoming school year.
SPECIAL THANKS to the Tri-Agency Natural Resources teams
Educator Trainings
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2015 STATISTICS
112
Youth workers and educators served
862
Contact hours
8
Bay Area Branches of the YMCA served:
Bayview Buchanan Central Chinatown Embarcadero Marin/Novato
Continuous learning is embraced by great
summer program participants in the cultural
educators. The Center staff offer a variety
and natural resources of the Golden Gate
of informative and inspirational trainings.
National Parks. OEI desired overviews of
Whether it is about youth engagement,
multicultural environmental education and
inclusion and equity, or specific education
the middle school teachers sought support
techniques, the staff are able to customize
in developing an eco-literacy water quality
trainings and support the needs of educa-
unit connected to the Next Generation
tors and youth workers.
Science Standards.
During the past year, Center staff provided support to teachers and educators from Denman and Aptos middle schools, Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC), Outdoor Educator Institute (OEI), and Bay Area YMCAs. Center staff worked closely with these schools and organizations to codesign trainings and workshops that best suited their needs. For example, ETC wanted their volunteers to have a better understanding of the social
Presidio
and emotional development of middle and
Stonestown
high school age youth. The YMCA wanted an in-depth look at ways to engage their
10
Center staff engaged in train-the-trainer program for the Park Youth Collaborative
CRISSY FIELD CENTER REPORT 2015
PARTICIPANT STORY l HIGHLIGHTS The Center has been a partner with the Outdoor Educators
The Center contracted with the San Francisco Unified
Institute, a program of Youth Outside, since its inception in
School District STEM department in the development
2012. Program staff facilitate multi-day trainings on topics
of a 6th grade curriculum unit on water pollution that
such as multicultural environmental education, youth
addresses Next Generation Science Standards.
development practices, and lesson planning and delivery.
Seeing the OEI cohort learn from the Crissy
The SFUSD Environmental Literacy and
Field Center is amazing. The Center staff draw
Science programs worked hand-in-hand
the best parts out of them, and help them
with the Crissy Field Center, in our Proof of
realize that they have the tools to relate to
Concept project, to craft a series of lessons
and educate young people. You can see them
that appropriately addressed specific Next
realizing their place in the outdoors. We firmly
Generation Science Standards at the Middle
believe that without the Center’s work, the
School level. The Crissy Field Center deftly
path to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the
struck the balance of providing expert support
outdoors would be a much harder, lonelier, and
to teachers while simultaneously following
scarier path to take.
their lead. This collaborative spirit helped
—Rena Payan, Program Manager for Outdoor Educators Institute with Youth Outside
to create units that were robust and well thought-out, as well as being engaging for a diverse population of students. —Elishama Goldfarb, STEM Environmental Literacy Content Specialist 2015
TRENDS l LEARNING l FUTURE PLANS
KEY PARTNERS
The Center staff are positioned to do even more training in the future. Ten staff are engaged in the Park Youth Collaborative train-the-trainer professional development program. Staff divided into and engaged within three different cohorts: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Youth Development; and Education Excellence. Upon completion of their programs, the teams will be leading trainings for park staff and external educators. Environmental Traveling Companions
YMCA: Play, Learn, Serve, and Work initiative
crissyfieldcenter.org