Each year, the California Environmental Education Foundation provides a monetary award to recognize one California student, educator, and administrator for their distinguished service and dedication in the form of projects, programs, or initiatives which advance excellence in environmental education.
This year, New School Community Day School in Watsonville, designed for students who may not graduate because they have lost credits at their high school, received the award in the administrator category for their Outdoor School & Character Development program.
Satina Ciandro
New School students are participating in the 13th version of Outdoor School & Character Development, a program that combines field trips and community service learning projects to expose students to local environmental issues, organizations, partners and businesses.
By the end of this fall, nearly 400 students will have taken part in New School’s Outdoor School & Character Development program since its inception in 2017, committing 2,000 hours of community service projects with 30 different community partners on 90 field trips.
The program shifts the perspectives of the majority of teens who participate, deepening their bonds with one another and their community while helping relieve the stress of their daily lives.
Students have shared that the program gives them hope.
“We’re thrilled to receive recognition from an organization like the CEEF for our Outdoor School & Character Development program because we believe more schools could be doing what we do!” said New School’s lead teacher Russell Bryan Love.
This fall, with the theme of Agriculture and Food Systems themed program, New School students have already visited Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton, hiked Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, toured Driscoll’s berry facilities and worked with FoodWhat?! at their UC Santa Cruz farm Harvest Festival.
Next up are experiential visits to Esperanza Community Farms, a neighborhood cleanup and school garden day, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Pinto Lake.
Students who meet all expectations for these first seven field trips get to go on the program’s incentive trip to California’s Great America Winterfest just before school lets out for winter break.
Watsonville High School biology teacher Satina Ciandro was recognized by the CEEF in this year’s educator category.
Through her long-standing work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Satina and her students participate in the aquarium’s Ocean Plastics Pollution Summit and Climate Action Projects Summit. She became a lead teacher in the Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats (WATCH) program. Through WATCH, students spent the summer exploring the Pajaro River Watershed, meeting with local scientists and participating in inquiry-based learning. Students also learned about environmental issues in their community and participate in local restoration efforts.
In the fall, the same students enrolled in a WATCH Honors Biology class with Satina and developed their own field research project based on an environmental topic. They worked with Aquarium staff and teachers, as well as scientists and educators from the community to complete their projects. Upon completion of the projects, students received a scholarship and community service hours required for graduation. Satina has observed students’ growing commitment to environmental issues, especially after terrible flooding in the Pajaro area.
She is advisor of the SAVE club which raises awareness about local environmental concerns and are changing the waste management system at their school to include composting. She also serves on the district Green Team and has helped convince the superintendent to set a goal of Green Business Certification for every school in the district.
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Both New School and Watsonville High School are part of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
TOP PHOTO: New School’s Outdoor School & Character Development staff.