Our educational programming has shifted over the years. In general, the AmeriCorps member would be responsible for leading service learning events. These events would include an environmental education lesson and land tending with student groups. After a significant pause in service learning opportunities during the pandemic, we’ve continued to re-establish partnerships with instructors and school administration staff.
This year, JCWC has shifted our education programming from prior years due to a number of factors. First, we do not have an AmeriCorps member this year. Instead, our past member, Sima Seumalo, is in a new-to-JCWC role and is conducting student field trips and community education events. Additionally, our focus is on working with Title I schools and other historically underserved communities in the watershed. We are dedicated to reinforcing our commitment to working with and uplifting historically excluded groups.
Field trips can include a multitude of activities which are guided by teacher requests. These activities include water quality testing, wildlife observation, nature journaling, macroinvertebrate exploration and land tending. We look forward to incorporating more curriculum oriented around Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) based on material from the education department of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
If you’re interested in having JCWC work with your class or student group, please reach out to Sima at Sima@jcwc.org.