Posted by: Eli Weiss, Education
Originally published July 24, 2015 on Raikes Foundation blog
Summer is here and at Woodland Park Zoo our youth programs are in full swing. On our 92 acre grounds and beyond, middle and high school students find a place to learn and grow outside of the classroom, through participation in the ZooCrew and ZooCorps programs. We provide youth an opportunity to make real life connections to science, develop communication and job skills and explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and conservation careers. Each year 300+ middle- and high-school-aged youth are engaged in free out-of-school time and summer programs, which are rooted in youth development best practices.
In 2014, with support from the City of Seattle Families and Education Levy, we piloted the ZooCrew Summer Learning Experience, a new, five-week hands-on STEM program for middle school students that takes on summer learning loss with a fresh new approach. What makes our program unique? We strive for a seamless integration of academic and enrichment elements. In ZooCrew, participants spend less time in a traditional classroom setting and more time digging into science practice through outside investigations and field trips around the region.
Currently our second cohort of ZooCrew Summer students from Asa Mercer, Washington and Denny Middle Schools are engaged in a summer of learning focused on a watershed theme. Over the course of the program, students will engage in weekly science investigations and field trips as they deepen their understanding of each part of the watershed. For many students this will be the first time they have visited local sites, including the Cedar River watershed, Snoqualmie pass, a salmon hatchery and a water treatment plant. In addition to developing science and communication skills, participants keep their math and literacy skills sharp through activities that tie into the theme. Our ZooCrew participants are also developing a STEM identity through interactions with experts and investigations that make science learning exciting and relevant.
Julia, a student at Asa Mercer Middle School and a ZooCrew participant, recently shared: “In ZooCrew, we act like scientists, we make observations, we do experiments, we work on projects. I learned more about people who go out into the field and actually work with animals and you don’t have to be in a lab always to do science.”
By providing dynamic opportunities for youth who might not otherwise have the access to science and STEM enrichment programs, we are helping to reduce summer learning loss and providing pathways for students to develop a love of learning and a positive, hands-on connection to science.
Originally published July 24, 2015 on Raikes Foundation blog
Summer is here and at Woodland Park Zoo our youth programs are in full swing. On our 92 acre grounds and beyond, middle and high school students find a place to learn and grow outside of the classroom, through participation in the ZooCrew and ZooCorps programs. We provide youth an opportunity to make real life connections to science, develop communication and job skills and explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and conservation careers. Each year 300+ middle- and high-school-aged youth are engaged in free out-of-school time and summer programs, which are rooted in youth development best practices.
In 2014, with support from the City of Seattle Families and Education Levy, we piloted the ZooCrew Summer Learning Experience, a new, five-week hands-on STEM program for middle school students that takes on summer learning loss with a fresh new approach. What makes our program unique? We strive for a seamless integration of academic and enrichment elements. In ZooCrew, participants spend less time in a traditional classroom setting and more time digging into science practice through outside investigations and field trips around the region.
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| ZooCrew at the Cedar River watershed. |
Currently our second cohort of ZooCrew Summer students from Asa Mercer, Washington and Denny Middle Schools are engaged in a summer of learning focused on a watershed theme. Over the course of the program, students will engage in weekly science investigations and field trips as they deepen their understanding of each part of the watershed. For many students this will be the first time they have visited local sites, including the Cedar River watershed, Snoqualmie pass, a salmon hatchery and a water treatment plant. In addition to developing science and communication skills, participants keep their math and literacy skills sharp through activities that tie into the theme. Our ZooCrew participants are also developing a STEM identity through interactions with experts and investigations that make science learning exciting and relevant.
Julia, a student at Asa Mercer Middle School and a ZooCrew participant, recently shared: “In ZooCrew, we act like scientists, we make observations, we do experiments, we work on projects. I learned more about people who go out into the field and actually work with animals and you don’t have to be in a lab always to do science.”
 |
| ZooCrew students observe animals and write in their nature journals. Photo by Caitlin Potter/Woodland Park Zoo. |
By providing dynamic opportunities for youth who might not otherwise have the access to science and STEM enrichment programs, we are helping to reduce summer learning loss and providing pathways for students to develop a love of learning and a positive, hands-on connection to science.
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