What is the Pathways Project?
This project is a county wide initiative focused on creating environmentally literate students and schools through immersive outdoor education and class experiences with nature. This project is working with select Title 1 schools in Sonoma County to increase access to nature and educate our future generation of stewards. The focus of this project is to significantly elevate the impact of outdoor environmental education across Sonoma County, increasing depth and breadth, and the extent to which we reach and create change in underserved communities.
Mission
Our mission is to expose young students in underserved communities to their local environment through collaboration across organizations. These organizations all provide different types of environmental education programs and through this project will work together to create a continuum of environmental education that can be modeled institutionally in schools.
Goals
The goal is to have at least 4 touchpoints of environmental education in grades TK/K-6. Ideally, all grades will have a touchpoint to build the scaffolding for a Pathway school, where each grade builds upon the next.
How does this project support schools and students?
Schools:
- Priority scheduling and funding for SEEC provider programs
- Collaboration by SEEC providers to deliver more effective school programming
- Unique, school specific continuum of Environmental Education programming across grade levels both in-class and field trips
- Recognition as a “Pathway School”
- Professional development support and opportunities for teachers
- SEEC programs aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- AND MORE!
Students:
- Active outdoor, hands-on field experiences
- Engagement with scientific inquiry and investigation
- Year to year connection of classroom learning experiences to the natural world
- Increased sense of place and awareness of local environment
- Skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to participate and take action in their community
- Reciprocal relationships with the land
- Increased health benefits (physical, mental, social-emotional well-being)
- AND MORE!
Participating Organizations
All participating organizations are active SEEC members. Interested in joining? Contact us below.
Participating Schools Photo Gallery
