Friends Of The Los Angeles River

URBAN INITIATIVE FOLAR

LOS ANGELES RIVER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

THE FRIENDS OF THE LOS ANGELES RIVER WILL BE DOING THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: PROVIDE 15 SOURCE TO SEA WATERSHED EDUCATION PROGRAM TO 450 STUDENTS WHICH INCLUDES TWO IN-CLASS LESSONS PROVIDED BY FOLAR AND CONDUCTED BY TEACHERS, A SCHOOL MOBILE-MUSEUM RIVER ROVER VISIT LED BY FOLAR EDUCATORS, AND AN LA RIVER FIELD TRIP THAT INCLUDES THREE HANDS-ON STEM ACTIVITIES, CONDUCTED BY FOLAR EDUCATORS. STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES RIVERS PAST, PRESENT, AND POSSIBLE FUTURE AND HOW PROPOSED PROJECTS WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH. STUDENTS TAKE THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICES PRE AND POST PROGRAM SURVEY AS WELL AS FOLARS PRE AND POST ASSESSMENT. WE PROVIDE INFORMATION TO TEACHERS ABOUT HOW OUR LESSONS AND TEACHING METHODS SUPPORT NGSS PRINCIPLES. 1. TEACHER ORIENTATION: TEACHERS RECEIVE PROGRAM MATERIALS AND LEARN HOW TO DELIVER IN-CLASS POWERPOINTS PROVIDED BY FOLAR 2. PRE-ASSESSMENT: ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE THE FOLAR AND USFWS PRE-ASSESSMENT 3. CLASSROOM LESSON - HISTORY OF THE LA RIVER: TEACHER FACILITATES THIS LESSON WITH A POWERPOINT PROVIDED BY FOLAR. STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE CAPTIVATING HISTORY OF THE LOS ANGELES RIVER. 4. RIVER ROVER SCHOOL VISIT: ABOARD OUR INTERACTIVE MOBILE-MUSEUM THE RIVER ROVER, STUDENTS UNDERSTAND AND COMPARE THE STATES OF THE RIVER IN THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT: - BIODIVERSITY AND THE RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM - HUMAN IMPACT ON OUR ECOSYSTEM - INTERCONNECTED RELATIONSHIPS - THE LA RIVER WATERSHED FT. OUR 3D, INTERACTIVE MODEL OF LOS ANGELES - WATER CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT - THE FUTURE OF THE RIVER FT. OUR HANDS-ON DESIGN TABLE - THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH 5. CLASSROOM LESSON - BIODIVERSITY: FOLARS BIODIVERSITY LESSON FACILITATED BY THE TEACHER. STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN LIVING AND NONLIVING THINGS. 6. LA RIVER FIELD TRIP: STUDENTS WILL FULLY IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE LA RIVER AND ROTATE THROUGH THREE INTERACTIVE STATIONS: - NATURE WALK: WITH BINOCULARS AND FIELD GUIDES PROVIDED BY FOLAR, STUDENTS BECOME NATURALISTS AS THEY LOOK FOR BIRDS, MINDFULLY OBSERVE THEIR SURROUNDINGS, AND REFLECT ON HOW NATURE IMPACTS OUR HEALTH. - MACROINVERTEBRATE WATER QUALITY LAB: STUDENTS COLLECT SAMPLES OF INDICATOR SPECIES IN THE WATER AND IMPLEMENT THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS TO DETERMINE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH. - ENGINEERING A WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM: AFTER LEARNING ABOUT STORMWATER AND POLLUTION, STUDENTS BECOME ENGINEERS AS THEY COLLABORATIVELY CREATE 3D PROTOTYPES OF A FILTRATION SYSTEM AND PRESENT FINDINGS TO THEIR COLLEAGUES. 7. POST-ASSESSMENTS: ALL STUDENTS AND PARTICIPATING TEACHERS COMPLETE THE FOLAR AND USFWS POST-ASSESSMENT. 8. STUDENT NEWSLETTER: TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE ADDED TO OUR STUDENT NEWSLETTER MAILING LIST, ALLOWING US TO KEEP IN TOUCH POST-PROGRAM. TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND ELIGIBLE STUDENTS RECEIVE MONTHLY UPDATES ON UPCOMING EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND POTENTIAL CAREERS. RIVER FELLOWSHIP PARTICIPANTS ARE RECRUITED FROM TITLE I SCHOOLS, WITH PARTICULAR PRIORITY GIVEN TO THOSE UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES ALONG THE RIVER. BACKGROUNDS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM AND CONSERVATION AS DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, INCLUDE YOUNG WOMEN, YOUTH THAT COME FROM BIPOC OR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, AND YOUTH THAT FACE THE HIGHEST BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMMING. PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPOWERED TO CHOOSE A CAREER IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE L.A RIVER, STUDYING WITH PROFESSIONALS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND STEM FIELDS, AND PARTAKING IN NNOCCI CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION TRAINING. FELLOWS CREATE LASTING MEMORIES BY FURTHER IMMERSING IN NATURE WITH THEIR CLASSMATES THROUGH KAYAKING AND CAMPING TRIPS. THE YEAR CULMINATES IN A SEMESTER-LONG GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT AND A PRESENTATION OF THEIR FINDINGS TO THE PUBLIC.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE THE FRIENDS OF THE LOS ANGELES RIVER AIMS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO NATURAL SPACES IN THE 800 SQUARE MILE LA RIVER WATERSHED WHICH HAS LOST THE MAJORITY OF ITS WETLANDS AND GREEN AREAS. BY OFFERING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOLAR IMPLEMENTS INTERPRETATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM ULTIMATELY FOSTERING A PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH NATURE IMPROVING ACCESS TO OUTDOOR SPACES AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEWARDS AND RECREATIONISTS.FOLARS TWO PART STRATEGY INCLUDES THE SOURCE TO SEA CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 12 AND THE RIVER FELLOWS YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR 9TH THROUGH 11TH GRADERS. THE SOURCE TO SEA PROGRAM PROVIDES FIELD TRIPS AND IN CLASS MATERIALS FOR 125 SCHOOLS INTRODUCING CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES. THE RIVER FELLOWS PROGRAM EQUIPS 30 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNUALLY WITH NATURE BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES COMBINING ACTIVITIES LIKE KAYAKING CAMPING AND HABITAT RESTORATION WITH LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROFESSIONAL MENTORING AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. THESE INITIATIVES ARE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP CREATE PATHWAYS TO MARKET DRIVEN CAREERS AND SUPPORT THE LONG TERM CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE LA RIVER.

LA WATERSHED STEM EDUCATION FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH TWELVE FOR BOTH A DAY OF DISCOVERY AND ECO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

OUR SOURCE TO SEA WATERSHED EDUCATION PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY, CONNECTS STUDENTS TO THEIR LOS ANGELES RIVER WE WILL PROVIDE SOURCE TO SEA WATERSHED EDUCATION PROGRAM TWO IN CLASS LESSONS LED BY THE TEACHER, AND LA RIVER SCHOOL VISIT AND LA RIVER FIELD TRIP INCLUDING SOURCE TO SEA SCHOLARSHIPS USFISH WILL DIRECTLY FUND TITLE I SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 15 CLASSES TO COMPLETE THE SOURCE TO SEA WATERSHED EDUCATION PROGRAM, REACHING APPROXIMATELY 450 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PROXIMAL TO THE RIVER, SPECIFICALLY ALONG THE EAST BANK OF THE RIVER IN THE GLENDALE NARROWS ADJACENT DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES OF THE ELYSIAN VALLEY, ATWATER VILLAGE, GLASSELL, CYPRESS AND HIGHLAND PARK

LA RIVER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

P17AC01348