Second graders-175 in all, from Sycamore Canyon School in Thousand Oaks gave the 4-H Classroom Outreach lesson rave reviews last week. "Farmers" Jim and Joanne Abing, our UC volunteer team, provided lively presentations to each of the seven classes that rotated through for a morning of fun and learning! The lesson aligns with education in the classroom as well as in the school garden and includes-plant cycle, edible plant parts, pollination, and the importance of healthy eating. Classroom outreach lessons (K-5th grades) will be delivered at different Ventura County school sites each Wednesday throughout the spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday, September 6^th, HAREC launched the 2013 fall education season by piloting From Watersheds to Planter Beds, a water education program developed with the help of our summer intern, Lauren Martinez. The central theme of the program centers around four questions—why is water important? What impact does water have on the world? How is water significant to agriculture? How does Ventura County receive and use water? Eager beta testers from Briggs School located across the street from the Center arrived with plenty of enthusiasm. The 6th grade science students tested activities and games that focused on five key topics: water cycle, evapotranspiration, soils, watersheds, conservation. The activities were well received. Students completed evaluations rating each activity and described something they had learned. Some students offered suggestions on how to make the activities better. All students gave the program high marks for FUN!

4H Classroom Outreach and Farm Field trips for grades K-3^rd is well underway. Extenders are deployed weekly to classrooms throughout Ventura County. The most popular fall lesson ties language arts and science standards for Kindergarten and 1^st graders. Based on a classic children’s book, Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington, students explore the life cycle of a pumpkin from seed to pie. One of the favorite activities is touching a real pumpkin vine brought into the classroom from the farm.

Handling a real pumpkin vine for the first time

 

School buses deliver 2^nd and 3^th graders excited to participate in the agricultural literacy field trip that repeats spring and fall. The farm is transformed with seasonal plantings. This year, raised beds teaming with pumpkins and other winter squash varieties provide an opportunity to explore cucurbits. Students (and adults) enjoy comparing and contrasting the flowers, leaves and learning about the nutritional value of this plant family.

Over 2200 youth from Ventura County schools will participate in 4H Classroom Outreach and Field Trip programs which run through the end of October. Small pumpkins to take home produce big smiles!

 

Last spring, Research and Extension Centers (RECs) were encouraged to submit proposals for the statewide Growing Tomorrows Professionals with Today’s Experiences Intern Program. The purpose is threefold: give students real life experience working in a REC facility; engage in hands-on research or outreach projects; ignite a spark leading to future studies or careers in agriculture and/or natural resources.

We are pleased to announce that UC HAREC was selected to participate and proud to introduce Lauren Martinez, one of two summer 2013 statewide interns. Lauren graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. She completed her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and is currently working towards a Masters in Education at California Lutheran University. Lauren is passionate about education and working with youth. She works as a swim instructor and coach at the Family YMCA in Ventura and Santa Paula and was the assistant coach for Ventura High School Girls Cross Country. Her education experiences include substitute teaching for Moorpark Unified and a position as a physical education specialist at Ventura Charter School. She believes strongly in an active healthy lifestyle and individual, hands-on education for all youth.

We are thrilled to have Lauren on board this summer. She will work closely with Center Director, Jose De Soto and Education Outreach Coordinator, Susana Bruzzone-Miller developing a, water themed, youth field trip program targeting 4-6^th graders. The project will take about 8 weeks to complete and slated to be implemented spring 2014 as part of the 4-H Field Trip Program on the farm. Interns will deliver virtual presentations of their projects to other RECs at the end of summer. We are confident Lauren will develop lessons and activities that make science and agriculture exciting for Ventura County youth.