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<strong>Program name: </strong>California Naturalist Training
<strong>Field station name: </strong>Wawona Station (Yosemite Field Station)</li>
<strong>Outreach program type: </strong> Camp(s), Community service, Data collection & sharing (e.g., citizen science, BioBlitz), Guided tour(s)/walk(s), Lecture(s), Field trip(s), Volunteer support
<strong>Years active: </strong>3 years
<strong>Frequency: </strong>Annually
<strong>Course credit: </strong>No
Wiki Table of Contents
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<h1>Outreach program characteristics</h1>
<span style=”font-size: small;”><strong>[✓ = applies to this outreach program, ✗ = does not apply to this outreach program]</strong></span>
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Place-based learning</li>
<li> ✓ Informal learning</li>
</ul>
Outreach Goals
<li> ✓ Build community</li>
<li> ✓ Disseminate place-based knowledge and/or skills</li>
<li> ✓ Encourage conservation or environmental stewardship</li>
<li> ✗ Inspire curiosity</li>
<li> ✓ Make field station resources available to the public</li>
<li> ✗ Promote STEM careers</li>
</ul>
<li> ✗ Raise awareness of the field station's work</li>
<li> ✗ Raise money</li>
<li> ✗ Reach a particular audience</li>
<li> ✓ Teach about the environment generally</li>
<li> ✗ Teach researchers how to communicate with the public</li>
</ul>
Approaches for Learner Engagement
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Community Learning</li>
<li> ✓ Contextual Learning</li>
<li> ✓ Discovery-based Learning</li>
<li> ✗ Experiential Learning</li>
<li> ✓ Inquiry-based Learning</li>
<li> ✓ Service Learning</li>
</ul>
Strands of Informal Science Learning
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Strand 1: Developing interest in science</li>
<li> ✓ Strand 2: Understanding science knowledge</li>
<li> ✓ Strand 3: Engaging in scientific reasoning</li>
<li> ✓ Strand 4: Reflecting on science</li>
<li> ✓ Strand 5: Engaging in scientific practice</li>
<li> ✓ Strand 6: Identifying with the scientific enterprise</li>
</ul>
Outreach Content
All topics are directly tied to the place where the program is situated.
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Animals</li>
<li> ✗ Archeology</li>
<li> ✓ Art</li>
<li> ✗ Astronomy</li>
<li> ✓ Biodiversity</li>
<li> ✓ Biology</li>
<li> ✓ Botany</li>
<li> ✗ Chemistry</li>
<li> ✓ Climate</li>
<li> ✓ Conservation</li>
<li> ✓ Ecology</li>
<li> ✓ Ecosystems</li>
<li> ✗ Engineering</li>
<li> ✓ Environment</li>
<li> ✓ Environmental Philosophy</li>
<li> ✓ Evolution</li>
<li> ✓ Field Science</li>
<li> ✗ Fungi</li>
<li> ✗ General Science</li>
<li> ✗ Genetics</li>
<li> ✗ Geographic Information Systems</li>
<li> ✓ Land management</li>
<li> ✗ Leadership</li>
<li> ✗ Learning about Technology</li>
<li> ✗ Limnology</li>
<li> ✗ Marine Science</li>
<li> ✗ Mathematics</li>
<li> ✗ Microorganisms</li>
<li> ✓ Natural History</li>
<li> ✗ Paleontology</li>
<li> ✗ Physics</li>
<li> ✓ Plants</li>
<li> ✗ Preservation</li>
<li> ✓ Science Communication</li>
<li> ✗ Social Sciences</li>
<li> ✗ STEM Career Awareness</li>
<li> ✓ Using Technology</li>
<li> ✓ Water</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
<h1>Outreach program implementation and planning</h1>
People Involved
<h4>Leaders</h4>
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Professional scientists</li>
<li> ✗ Graduate students</li>
<li> ✗ Professional educators</li>
<li> ✗ Field station staff</li>
<li> ✗ Volunteers</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
Scientists have the following roles:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Organizers</li>
<li> ✓ Teachers/Facilitators</li>
<li> ✗ Participants</li>
<li> ✓ Guest speakers</li>
<li> ✗ Content reviewers</li>
<li> ✗ Not involved</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
Leaders have the following credentials:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✗ Formal training in education (a university degree)</li>
<li> ✓ Formal training in science (a university degree)</li>
<li> ✓ Teaching experience (K-12 or University)</li>
<li> ✗ Relevant certification</li>
<li> ✗ None</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
Leaders are prepared in the following ways:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ One day or less of training</li>
<li> ✗ Apprenticeship</li>
<li> ✗ Self-taught or learned from experience</li>
<li> ✗ Trained in communicating science</li>
<li> ✗ Trained in educational practices</li>
<li> ✓ Scientific training</li>
<li> ✗ No training</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
<h4>Participants</h4>
<strong> 25 </strong> participants on average per event.
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Word of mouth/flyers around town</li>
<li> ✗ Schools (any type)</li>
<li> ✓ Social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)</li>
<li> ✓ Organizational communication (e.g., listservs, newsletters, emails, pamphlets)</li>
<li> ✗ Free local media (e.g., radio)</li>
<li> ✗ Paid advertisements (e.g., newspapers, journals)</li>
<li> ✗ Partnership with a particular group</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
Participants are from the following demographics:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✗ Youth (under 14 years)</li>
<li> ✗ High School Students</li>
<li> ✓ University Students</li>
<li> ✗ Graduate Students</li>
<li> ✓ Adults (18 years and older)</li>
<li> ✗ All ages/Families</li>
<li> ✓ Retirees</li>
<li> ✓ Professionals</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
The following groups are recruited:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Hispanic or Latinx</li>
<li> ✓ African American/Black</li>
<li> ✓ American Indian</li>
<li> ✓ Alaska Native</li>
<li> ✓ Pacific-Islander-American</li>
<li> ✓ Urban, low income community</li>
<li> ✓ Rural, low income community</li>
<li> ✓ Immigrant community</li>
<li> ✗ Persons with disabilities</li>
<li> ✓ Women/girls</li>
<li> ✗ Men/boys</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
<hr />
Preparation & Implementation
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✗ We put a great deal of planning into implementing this program.</li>
<li> ✗ This program has learning objectives.</li>
<li> ✗ We rely on outside groups to plan and implement this program.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants are guided through each part of the learning experience with instructional materials or a leader.</li>
<li> ✗ The program includes lectures or presentations.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants are given little or no instruction.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants choose for themselves how to spend their time.</li>
<li> ✗ We evaluate participants on what they have learned.</li>
</ul>
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✓ Writing materials (e.g., pencil, pen, paper)</li>
<li> ✓ Field notebooks</li>
<li> ✓ Art supplies (e.g., scissors, paints, crayons, markers, glue, twine)</li>
<li> ✗ Cameras (of any type)</li>
<li> ✓ Apps on smartphones</li>
<li> ✗ Computers</li>
<li> ✗ Software/programs</li>
<li> ✗ Compasses</li>
<li> ✗ GPS devices</li>
<li> ✗ Collecting equipment (e.g., nets, traps)</li>
<li> ✓ Observation equipment (e.g., hand lens, binoculars, microscopes)</li>
<li> ✗ Sensors or monitoring equipment (e.g., buoys, weather stations)</li>
<li> ✓ Books</li>
<li> ✗ Other
</ul>
Desired Learning Outcomes & Determining Success
Desired learning outcomes of the program are:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✗ Participants experience an increase or change in knowledge of the topic.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants experience an increase or change in interest in the topic.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants improve their data collection or field skills.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants improve their data interpretation skills.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants change aspects of their behavior and/or attitude.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants learn the difference between anecdotal and empirical evidence.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants express an interest in returning to the field station.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants are more excited to spend time outdoors.</li>
<li> ✗ Participants are more aware of STEM careers.</li>
</ul>
Success of the program is determined by the following:
<ul style=”list-style-type:none”>
<li> ✗ Attendance levels (i.e., how many participants are there?)</li>
<li> ✓ Participation levels (i.e., how engaged are participants with the program?)</li>
<li> ✓ Observation/perceptions</li>
<li> ✓ End-of-program survey/questionnaire</li>
<li> ✗ Review of participants’ work</li>
<li> ✗ Tests/formal assessment</li>
<li> ✓ Participant feedback (unsolicited)</li>
<li> ✓ Ongoing or followup contact with the participants</li>
<li> ✗ Other</li>
</ul>
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