AmeriCorps Education Update..Summer 2020
| AmeriCorps: Education Spotlight.. Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld |
This Spring, Umpqua Watersheds’ is working hard to continue education and outreach during Stay at Home orders. In March, we began our @Home Explorer Series to bring outdoor-minded activities to Umpqua youth at home. Three new activities are posted weekly on our website, with topics ranging from birds to slugs to fungi. Our mission is to create a variety of experiments, crafts and activities that can be completed with nothing but household items and access to a backyard or local park. Even though we can no longer be in classrooms, engaging with youth in person, it is still important to cultivate their creativity and interest in the outdoors. These activities are designed to require minimal screen time and get them outside in their watershed!
To supplement these activities, UW pulled together its educational resources and created free @Home Explorer Kits that could be distributed to kids around Douglas County. This first round of kits included binoculars, a magnifying glass, a compass, craft supplies, pipettes, a nature journal, stickers, and an animal print mold from a local mammal. We initially had supplies for 36 kits, and they went fast! Within a week of sharing this resource to parents and teachers we were all out! We are currently in the process of fundraising and creating more kits for distribution for students over the summer. We can’t wait to get more of these kits rolling and keep our Umpqua youth excited to spend time outside this summer!
We are still partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Umpqua Valley to distribute fun activities, like nature scavenger hunts and bird BINGO through the lunch drop-off program. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to continue reaching out to youth, even if it’s not in person, and hope that programs can start up again in the fall! Thank you to all for your generous support of these programs and supplies!
