Welcome to YOUR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM! The Inyo County Office of Education in partnership with the Branson Foundation and the Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education are pleased to provide environmental science educational opportunities to students in grades 2-8 across Inyo County. These programs are made possible through the tireless efforts of our volunteers. Volunteers in these programs teach lessons to small groups of students on-site at various locations throughout the Owens Valley, read below for information about each of our programs! Each program taught is accompanied by a stipend between $50-$100 to offset the costs of volunteering. We know it takes a lot to be able to give your time and we are so grateful for everything our volunteers contribute!
If you are:
Then this program is for you! Please apply today!
Any questions can be directed to Amanda Adams at the Inyo County Office of Education. She can be reached via email at aadams@inyocoe.org or via telephone at 760-873-3262 x2131.
These field trips are 1.5 hours and occur every month of the school year. You will partner with one third grade class at one of our county elementary schools and be their field instructor for the whole year. Materials are collected before each lesson from the ICOE office and returned following the lesson. For non-Bishop based instructors or schools, materials for the whole year will be given to the instructor to keep for the duration of the program. These lessons can be taught solo or with a co-teacher. The student's teacher is present for the entire lesson. The lessons take place at an outdoor site walking distance from the school. These lessons are accompanied by a $50 stipend with mileage reimbursement available.
These field trips are 1.5 hours and occur each month following the 5th graders' participation in Science Camp. You will partner with one fifth grade class at one of our county elementary schools and be their field instructor for season - Winter, Spring and "Summer". Materials are minimal and collected before each lesson from the ICOE office and returned following the lesson. For non-Bishop based instructors or schools, materials for the whole year will be given to the instructor to keep for the duration of the program. These lessons can be taught solo or with a co-teacher. The student's teacher is present for the entire lesson. The lessons take place at an outdoor site walking distance from the school. The first and last lesson of the year is taught in conjunction with the Bishop and Big Pine Paiute tribe's Environmental Management Offices. Instructors will meet their students in October/November on Site at Science Camp in Big Pine. These lessons are each accompanied by a $50 stipend with mileage reimbursement available.
The Middle School ESWP field trip series focuses on teaching field science skills to our middle schoolers in relationship to the rewatering of the Owens River. Middle schoolers conduct macroinvertebrate monitoring surveys, stream morphology transects, plant transects, CFS (cubic feet per second) measuring, and water quality testing. Volunteer Docents lead small groups of students through the steps of doing the field study in station style rotations. Field trips are on uneven terrain in all weather conditions. Each day long field trip is accompanied by a $100 stipend. Mileage reimbursement is also available.
The ESWP Elementary School Program serves grades 2 and 4 in partnership with the BLM Hands on the Land program in the Fish Slough region of the Owens Valley. 2nd graders learn about macroinvertebrates and upland desert creatures in their natural habitats while 4th graders engage in two different science investigations, one to discover where the native Pupfish have gone and one to find differences between different soil types in the wetland and desert ecosystems. Students learn about archeology from archeologists and geology through investigating a geologic timeline while looking at the formations that changed throughout time! Each day long field trip is accompanied by a $100 stipend. Mileage reimbursement is also available
The mission of the Inyo County Office of Education is to promote, support and inspire high-quality education.
