Introduction to LEAP!

Introduction to LEAP!

Mission:

• To provide all Boys & Girls Clubs of King County with empowering environmental education opportunities that evoke an awareness of, and a connection to, the natural world through exploration and environmental stewardship projects.

Vision:

• Consistent programming will allow each club to develop a culture of sustainability that will guide sound ecological practices within the club and throughout it's community.

All Made Possible with Help from Our Sponsors:

• Funding for LEAP! school-year and LEAP! summer programming is provided by The Russell Family Foundation
  

• Funding for Staff Education Opportunities was provided by The Mountaineers Foundation in 2009
• Funding for a Puget Sound ecology themed curriculum pilot was provided by IslandWood in 2009
• Funding for an energy conservation unit and Energy Conservation Night and Poster Contest was provided by EPA/Energy Star in 2009
• Funding for LEAP! Fall 2009 school-year programming at Renton/Skyway was funded by Seattle Parks and Recreation Kids N' Trees
  
• Funding for LEAP! Spring 2010 school-year programming funded in part by Puget Sound Energy
• Funding for LEAP! gardens at Kirkland, Rainier Vista, and Federal Way was provided in 2010 by Home Depot
• The Udall Foundation Parks In Focus trip provided 10 Club kids with a week long camping experience in Olympic National Park
• Funding for garden equipment, tools, and supplies, was funded by Annie's Homegrown in 2010
  

Partners:

• The Nature Consortium provides skilled artists and educators to lead LEAP! activities and staff education opportunities
• The Cascade Land Conservancy works with LEAP! programming to educate and involve youth in restoration projects in urban parks
• IslandWood worked with BGCKC Program directors to develop curriculum and pilot an environmental education program for Boys & Girls Clubs in King County. IslandWood graduate students complete independent research projects at Clubs, working on program assessment, curriculum design, partnership building, and recycling programs.
• BoyScouts of America provides educators for BGCKC's Earth Day event and LEAP! overnights

LEAP! School-year Programs

LEAP! School-year Programs

* LEAP! School-year programs bring environmental education to your club through active, inquiry-based activities, games, and stewardship projects.

*Contact Christine to reserve your FREE programming. cmorris@positiveplace.org, (206) 718.7690

6 Week School-year Program

• Environmental education programming for grade school age youth provided in-house twice a week for 6 weeks by the Environmental Education Director and skilled naturalists/educators
  
• Culminating stewardship project within the club or community
• Celebratory overnight at Gold Creek Lodge
  

Program Topics:

1. Urban Birds
2. Ooey, Gooey, Creepy, Crawly: invertebrates and decomposition
   
3. Get into Gardening
4. Now You're a Naturalist
5. Our Wonderful Watershed
6. Forest Ecology and Restoration
7. Where does it go? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot
   
8. Eco-Challenge: reduce your Club's ecological footprint
9. Invent!: creative problem solving and design
10. Topic of Your Choice

Day Programs

• 2-hour programs tailored to a theme or topic of interest

Crepuscular Creep Program at Gold Creek Lodge

• 2-hour program from 7:00pm-9:00pm on day of arrival
• Nocturnal adaptation activities, campfire stories, and a night hike
  

LEAP! Summer Programs

LEAP! Summer Programs

* Summer is a wonderful time to be outside and explore the natural world. From investigating the forest around Gold Creek Lodge to gardening at your club, there are plenty of fun environmental education options to choose from.

*Contact Christine to reserve your FREE programming. cmorris@positiveplace.org
(206) 718.7690

Summer Programs at Gold Creek Lodge

• Full day (4+ hours), Half day (2+hours), Evening (3 hours)
  
• Flexible times and time blocks arranged around your schedule
• Includes environmental education activities, games, hikes, and campfire stories

Program Topics:

• Nature Detectives; CSI: Gold Creek - What can we uncover in the forest? Learn naturalist skills, collect and analyze "evidence" using bug boxes and magnifying lenses, make journals, and explore the woods around Gold Creek Lodge.

• Predators and Prey- Discover the fascinating relationships between predators and prey of the Pacific Northwest. Through games, art, and outdoor investigation we will learn about food web dynamics, amazing adaptations, and the animal and plant communities you can find at Gold Creek and in the city.

• Art in Nature- We will use a variety of mediums including paint, sculpture, pencils, and natural materials to appreciate the artistic side of the natural world. Use all 5 senses to understand and interpret the world around us through expression and creativity.
  

• All the Creepy Crawlies- Investigate the forest, stream, and fern wetland for invertebrates of all kinds. We will use bug boxes and nets, play food-chain games, and hone our observation skills to find the sometimes hidden, and always interesting, creatures that share our environment.

In-house LEAP! Summer Programs

• Environmental education programming at your site or local Seattle park
  
• Flexible times and time blocks
• Program theme of your interest and choice
  

Staff Education Opportunities

Staff Education 

Please contact Christine Morris, cmorris@positiveplace.org, to request:

• STARS training in Environmental Education Curriculum Development
• Staff training on environmental education, urban horticulture, LEED building, or sustainability activity development and delivery

Curriculum and Activities

Curriculum and Activities

*Engaging environmental education activities and curriculum can be found on
SharePoint: http://www.positiveplace.net


*Contact Christine for additional activities, curriculum binders, and resources to suit the needs and interests of your Club. cmorris@postiveplace.org, (206) 718.7690

Teen Opportunities

Teen Opportunities

* Check out exciting opportunities for teens! Activities, Scholarships, Programs and More...

• Casey Trees in Washington D.C., is sponsoring an urban forestry summer internship for high school students http://www.caseytrees.org/donate/high-school-summer-crew/index.php

• Girls on Ice: Free leadership experience in the wilderness for teenage girls http://www.ncascades.org/programs/youth/girls_on_ice/
  

• Passages Northwest: Sliding scale backpacking, sea-kayaking, and rock climbing trips for teenage girls http://passagesnw.org/
  

• Seattle Audubon's Birdwatch Program: Explore NW ecology, make a positive contribution http://www.seattleaudubon.org/education.cfm?id=82

• Woodland Park Zoo's ZooCorps: Learn and practice conservation education for all ages http://www.zoo.org/educate/teens/zoo_corps.html

• Seattle Parks and Recreation Service Learning and Community Service
  http://www.Seattle.gov/parks/teens/serviceLearning.htm

• Planet Connect Grant for High School Students with a creative idea to fix an environmental problem in their school or community http://www.planet-connect.org/

• Northwest Youth Corps Spring and Fall Program. No tuition fee. For ages 16-19. www.nwyouthcorps.org/springandfallconservationcorps.html