|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DISTRICT ::
Discovery Center Receives Port Funds for CVESD Programs
|
Living Coast Discovery Center (formerly the Chula Vista Nature Center)
Coastal Education Programs
Over 4,700 CVESD students visit the Discovery Center with San Diego Unified Port Funding
In 2009 the Chula Vista Elementary School District’s Coastal Education Program located at the Chula Vista Nature Center was awarded $23,250 by the San Diego Unified Port’s Environmental Services Program to provide transportation for students over a three year period. From January 2010- January of 2013 the Environmental Services Program funding has allowed 196 classes with over 4,700 students to take a study trip to the Discovery Center. When these students came to the Discovery Center they were able to touch crabs and snakes, catch insects, use magnifying glasses, binoculars and microscopes, hike on the trails looking for animals and evidence of animals, see a bald eagle, sea turtles, sharks and stingrays face to face, restore the upland habitat with native plants, collect and view plankton and gain a new respect for the coastal flora and fauna. Many times these students formed an emotional attachment with the creatures they were observing or touching and were horrified to see the beach, their new favorite animal’s habitat, littered with trash. The knowledge these students gain during their trip to the Discovery Center moves them to care and take part in activities that benefit the health of the San Diego Bay.
Each year the Coastal Education Program is able to serve about 5,000 students. Over the past four school years the Port has given $23,250 to fund the transportation to a Coastal Education program for 4,708 students from 196 classes in the CVESD.
Registration
To schedule a class through June 10th please contact Karen via the contact information given below. Please give your contact information, the program you are interested in and some potential dates. Registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Two registration sessions are offered each year, one in the beginning of the school year and one before Winter Break. Teachers can priority register their classes , learn more about the programs offered and potentially win free transportation to the program.
Coastal Education Programs
The Chula Vista Elementary School District funds a full-time Science Resource Teacher, Karen Quiros, who works closely with the Living Coast Discovery Center staff to provide K-8 Coastal Education Programs at the Nature Center, which are integrated in the Science and Social Studies curricula.
There are 16 different programs available for grades Kindergarten- 8th. For a list of these programs and descriptions please click here.
If you are a CVESD teacher and would like to schedule a study trip to the Discover Center, please call Karen Quiros at (619) 476-7836 or e-mail her at karen.quiros@cvesd.org. In your message, please include your name, contact information, and the program you are interested in.
Teachers - Get your Registration Packet here!
What's New at the Discovery Center?
Seasonal Day Camps! Time to go wild at the Discovery Center for kids ages 4-12! Enroll now at www.thelivingcoast.org
Overnight Adventures! After a full evening of fun activities, we will snuggle down in our sleeping bags for a movie and cozy indoor camping in the Discovery Center's auditorium. Don't miss an evening of discovery and fun! For information on overnight camps, click  here.
About the Chula Vista Elementary School District
The Chula Vista Elementary School District is the largest K-6 grade district in the state, serving more than 28,000 students at 45 schools. Since 1987, CVESD has funded a full-time Science Resource Teacher who is co-located at the Discovery Center to provide a K-6 coastal education program fully integrated into the elementary education science curriculum through hands-on experiences supported by classroom lessons. Students get to collect and view plankton, touch crabs and snakes, hike to find native plants and animals and much more! For more information please call (619) 476-7836 or look us up on the web at www.cvesd.org.
About the Livng Coast Discovery Center 
The Living Coast Discovery Center has been an important community asset for more than 25 years in San Diego’s South Bay. After the City of Chula Vista’s severe budget cuts, this unique treasure recently transitioned successfully into its own independent nonprofit organization.
The Discovery Center is providing exciting new programs, exhibits and guest opportunities. Day camps are now offered in conjunction with local school calendared breaks. The camps provide an affordable fun, hands-on educational experience for local families. In addition to these fun day camps, the Discovery Center is also offering a new Overnight Adventures program for families, scouts and other groups.
The Living Coast Discovery Center is truly a regional gem that continues to provide a world-class museum with hands-on exhibits and live animal encounters while promoting coastal resource conservation and environmental stewardship through education.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|