This website is the rough draft of an idea for an Open Space Academy.
Please review the pages and links, then comment on the feedback page.
Thank you!
The Open Space Academy (OSA) is a school program focusing on environmental field studies, sustainable land stewardship, Green STEM (Environmentally focused Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), “edupreneurship,” service learning, and an interdisciplinary “Commons Core.” The Open Space Academy may take several formats: a Charter School, an Alternative School, or a School-within-a-School. It should be a hybrid that can increase in scale to serve more students, lands, and communities. Here is a first draft of a California Partnership Academy (CPA) proposal, a program of the California Department of Education (CDE).
The La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District (LHPUSD) is the smallest school district by student population, yet the largest in geographic area in San Mateo County. Within LHPUSD boundries, the many natural resources preserved by open space organizations and State & County Parks make it a natural location for an Open Space Academy. Possibly headquartered at Pescadero High School, the program can expand to include much of the San Francisco Peninsula.
Ideally, the Open Space Academy will be open to all high school students. While the preliminary focus is on the LHPUSD and/or the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), it can be offered to students throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Ideally, our students will become trained to be docents/guides for other students and/or ecotourism, thus involving the public.
The San Francisco Peninsula is rich in open space land. There are thousands of students from San Francisco to San Jose who can benefit from experiencing these open spaces. Organizations that manage these lands can use the help of the many students who in turn can use the education. Through project-based service learning, youth will be trained in monitoring and maintaining open space preserves. They will provide much needed work in land stewardship, interpretation, and habitat restoration in exchange for relevant learning opportunities.
See how the Open Space Academy is designed to support the missions of Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District, the Peninsula Open Space Trust, SMCOE, and LHPUSD.
The Open Space Academy is a mobile program. Students will be equipped with a variety of devices for learning outside the traditional classroom. The OSA will feature “state-of-the-science” education, blending "Green STEM" and the Next Generation Science Standards with project-based and online learning. Learning and instruction will take place in a variety of open spaces through a system of field trips, and will continue even as the students are transported to various locations. Regional facilities may be re-purposed to support the program. See just some of the possible facilities that could be used in the area. The OSA will seek partnerships with a variety of organizations to support the program. Students will apply to participate and sign up for particular projects.
Features Facilities Format Mission Mobility Green STEM IEP=EIR OpenMindWalk Feedback
Please review the pages and links, then comment on the feedback page.
Thank you!
The Open Space Academy (OSA) is a school program focusing on environmental field studies, sustainable land stewardship, Green STEM (Environmentally focused Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), “edupreneurship,” service learning, and an interdisciplinary “Commons Core.” The Open Space Academy may take several formats: a Charter School, an Alternative School, or a School-within-a-School. It should be a hybrid that can increase in scale to serve more students, lands, and communities. Here is a first draft of a California Partnership Academy (CPA) proposal, a program of the California Department of Education (CDE).
The La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District (LHPUSD) is the smallest school district by student population, yet the largest in geographic area in San Mateo County. Within LHPUSD boundries, the many natural resources preserved by open space organizations and State & County Parks make it a natural location for an Open Space Academy. Possibly headquartered at Pescadero High School, the program can expand to include much of the San Francisco Peninsula.
Ideally, the Open Space Academy will be open to all high school students. While the preliminary focus is on the LHPUSD and/or the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), it can be offered to students throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Ideally, our students will become trained to be docents/guides for other students and/or ecotourism, thus involving the public.
The San Francisco Peninsula is rich in open space land. There are thousands of students from San Francisco to San Jose who can benefit from experiencing these open spaces. Organizations that manage these lands can use the help of the many students who in turn can use the education. Through project-based service learning, youth will be trained in monitoring and maintaining open space preserves. They will provide much needed work in land stewardship, interpretation, and habitat restoration in exchange for relevant learning opportunities.
See how the Open Space Academy is designed to support the missions of Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District, the Peninsula Open Space Trust, SMCOE, and LHPUSD.
The Open Space Academy is a mobile program. Students will be equipped with a variety of devices for learning outside the traditional classroom. The OSA will feature “state-of-the-science” education, blending "Green STEM" and the Next Generation Science Standards with project-based and online learning. Learning and instruction will take place in a variety of open spaces through a system of field trips, and will continue even as the students are transported to various locations. Regional facilities may be re-purposed to support the program. See just some of the possible facilities that could be used in the area. The OSA will seek partnerships with a variety of organizations to support the program. Students will apply to participate and sign up for particular projects.
Features Facilities Format Mission Mobility Green STEM IEP=EIR OpenMindWalk Feedback