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“Empowering Youth Through
Positive Risk-Taking and Experiential Leadership, Science, and Outdoor
Education”
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Vol. 1, Issue 1
Milestones
September 2007
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Address: 1901
Silverada Blvd Suite 10 Reno NV 89512.
Phone: (775) 355-1688
Email: info@sierranevadajourneys.org
Homepage: www.sierranevadajourneys.org
(Check out our new website!!) |
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Introducing Sierra Nevada Journeys
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I couldn’t be
happier to introduce “Milestones,” Sierra Nevada Journeys’ inaugural
e-newsletter that comes at a time of important milestones in the organization’s
history. Though our non-profit was incorporated just last year, we’ve
served more than 315 students in our various programs (on our way to serving
more than 450 this year), we’ve officially received our 501(c)(3) non-profit
status, hired a Director of In-School Programs and an AmeriCorps VISTA Program Coordinator … all of this progress with the
aim of enriching the education and experiences of students in the Reno-Tahoe
area!
Sierra Nevada
Journeys was started to provide a range of outdoor, leadership, and
science-enrichment programming that fundamentally changes how students look at
their world, their communities, and themselves. Our success is driven by
a commitment to being the best at what we do: Outstanding People
delivering Outstanding Education at Outstanding Value.
With this
e-newsletter I’m excited to share the significant progress we’ve made and our
plans for the future. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, whether
you’re a parent or teacher inquiring about programs, a potential supporter, or
you just want to say ‘hello’. I look forward to hearing from you and to
working with you to provide these transformative opportunities for our
youth. I hope you’re having a terrific fall!
Warm Regards,
Jonathan Mueller
Executive Director
Sierra Nevada
Journeys
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A Successful Spring & Summer!
Blasting
off water rockets … swimming and kayaking in Lake Tahoe … clearing brush to
perform maintenance work on the Tahoe Rim Trail … learning about forest
fires! These are just a few of the many activities in which more than 250
SNJ students have participated in the past few months. The variety
of science enrichment and experiential education programs have given
opportunities to students to explore their world and how it works. Our Adventure
Science Club, Earth
to Sky Day Camp, and overnight Summit
Camp are three of the big programs we’ve been running. Currently in
session: Journeys Outdoor School, a
residential program designed for whole classes to spend several nights.
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Adventure
Science Club
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SNJ partnered with local
schools, non-profits, and state agencies to help bring nature and exciting
hands-on science to the classroom in May. Our after-school “Adventure
Science Club” was offered in partnership with Fremont
Elementary in Carson City
using curriculum based on Project WET – promoted by the State of Nevada
Division of Environmental Protection – and Project WILD, supported by the
Nevada Division of Forestry.
The Club has 25 students who
learn about everything from resources that ecosystems – and they themselves –
need to survive to the importance of planting native vegetation to prevent soil
erosion and pollution run-off into local rivers and lakes. The program
takes a “student-as-the-discoverer” approach in building popsicle-stick towers
and testing them on homemade earthquake machine, learning about geology through
“Oreo Plate Tectonics” and “ Edible Ice Cream Aquifers”,
and constructing and launching rockets powered by H2O. The
program runs after-school once a week for five weeks, enabling students to
learn scientific principles through hands-on activities that are engaging and
“super-fun” as one student put it!
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Journeys
Outdoor School Fall 2007
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Held at Camp Galilee on the beautiful shores of Lake Tahoe, The
Journeys Outdoor School is designed to get students
out of their indoor classroom and into nature to study natural sciences.
The School model is designed for 4th-8th
grade classes and runs 2-5 days (overnight). SNJ works closely with
teachers ahead of time to shape unique, exciting outdoor, science, and
leadership experiences. Activities
include studying Lake Tahoe, forest and wildlife ecology by hiking local trails,
evening astronomy sessions, Geodesic Dome Building to emphasize team-building,
and a whole series of other fun, engaging activities, all taught to state and
national education standards.
Bethany Steiner, SNJ’s Director of Programs says that “our goal is to reach out to kids to reconnect them with the natural world
and re-inspire them about learning. One smile or one ‘a-ha!’ moment is
all it takes to make us realize how rewarding these experiences can be.” She had this
report to file on the first two (of four) weeks of program:
The first two weeks of our first ever fall
season went off without a hitch! We had two very full weeks of teambuilding,
aerodynamics, geodesic dome building, forest ecology, and water fun! Attending students from Sparks and Carson were
able to build rockets, climb on huge domes, and go out on Lake Tahoe and get
connected with the surrounding environment!
Sierra Nevada Journeys has been able
to successfully to kick off its season with the help of many friends and
partners. We had a visitor from the Department of Forestry come and visit us to
talk about fire ecology. (It’s been one of the driest – and most fire-prone –
seasons on record!) We were able to go
out and do water quality testing on a research boat and some groups even had
the opportunity to go kayaking!
Overall, these last couple of weeks
have been an absolute success. We are looking forward to finishing off the
season strong through October and are already planning our winter sessions! See
you in the snow!
Please contact Bethany at info@sierranevadajourneys.org
to sign your school up!
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Advisory Board:
Tuesday November 6th 6:30-8pm at Vino 100 (748 South Meadows Parkway) | We want your input! Sierra Nevada Journeys is committed to continuously improving our
programs through community input. We’re assembling an Advisory Board to get
direct community input, and are looking for the following types of people:
- Parents
- Teachers
- School administrators
- Students
- University faculty
- Foundations
- Corporations
- Natural resource organizations
- Other education-related non-profits
- And more!
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Summit Camp 2007
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“Schools out. I’m bored.” How many
parents have heard that complaint? For sixty students who attended our
overnight Summit Camp June 11-15th summer started out with a blast
(rocket blast-off that is!). Held at Camp Galilee on the shores of Lake
Tahoe, these sixty students (including 10 on scholarship) got to experience the
outdoors and science up close and personal with hikes around Spooner Lake, a
field trip to the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, astronomy sessions with
Space Science for Schools, swimming and kayaking in Lake Tahoe, arts and crafts,
and so much more! Here’s an excerpt from the
Director’s daily report:
We had a busy but
efficient start to the day: everyone got moved into their cabins, we had
a terrific opening circle in which we played some fun camp-wide games and
talked about our Full Value Contract and expectations at camp, and then campers
broke off into their instructor groups for a day of team-building and
leadership challenges. After a great swim session later in the afternoon
we were fed a delicious dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad by our
wonderful kitchen staff. We had a whole range of electives this
evening, from rocket-launching and arts & crafts
to extreme bocci ball and basketball. Our day was summed up by a quote from one camper who said:
“every other day I have for the rest of my life I’ll compare to this day.”
SNJ plans
to offer a number of sessions of Summit Camp next summer: stay tuned for specific dates! (to be
announced in September)
More information.. and pictures
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Earth to Sky
Spring 2007
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How about spending your spring break
learning science? 
Spring breaks and weekends can
be uninteresting down-time … or they represent an opportunity to learn more
about the exciting science that goes on around us every day! SNJ offered 2-day spring break science camps
at three different schools in April:
Zephyr Cove, Seeliger, and Fritsch Elementary. The program takes a hands-on, resource-based
approach to learning about the world around us.
The exciting modules taught over the two days include “Super Hero
Surface Survival” (ecology with an emphasis on interconnectedness), “Inside
Out” (building and testing bridges to learn about physical processes that
affect our world), and “I Have the Power” – what each of us can do to help
manage and conserve our resources. The
program stretches students’ imaginations from the Earth all the way up to the
Sky! The kids learn an incredible amount about the scientific method by actually
discovering these principles for themselves, not just reading about them or
listening to us talk about them. Our entire curriculum is built around
national and Nevada
education standards, so it fits right into what they are doing in
school.
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Introducing New Program Staff |
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Sierra Nevada Journeys
is excited to announce the hiring of Bethany Steiner as the organization’s
Director of Programs! Bethany will be
marketing and directing the breadth of SNJ’s programs. We are also pleased to announce Meg O’Neill
as our new AmeriCorps VISTA! Meg will be
coordinating and running a Women In Science & Leadership Program designed
for middle-school females. Please click here for
more on Bethany and Meg.
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Wish List
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Magnifying glasses
Telescope
Microscope
Office furniture
15 passenger van
Hiking equipment
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| Calendar of Events |
Sept 27th Alyce Taylor Elementary School
Oct. 1st: Adventure Science Club at Melton ES
Oct 10th: Pinnacles Program at RockSport
Nov 1st: Astronomy Night at Brown Elementary School
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Upcoming Programs Summit Camp
2008
Summit Camp 2008 will take place June 15-19, 2008 (Sunday
through Thursday) at Camp Galilee! After a terrific first year we’re
excited to get our second summer kicked off. Rates for next summer are
$280 through 2007, then go up to $300 after January 1, and to $320 after March
1st so get your 20% deposit in now to reserve your spot at the most
exciting, fun, and educational summer camp in the Reno/Tahoe area!
Pinnacles
Program – Fall 2007
In our new location at RockSport Indoor Climbing Center
we’re proud to be able to offer the “Pinnacles Program”, an energizing
leadership and team-building after-school program that revolves around safe,
fun, and exciting indoor climbing! With some of those same outstanding
instructors from Summit Camp, we’ll be running the program on Wednesdays
after-school 4-6pm. It starts Wednesday October 10th and runs
through Wednesday November 7th. Full registration for those
five sessions of exciting climbing, teamwork, and leadership is $99 so sign up
now! (note: transportation is not provided for this program)
Adventure
Science Club – Fall 2007
We’re also offering another after-school Adventure Science
Club in partnership with the Washoe County Community Education Department based
on the success of last spring’s Club. Hosted at Melton Elementary School
(in Northwest Reno) the club will run 3:40-5:10pm after-school on Mondays,
starting Monday October 1st and running through Monday October 29th.
Registration is $79 for those five sessions of blasting off water rockets,
building geodesic domes, eating geologic ice cream aquifers and much
more! Please call us at (775) 355-1688 or reply to this e-mail for
instructions on how to sign-up!
Family
Astronomy Night – Fall 2007
Learn new things with your child as you explore and decipher
cosmic explosions, see Jupiter through a telescope, and eat s’mores while
listening to constellation myths. The night sky comes to life in this exciting
and hands-on astronomy class for parents and children! Hosted at Brown
Elementary School in South Reno, the class will run for two sessions, Thursday
November 1st, and Thursday November 8th 6:30-8pm.
Cost is $35 (per parent/child combination). Please call us at (775)
355-1688 or reply to this e-mail for instructions on how to sign-up!
Wilderness
Leadership Institute
Brand new for next summer is our Wilderness Leadership Institute,
a backpacking and service-learning program for rising 9th-12th
graders. Based out of wilderness areas around Lake Tahoe, and in western
Nevada and eastern California, the highlight of the week-long program is a
5-day/5-night backpacking excursion in which students learn both “hard” skills
– backcountry cooking, map & compass, etc. – and “soft” skills around
leadership, teamwork, and communication. The sixth-day of the program
focuses on a service-learning project in which the students give back to their
community through a community service project, either in the backcountry or
back in town. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about
the outdoors while learning about themselves and their peer group!
Sessions will be offered most weeks in July. Call now for availability
and pricing! Call (775) 355-1688 or
Email for more information (info@sierranevadajourneys.org)
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Our program fees
cover less than 70% of the cost to run these programs. We rely on
your support to help us continue to operate and make it
affordable. We are committed to keeping our fees low and offering
discounts and scholarships so that anyone can attend regardless of
income. Our goal is to bring nature into the classroom and the
classroom into nature for every child that wants to attend. Can
you help? We need volunteers and financial support. Please
see our webpage http://sierranevadajourneys.org/support.html to contact us or make an online donation.
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Thank You!
- Parasol Community Collaborative
- Nevada Natural Resource Education Council
- Nevada Outdoor School
- Camp Galilee
- Parents, teachers, and school administrators
- Corporation
for National & Community Service
- REI
- Tahoe
Environmental Research
Center
- Space
Science for Schools
- Nevada Division of
Environmental Protection
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Nevada
Division of Forestry
- RockSport
- Tahoe
Rim Trail Association
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What is
Sierra Nevada Journeys?
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Sierra Nevada Journeys
was incorporated in December 2006 and received its advance ruling as a
501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in April,
2007. Sierra Nevada Journeys is
the leading provider of experiential education and science enrichment
in the greater Reno/Tahoe area. A registered Nevada non-profit corporation, its
vision is to build a community of youth who are motivated to become
leaders, scientists, and caretakers of the natural world. The
organization offers educational opportunities to students in grades
3-12 in after-school and weekend programs, summer camps, and
residential outdoor school programs for entire classes.
Jonathan
Mueller, Executive Director of
Sierra Nevada Journeys, says that the organization was started after he
realized how few outdoor, leadership, and science-enrichment
opportunities local students had. “Students in the
Reno/Carson/Tahoe region are suffering from what Richard Louv – in his
book Last Child in the Woods – describes as ‘nature deficit disorder’
which carries with it all sorts of physical, social, and emotional
implications. And yet we’re surrounded by some of the most
incredible natural resources in the world right here in northern
Nevada!” The organization was created with a mission to empower
youth through positive risk-taking and experiential leadership,
science, and outdoor education. Its success is driven by a
commitment to being the best at what it does: Outstanding People
delivering Outstanding Education at Outstanding Value.
More information on this – and other – programs can
be found on its website www.sierranevadajourneys.org.
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