- Teacher Grants Program
- Outdoor Air Quality and Schools
- Presentations
- Classroom Activities and Lesson Plans
- Information on this Site
- Community Events
- Additional Links and Resources for Schools
Care for Our Earth Grants for Teachers
Santa Barbara County K-12 teachers are encouraged to apply for Care for Our Earth Grants, through a program that is a collaboration of the District, the Santa Barbara County Education Office, the Santa Barbara County Water Agency, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company. Grant applications are released in the fall.
See more information, including a list of previous recipients and projects, at the County Education Office.
The program offers $300 grants to teachers to do environmental service projects with students to save energy, cut traffic and pollution, or save water. See below for links and resources, and contact us via email at [email protected], for more information.
Congratulations to the Santa Barbara County teachers who were awarded the 2017-2018 Care for Our Earth grants.
Categories and Ideas:
Examples: Students could measure energy used by particular appliances, and/or identify times when lights are left on or equipment is left plugged in and turned on. Students could review school energy bills, identify potential savings, and make presentations to principals. Students could develop and institute an energy-saving program. Grant funds could be used to purchase measuring equipment, compact fluorescent lights, plug strips, or supplies for charts and presentations, or for field trips or speakers.
Resources:
- Southern California Gas Company Environment Programs, Pacific Gas & Electric
- California Energy Commission’s Bright Schools Program (free assistance, studies, technical services)
- South Coast Energy Efficiency Partnership (Collaboration with Southern California Edison for the areas of Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Barbara)
- Learn how much energy you may be using in your home
- California’s Energy Conservation Network Ways to Save Energy
- See California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network Region 8 Green School Resources
Examples: Students could draw map of school and neighborhoods and place pins on the map for development of “walking school buses” or multi-family carpools. Students could do a transportation survey and make recommendations to parent groups or administrators. Students could plan a celebration of “Walk to School Day” or “Bike to School Day.”
Resources:
- Safe Routes to School page on this website
- COAST Safe Routes to School Program (Southern Santa Barbara County)
- California Bicycle Coalition Safe Routes to School web page (with multiple links to other programs)
Examples: Students could look at ways water is used at school or home and come up with ideas for reducing use, such as replacing lawn areas with water wise gardens. Teacher could organize a field trip for students to learn more about conserving water. Students could create tools to educate others, or identify equipment to purchase to reduce water use. See the Water Wise website for more info on conserving water.
Outdoor Air Quality and Schools
- Weather, winds, the path of wildfires, and other factors can change quickly and affect air quality, so it is important to be aware of conditions at a particular school site
- Schools may need to reschedule outdoor activities
For more information, see our new fact sheet on Outdoor Air Quality and Schools:
Classroom Presentations
The District offers countywide classroom presentations for K-12th grades and college classes with lessons on our atmosphere, air pollution, global climate change, and what we can do to make a difference.
To schedule a presentation, contact us via email at [email protected]. See more resources on this page.
Clean Air Ambassadors
Clean Air Ambassadors are trained to present an innovative, interactive curriculum that meets California’s Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to students in K-3 grade. The lessons explore concepts such as pollution and sustainability, and promote environmental literacy. Students will conduct experiments to explore processes such as global weather patterns and air filtration, and learn about ways they can help improve air quality.
Please see here for more information or contact us via email at [email protected] if you are interested in having us come to your classroom.
OR please fill out this Google Form to request a visit!
Mr. Eco Presentations
The District sponsored assemblies in some Santa Barbara County schools to bring in Mr. Eco, an environmental rap superhero who teaches elementary school students that they have the power to protect the environment as “EcoHeroes”. Mr. Eco’s shows are not only educational, but also extremely engaging as students learn environmental song lyrics and dance moves, answer jeopardy questions, and feel empowered to make change in the environment at a young age. For more information and all of Mr. Eco’s videos, visit his website.
Mr. Eco, his sidekick and nephew Lil Nico, and District Public Outreach Intern Chris Hewes
Students take the EcoHero pledge after learning about protecting ecosystems, wildfire, and clean air.
Information on this Site
Safe Routes to School discusses efforts to encourage kids to bike or walk to school (or carpool or take the bus).
Air Pollutants & Your Health describes the pollutants of greatest concern in Santa Barbara County, and their health effects.
Today’s Air Quality provides air quality information for Santa Barbara County.
Ozone data shows levels of ground-level ozone measured at county monitoring stations, updated hourly on this website.
Toolkit to Reduce Diesel Emissions at Schools provides resources for schools to hear about effects of diesel exhaust pollution, and reduce emissions.
Classroom Activities and Lesson Plans
Air Quality and Air Pollution
Videos are available free in English and Spanish from the California Air Resources Board, click on the title to go to the order page on the state’s website: “A Breath of Air: What Pollution is Doing to Our Children,” and “With Every Breath: Health Effects of Smog”.
Lessons and activities for K-12 from Project A.I.R.E. (Air Information Resources for Educators) are available for download (free) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
Air Pollution: What’s the Solution? activities from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency curricula help students learn about ground-level ozone.
The National Science Teachers Association includes lesson plans and activities to teach air quality concepts – search at NSTA Science Store under the term of interest.
The California Air Resources Board website’s Know Zone page includes information on air pollution, lesson plans, and resources for students: www.arb.ca.gov/knowzone/knowzone.htm.
Alternative transportation
Safe Routes to School Lesson Plans for the Classroom , developed by Marin County teachers, includes plans for multiple grade levels. (For more on the Safe Routes to School program locally, see this page.)
For more information on local programs encouraging alternative transportation, see Traffic Solutions’ webpage here: www.trafficsolutions.org.
Community Events
Community events like Earth Day offer an opportunity to showcase environmental education projects. Read more about Earth Day.
Additional Links for Teachers and Schools
National Science Teachers Association
The CREEC Network (California Regional Environmental Education Community Network) — Information about environmental education resources for teachers, including a Resource Directory for Region 8 (Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, and Kern Counties). See http://www.creec.org/custom/14.
EPA Office of Environmental Education — Kids’ page, teachers’ page, regional programs, students’ page
School Health page from California Air Resources Board — Environmental health conditions at schools and resources to reduce pollution
American Lung Association — How Your Lungs Work
Think Earth Environmental Education Program — Curriculum for middle school about conserving natural resources, reducing waste, and minimizing pollution
Safe Routes to Schools — Lesson Plans for the Classroom developed by Marin County teachers for multiple grade levels
Children’s Health Protection — Information on protecting children’s health from environmental hazards
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection — Curriculum and classroom activities
US Department of Energy Fuel Economy Guide — See how your car measures up
NASA’s Classroom of the Future
NASA Earth Science Enterprise — Teacher guides
National Environmental Education Foundation
IAQ Tools for Schools Program — EPA’s program on indoor air quality
UCI Science Education Programs — Science education programs for teachers