School Programs

Salem Environmental Education supports environmental education in Salem-Keizer schools through after school classes, supporting special events and field trips and providing professional development for teachers for outdoor school experiences.

Environmental STEM (eSTEM)

Environmental STEM (eSTEM) is a free after school program for Title 1 elementary schools. This school year the monthly programs are being held at Forest Ridge, Four Corners, Highland, and Kennedy elementary schools. Topics include animal adaptations, beaver dams, pollinators, and birds. The classes include hands-on experiences that develop designing and problem solving skills related to these environmental topics.

Adaptations
If you had animal ears, what would you choose? Become a nature spy and discover why animal ears are adapted for their specific environment and needs. Detectives will use a device that will hone in and locate nature sounds in your own backyard. After the investigation, nature kids will create their own unique ear structure to capture distant sounds in nature.

Beavers
Why are beavers important and what is it like to be a beaver? Become a beaver and discover how they build dams and how that impacts water flow. “Beavers” will chew materials and then design and build their own beaver dam using a variety of materials and then test the water that filters through the dam.

Pollinators
Why are pollinators important and what are the various characteristics of their role in the ecosystem. Students will design pollination structure to fit a variety of “flower” stuctures

Outdoor School

SEE supports outdoor school by consulting with the Salem-Keizer School District’s outdoor school program, conducting outdoor school activities, and providing professional development for teachers and providers who conduct outdoor school. SEE also serves on the state Outdoor School Advisory Committee and provides input that helps to direct the state outdoor school efforts.

Down by the Riverside

An annual event at Forest Ridge Elementary School where SEE supports the environmental education activities of the day spent outdoors outdoors. This year’s activity was focused on invasive plants.There are many invasive plant species that have dramatic impacts on our environment. Students learn to identify common invasive plants and about their effect on the ecology of an area.

School Field Trips

SEE supports school field trips and outdoor school experiences.