Science Initiative
2018 – 2021 Initiatives
Science Alliance: High school students mentor 5th graders. This program provides training for the high school mentors to encourage science learning for 5th grade students. Both the mentor and student benefit, yielding deeper learning when the older students explain the science and full engagement by the younger students with the enthusiastic high schoolers.
California High Integrated Maker Education (CHIME), pilot program: This partnership with RAFT (Resource Area for Teachers) and the Klau Family Foundation will design, construct and support Makerspaces in the Cal High attendance area starting with one middle school feeder and three elementary schools. The goal is to encourage innovation, creativity, curiosity and problem solving among our students in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math). In the near future, this program will be in place throughout all of our
schools.
Past funding includes:
- Professional Development Training available to all science teachers through Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
- Annual field trip to Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT) that gives all science teachers a 1/2 day visit to the warehouse to choose science kits for their students, listen to a keynote speaker and enjoy lunch with their colleagues to collaborate and discuss new and innovative teaching methods.
- Science Day in the Dougherty Valley. Every May, all 5th grade students are invited to DVHS to participate in a 1/2 day of science experiments and presentations run by high school students. It’s a bunch of exploding and messy fun booths that delight the children and give them a glimpse into their future days in high school. This funding is available for all four high schools to offer to all 5th grade students in the SRVUSD.
- Funding for the Contra Costa Science Fair teams within the SRVUSD.