School is back in session, and here at The Cibolo Center of Conservation, staff and volunteers are working on ways we can help enrich students’ education.
The Nature Box program is exactly that. Thanks to the dedication of a few retired teachers who were not quite done teaching, we’re able to take the mission of The Cibolo beyond our trails and into elementary school classrooms.
A few weeks ago, we published an interview with Kathy Ward on the history of the program. The article was met with stories of happy memories from past volunteers and past students of the Nature Boxes.
However, with a new school year starting, and our little city growing, we want to make sure the community knows that the Nature Boxes will be available this semester, and that we are always looking for more volunteer docents (Don’t be intimidated, docent is just a fancy word for teacher).
Our Nature Boxes are a variety of actual boxes filled with all the materials one would need to teach a certain science subject, including interactive worksheets, costumes lab equipment, and everything in between.
The heads of the program, Kathy Ward and Kathy Wilson, make sure to stay current on TEKS for every grade level so that our boxes can easily modified to fit any teacher’s science class. From kindergartners taking their first steps into the world of science with magnets, to fifth-grade diving into more complex concepts like adaptations, the Nature Boxes suit each grade level and ensure that every student is engaged and empowered.
At the heart of this initiative is the spirit of community collaboration. While “The Kathys” themselves are retired educators, their volunteers have come from a wide array of backgrounds.
Their common goal -- enrich the learning experiences of our future scientists, engineers, and environmental stewards. Through this program, they’re not just teaching science; they’re building bridges between generations, fostering connections, and sowing the seeds of environmental consciousness.
Volunteers also get lots of opportunities to learn new topics here at The Cibolo. Anyone interested in becoming a docent can attend our in-depth Nature Box Docent Training at The Cibolo Nature Center at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 14. Kathy Ward and Kathy Wilson train all docents thoroughly and connect them with age groups and topics they know they will be successful teaching.
Any educators looking to have the Nature Boxes come to their classes this semester, contact [email protected] and get on our schedule.
Our docents are happy to assist in any way they can.
BRI CORPUS
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