OUR CREEKS & CONSERVANCY
Our Creeks & Conservancy works to bring youth and diverse communities together to meet Chesapeake Bay environmental needs within a K-16 “pipeline” of service, jobs and education programming.
Its mission is to educate, empower, engage and employ diverse communities in environmental conservation and sustainability. This regional organization emphasizes the interactive involvement of under-served communities into environmental conservation and meaningful outdoor Chesapeake Bay actions through specific age level programs in partnership with local environmental organizations.
Ongoing Projects
Annapolis/Anne Arundel Restoring the Environment and Developing Youth (READY)
The READY program is for kids in grades 9-12. It is a scholarship summer high school classroom and field course designed to address field restoration projects in Anne Arundel County. Classwork includes job training in conservation landscaping, leadership, conflict resolution, and culturally relevant environmental legacy learning.
Jr. Watershed Stewards
The Jr. Watershed Stewards Club of Annapolis High School meets bi-weekly to discuss environmental matters and strategies to promote watershed stewardship amongst the AHS student body.
Along with encouraging greater student volunteerism to support local restoration and conservation landscaping, the Jr. Watershed Stewards Club has made a weekly commitment to launch LEAP - the Learning & Exploring After school Program. As a pilot, eight students from Walter Mills Parole Elementary School are being mentored and enriched weekly for two hours, on Thursdays, at the Mount Olive Community Life Center. Along with a snack, calisthenics, homework support and tutoring, LEAPERS participate in environmental literacy and other action-based science and accelerated learning activities developed by Bob Keddell of Motivation Education. The Jr. Watersheds’ Program features a community teacher leading LEAP volunteers, READY students, and community experts in STREAM programming. (Science, Technology, Research, Environment, Arts and Mathematics).
Habits Of Mind Enterprise (HOME)
Habits Of Mind Enterprise is a pipeline of environmental science learning and opportunities and a pathway to create and align a specific sequence of innovative, but field-tested, resources that are dedicated to combining two hallmark visions for environmental stewardship in the Annapolis Community and beyond. The initial HOME programs have targeted two neighborhoods in inner city Annapolis with outdoor learning, environmental literacy and community engagement. One neighborhood has a predominately African American population while the second is Hispanic. The programming out of school time utilizes active van transportation to take the students to the Mt. Olive Life Community Center; to a private school campus, the Key School of Annapolis; and to fieldwork activities and green jobs. Within the target communities are elementary schools, and potential dedicated student green pathways. Continuous engagement programs are also offered for the feeder middle, high school and post graduate populations ensuring a “pipeline” of four programs.
Learning & Exploring After-School Program (LEAP)
LEAP accelerates learning by inspiring youth in grades K-5 through direct instruction (basic skills), socio-emotional learning (field experiences), and computer-assisted instruction. Each learning activity focuses on thinking like a child, telling a true story and then engaging the students in complex thinking.
