Progress 09/01/05 to 06/30/08
Outputs
The WINGS project has enhanced the science-based knowledge and education that Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) provides its students in the area of environmental science. These enhancements advance the long-term goal of improving the management of natural resources, with particular emphasis on water resources. WINGS has recruited, mentored, educated, graduated and transferred at least eight students, five of them Hispanic, in these areas of study. Activities & Participation: Approximately 1,750 students, fifteen faculty and eleven representatives of area universities, community organizations, city agencies, and local businesses participated in WINGS activities during the 3-year grant period. WINGS faculty and students organized at least thirty activities and events, from watershed study field trips to campus movies to community mapping and tree-planting projects. Several hundred students participated in some events while others typically involved about thirty students. These included: nine movie nights in our WINGS Friday Night at the Movies Environmental Science Series; six invited talks/workshops in the WINGS Wednesday Afternoon Environmental Speaker Series; two Hands-On-My-Environment (H.O.M.E.) Community Science Picnics; four global positioning system (GPS) data collection field trips in partnership with a community organization and the National Park Service; a year-long National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC) project initiated and undertaken by four WINGS/NHEC student leaders; a two-day field trip to the bi-national Tijuana River Watershed, two community-based learning activities related to the Tujunga sub-watershed in which the college is located, another community learning project in which LAVC students participated in the LA River Revitalization public planning process, community tree plantings and tree surveys, water quality testing, field-based learning at our Gold Creek Research field station, and a WINGS Community Bike Ride. Project staff also organized administrative activities, including meetings of the WINGS Advisory Board and Steering Committee, WINGS Environmental Science Curriculum Subcommittee and the WINGS Scholarship Committee. Faculty Preparation: WINGS organized two faculty development workshops: (1) a water quality monitoring training workshop at our Gold Creek Research Station; (2) a faculty development workshop on Teaching Sustainability led by a sustainable development expert from UC San Diego. WINGS also funded the participation of WINGS faculty in a week-long geographic information systems (GIS) workshop. This program was offered by Environmental Systems Research Incorporated (ESRI) in Redlands, CA. WINGS faculty also took part in two Sustainability Curriculum workshops for California Community Colleges held at Foothill-DeAnza Community College. Scientific Instrumentation: One Computers-On-Wheels (COW) with twenty laptop computers was purchased, along with water-monitoring equipment for lab classes, four GPS units and one color printer. Project staff also leveraged funds for additional GPS units and digital cameras to enhance field exercises and actual data collection for community projects. PRODUCTS: Curriculum: The College increased the number of Environmental Science (ES) 1 (Physical Processes) classes taught during the grant period. WINGS faculty developed a new ES lab course (ES 22), which is now taught every semester. WINGS faculty also revised and updated an existing course, Conservation of Natural Resources (Geog 30). These changes increased enrollments by about 500 students. WINGS faculty planned to offer ES 2 & 19 (Biological Processes lecture and lab) through the biology department. This proved impossible, given competing demands on that department by the College's nursing program. The College has reiterated its goal to offer one ES 2 & 19 series each year. Additional funding may be sought to expand environmental science course offerings. Project-Based Learning Modules: WINGS developed seven project-based learning modules: Gold Creek Research Station Field Exercise; Water Quality Monitoring at Sepulveda Basin; Tujunga Watershed Environmental Oral History Project; Tujunga Watershed Community Bike Path Field Survey & Mapping Exercise; LA River Revitalization Master Plan: Student Responses to Local Site Proposals; Bi-National Tijuana River Watershed Field Trip; Western Snowy Plover Field Survey Project with the Audubon Society. WINGS faculty planned to develop an ES Certificate and Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. Project staff formed an Environmental Science Curriculum Subcommittee, which concluded that an ES Certificate and A.S. degree were not high enough priorities at this time. Neither is generally recognized by employers or 4-year programs. College data also shows that few of our students (3-6 percent) seek Associate Degrees, though nearly 50 percent plan to transfer to 4-year degree programs. The subcommittee created an Environmental Science Academic Road Map, which directs students to take specific core science courses, participate in the College's successful Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), apply for relevant paid summer internships and service learning opportunities, (4) be on track to transfer to a 4-year degree-granting Environmental Science program. Based on discussions with USDA, the Road Map also directs students to courses offered at nearby Pierce College: Introduction to Soil Science and Plant Identification & Use. Websites: A project website was created in 2006 (http://www.lavc.edu/WINGS/wingbase.html). WINGS students created a second site that they maintained directly (http://lavc.anthro.earth.googlepages.com/wings). Students also developed a website for their NHEC chapter (http://nhecatlavc.com/). Services: In addition to activities outlined in the Termination Report, WINGS faculty conducted ES Student Surveys to raise awareness and assess student interest. They advised the campus NHEC student chapter. They accompanied two students to the Annual MANRRS conference in St. Louis in 2006. They accompanied students to relevant local and regional professional meetings and organized visits to area universities and coordinated visits of area university faculty to LAVC. WINGS faculty also facilitated the participation of a WINGS student leader in the USDA Leadership Conference of 2007. OUTCOMES: As a direct result of the WINGS project, the College recruited, educated, mentored, and transferred at least five Hispanic students in Environmental Science and related fields, more than ever before. The following specific outcomes are measures of effectiveness: (1) increased ES enrollments; (2) increased Hispanic enrollments in ES as percentage of total enrollments (up 10 percent over the grant period); (3) ten paid summer internships awarded to WINGS students; (4) seven WINGS students transferred to 4-year degree-granting universities in environment-related disciplines during the grant period; (5) one of the first WINGS students began graduate school in water resources in Fall 2008; (6) formation of the first community college chapter in the nation of the National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC) Chapter; (7) LAVC & WINGS hosted two special water-related community education courses on campus - Watershed University (Spring 2006) and Agua University (Fall 2007); (8) selection of LAVC Earth Science to host an innovative peer-to-peer environmental education workshop, Sustainable Works in Fall 2008; (9) revitalization of a local elementary school teaching garden by WINGS / NHEC students; (10) four WINGS-NHEC students invited to take part in a television broadcast, The Reyes River Report, with city councilmember Ed Reyes, based on their mentoring of high school youth at a LA River Revitalization Youth Conference; (11) one full-time Environmental Science faculty hired by LAVC. The Earth Science Department leveraged an additional $27,000 of college and state funds to purchase additional GPS units, digital cameras, water quality monitoring equipment and to participate in a county-project that extends resource management and GIS training to area high schools. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Project faculty, staff and students disseminated project information via websites, a NHEC listserv, direct communication and collaboration with community-based organizations and public agencies, participation in campus and district-wide meetings, conference participation, the LAVC college newsletter, the Los Angeles Community College District newsletter, the WINGS "Environmental Science Academic Road Map" brochure, and the newsletter of one of our community partners, TreePeople. FUTURE INITIATIVES: See Impacts section
Impacts
WINGS increased awareness among Hispanic students through outreach to campus MEChA and Puente programs, the formation of an NHEC chapter, and collaboration with community organizations focused on educating Latinos about the environment. WINGS cultivated leaders. Project staff hired a team of WINGS students and involved them in project planning. They were all encouraged to lead on particular activities. One led the Monlux Elementary School Teaching Garden revitalization project, another led the NHEC beach clean-up effort, another served as NHEC representative to student government, and another organized support for environmental legislation. WINGS students earned ten paid summer internships related to environmental science. Most of these students have since transferred to 4-year programs; the majority are pursuing environment-related careers. Two have begun graduate studies. WINGS built lasting community partnerships. Project staff and students continue to collaborate with WINGS community partners, including a new field-learning opportunity with the LA Audubon Society. Eight LAVC students gathered field data this past fall on the threatened Western Snowy Plover along Southern California's beaches. The WINGS project changed faculty. As Project Director, I am more aware of our students' capacities, opportunities available to them beyond the campus, the value of such experiences to a student's growth and confidence, and the importance of modeling effective collaborative leadership.
Publications
- WINGS Environmental Science Academic Road Map, 2008
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Progress 09/01/05 to 09/01/06
Outputs
WINGS has made good progress toward its core goals: (1) to enhance the science-based knowledge and education that supports improved management of water resources; and (2) to strengthen our ability to recruit, educate, mentor, graduate and transfer underrepresented students in these areas of study. We created a WINGS Steering Committee and Advisory Board and have drawn upon their expertise to advance WINGS goals. Following is a report of our progress during the first funding year, based on six supporting objectives. OBJECTIVE 1.1 - Curriculum, Certificate & Degree Program: LAVC hired Meredith Leonard, M.A., as part of its long-term institutional commitment to enhance its ES program. We have increased course offerings in ES, introduced a new ES lab course and re-introduced a second course, Conservation and Natural Resources Management. Prof. Leonard prepared to teach Geographic Information Systems for the first time on campus in Fall 2006. New instructional materials
have also been developed for existing courses: a field assignment for our Gold Creek research station; a map & field survey of bike paths within our subwatershed; a community environmental oral history project; a tree survey with TreePeople. We also formed a working group with faculty in Biology and Chemistry to develop the ES Certificate and Degree program. OBJECTIVE 1.2 - Faculty Preparation: WINGS faculty attended two California Community Colleges Sustainability Curriculum workshops, participated in field water quality testing training with Heal-the-Bay, and participated in LAVC STARS (Student Achievement and Retention Strategies). OBJECTIVE 1.3 - Scientific Instrumentation & Computers: We purchased one Computers on Wheels (COW) with 25 laptop computers with base, 8 GPS units, and water quality monitoring instrumentation. We leveraged additional funding for a GPS Backpack Field Unit ($26,000) and 2 computers. OBJECTIVE 2.1 - Outreach: WINGS faculty met with 25 area high school
counselors. We also met with LAVC counselors and the directors of the campus Puente program. We promoted ES at New Student Welcome Days and held our first Hands-On-My-Environment (H.O.M.E.) Community Environmental Science Picnic attended by 120 students and community members. WINGS initiated 2 ongoing campus/community outreach series: Friday Night at the Movies Environmental Science Film Series, and Wednesday Afternoon Sustainability Talk Series. WINGS conducted its first Student Environmental Science Survey in all gateway Earth Science courses. (SEE DISSEMINATION.) OBJECTIVE 2.2 - Recruitment, Tracking, Mentoring: WINGS activities that engage students in community environmental projects have proven effective recruitment opportunities. Students have responded enthusiastically to their hands-on involvement with TreePeople, Urban Semillas and L.A. River Revitalization Master Plan. (SEE OUTCOMES) OBJECTIVE 2.3 - Transfer Pipeline: WINGS has contacted 4-year institutions and begun
building an effective transfer pipeline in ES and related fields. Faculty from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona have visited campus and discussed relevant undergraduate and graduate opportunities at that institution.
PRODUCTS: More Environmental Science classes have been added to our departmental offerings. One new Environmental Science lab course, Environmental Science 22, has been added to the curriculum. Another course, Conservation and Natural Resources Management (Geography 31), has been updated and re-introduced. Preparations were made to offer Geographic Information Systems (Geography 31) for the first time on campus in Fall 2006. One LAVC WINGS recruit was hired as a U.S. Forest Service Student Intern for Summer 2006.
OUTCOMES: As a result of our WINGS outreach efforts, Los Angeles Valley College was chosen to host a special "Watershed U." course on campus in Spring 2006. This course was open to the community and sponsored by the Tujunga Watershed Project, an environmental organization that focuses on watershed education and improvement projects in our community. The Tujunga Wash runs along the eastern boundary of LAVC. LAVC student participation in WINGS community activities in Winter, Spring and Summer 2006 laid the groundwork for their invitation to participate, as the only area community college, in the L.A. River Youth Conference. They were asked to work with and mentor more than 500 area high school students on issues related to the Los Angeles River revitalization. WINGS faculty recruited two LAVC students to participate in the Annual MANRRS Conference held in St. Louis in March 2006. WINGS faculty mentors also actively recruited students for paid summer internships with our USDA affiliate,
U.S. Forest Service.. Two LAVC students applied for internships. One student was hired and successfully completed her internship in Stanislaus National Forest in Pinecrest, CA. Three LAVC students participated in a three-day Earth Science field trip to the Owens Valley and Mono Lake in July 2006. LAVC faculty mentors from Earth Science, Biology and Photography also attended. We also recruited two Earth Science students to serve on the WINGS Advisory Board. Both have become leaders on campus and are founding members of our new campus chapter of the National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC). These student Advisory Board members have recruited other student leaders on campus to the WINGS project as well.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: A WINGS "kick-off" event was held in 2005, in conjunction with the Tujunga Watershed Project. LAVC students, faculty, a watershed expert from UC Davis, a representative of the National Park Service, and representatives of city and state elected officials and local media were in attendance. We also announced the WINGS grant and the new Environmental Science initiative on campus in the LAVC newsletter in 2005. This newsletter is distributed widely to the community and throughout the Los Angeles Community College District. We also created and uploaded our WINGS website in early 2006 as another avenue for our outreach and dissemination efforts. We have also developed a WINGS e-mail contact list to announce relevant upcoming courses and WINGS events. We continue to build this list through our contacts with students in our classes and at our all of our WINGS outreach events.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Many of the WINGS initiatives will be institutionalized at Los Angeles Valley College by the end of the 2-year grant period. Others will require additional funding. We plan to apply for additional funding so that we can continue and build upon the WINGS project and the interest it is generating in Environmental Science among students on campus, in the community, and across the community college district.
Impacts
Based on WINGS collaboration with the Tujunga Watershed Project, LAVC was chosen to host a 6-week professional certificate course in watershed management, called Watershed University. LAVC students were able to participate as volunteers and therefore enroll at no cost. LAVC students were the only community college students invited to attend the LA River Youth Conference in Fall 2006, based on WINGS active participation in public hearings about the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. The WINGS project enabled us to leverage additional funding for a GPS Backpack Field Unit ($26,000) and 2 computers. In Fall 2006, based on earlier recruiting and mentoring efforts, WINGS students established the first National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC) community college chapter in the country at Los Angeles Valley College.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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