ConnectED (K-12 Partnerships)

  • penpal letter sample to Evie
  • penpal letter sample to Elijah
  • penpal letter sample to Ankit

Humboldt ConnectED - Partnering with our local schools, Fall 2020 - Fall 2022

The first iteration of ConnectED began Fall 2020 as a Cal Poly Humboldt (Humboldt) initiative in collaboration with the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) to support local educators through programming to virtually connect Humboldt and K-12 students. This effort was organized through the Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL), Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S.), Early Outreach Admissions and Humboldt academic departments.

 

In the wake of pandemic closures, instructors from Kindergarten to College scrambled to develop quality online educational experiences for their students. ConnectED provided opportunities for Humboldt students and faculty to engage in experiential learning practices, and for K-12 students and instructors to receive enriched learning experiences.

 

Humboldt students and faculty from community-based learning courses offered assistance to K-12 teachers and classrooms in the following ways:

 

  1. Pen Pal Program: Humboldt Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S) and Liberal Studies Elementary Education - Developmental Literacy course students participated in letter-writing experiences with elementary school classes. Letters provided an opportunity for elementary students to improve communication skills while also learning about the college experience. 

 

  1. Curricular Program: Students from community-based learning courses support K-12 instructors by creating discipline-specific curricular materials such as educational videos, class activities and lesson plans, including virtual presentations. Check out the following presentations created by Environmental Science & Management 450 - Applied Environmental Education and Interpretation students for middle school students:

  • ​https://flipgrid.com/ba20c575  - created by Environmental Science & Management 450 Applied Environmental Education and Interpretation students Amelia Towse, Samantha Mariscal, Sarah Feyers, Emily Ortzow for middle school students. Compares tide charts with phases of the moon to learn about the moon's effects on tides; provides a Pen Pal prompt.

  • https://flipgrid.com/025b5a19 - created by Environmental Science & Management 450 Applied Environmental Education and Interpretation students Charlotte Maupin, Isabelle Otillio, Mayra Guzman, Natalie Rynne, Lauryn Blottin for middle school students. Shares information on Air Quality Index (AQI), while providing meditation prompts for dealing anxieties arising from wildfire and pollution events.

From the start of the ConnectED program in Fall 2020 through Fall 2022:

For more on the ConnectED story, check out the Redwood Roots Digital Magazine article: Connecting Educational Dots with HSU Connect•ED.

 

The Cal Poly Humboldt (Humboldt) ConnectED program will be discontinued beginning Spring 2023, due to the return of in-person activities for both K-12 and Humboldt classes.  We will be taking a hiatus to enhance future collaborations and opportunities for this program under Humboldt’s evolving Polytechnic status.

 

We whole-heartedly thank over 41 K-12 educators who requested ConnectED Pen Pal and Curricular Presentation services from Humboldt students over the past few years -  we deeply appreciate your efforts to collaborate through this program!

 

For more information, please contact Stacy Becker at the Center for Community Based Learning, at stacy.becker@humboldt.edu. 

 

Highlights