Photos By Simon Wong
New Haven Unified School District's (NHUSD) "Bringing Science to Life for Students, Teachers and the Community" program, served 128 fifth grade students and four teachers in its first year, 2006-07. Funded primarily by grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program, this program is gaining strength.
Union Sanitary District, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, and Starbucks are now grant partners.
"Prior to 2008, 5th grade students at Alvarado and Cabello Elementary Schools consistently scored in the bottom 20 percent of the California State Standards Test for science. Teachers in the upper grades reported not spending enough time teaching science, due to lack of time, resources or knowledge of science," explained Kim Pratt, Science Specialist at Alvarado Elementary School, Union City.
"The NOAA B-WET grant and funding from our grant partners address these concerns and instill a sense of stewardship in our students. This program engages and energizes students in learning science and the protection of the SF Bay Watershed, provides staff-
