Place-based in the Platte

About 50 children brushed up on their science skills in a hands-on summer program that spanned from July 15 to 19.

Educators from Carbon County School District No. 2 and Teton Science Schools in Jackson assisted with bringing Teton Summer Science Camp to Saratoga for the third year in a row, said CCSD 2 Science Facilitator Josh Sandlian.

The program uses a teaching method called place-based education, a method designed to utilize local resources to teach students science in a hands-on environment.

“We just wanted to have a week where we were focused on science and science place-based science education,” Sandlian said.

The entire week followed an energy in Carbon County theme with each day of the week highlighting a different energy topic.

“We sat down and talked about all the different types of energy there are in the Platte Valley and how we could incorporate that into the week,” Sandlian said.

On Monday, students K-6 from across the school district learned about oil and gas energy. Tuesday, the students took a tour of Power Company of Wyoming’s new wind farm site south of Rawlins to learn more about wind energy. Wednesday, students learned about water energy. Thursday was a project day, and Friday marked a community service day, where students visited the Saratoga Community Gardens and decorated rocks to give the garden a new look.

Sandlian said the week, brought to Saratoga by Teton Science Schools in previous years, will be completely district-run in a couple years.

“We are working towards CCSD 2 taking over the summer science program,” Sandlian said. “Not that we don’t enjoy working with Teton Science Schools, but as we move forward one of the goals is that our teacher will run the summer science week. We will continue to work with Teton Science Schools throughout the school year. We will continue to send students to Teton Science School in Jackson, but this one piece, we are phasing them out so we are in charge of what we are doing.”

Sandlian said he plans to have the summer science week completely district-ran by 2015.

Sandlian said a district-run summer science program is important so teachers have closer relationships with students, and to introduce place-based learning in the classrooms.

Sandlian thanked LeAnn Uhling, Annette Kelley and Dave Rangitsch of Saratoga Elementary School; Deb Burke and Brenda Morgan of Encampment School; and Kim Besel, Mindy Sutter and Mark Shipp with Hanna Elementary School for their participation in this year’s summer science program.