CAMP PINNACLES
Small schools in rural area such as San Benito County face unique transportation, staffing and resource needs. There are no school buses to transport children to school in many of the rural school districts and, for some families, the distance from home to school is considerable. In one-room schools such as Jefferson, K-8 students of all grade levels and ages receive their lessons together in the same classroom, sometimes from only one instructor. Few of the rural schools have the funds or space for a school library or other instructional materials that students in larger school districts enjoy.
In 2008, Pinnacles Partnership assisted the Pinnacles Interpretation & Education Division in launching a Science Camp at the Pinnacles which occurred on May 20-22, 2008. Since the launch of the Science Camp, Pinnacles Interpretation & Education Rangers have worked with local volunteers to develop a core Science Camp curriculum that meets state education standards for grades 5 – 6. Planning for additional Science Camps this fall 2009 is currently underway.
Pinnacles Partnership is now building on the Science Camp experience by developing “Camp Pinnacles,” which is designed to meet the unique needs of San Benito County rural schools. These incredible schools are typically small, serving remote farming and ranching communities, and quite often include one-room school houses that serve grade levels K through 8—all in one classroom. To help meet the needs of these rural schools, Pinnacles Partnership has asked the San Benito County rural schools principals to join forces with us to plan and launch one or two pilot “Camp Pinnacles” projects designed for grade levels K-8. Our goal is to develop a K-8 outdoor classroom experience that is specifically designed to meet our county’s rural schools curriculum, while incorporating the educational opportunities available at the Pinnacles National Monument. Science is only one of the many subject areas that the team may elect to incorporate; the rural schools are free to incorporate history, team-building, music, art or any other subject that meets the needs of these schools.
We are hoping to hold one or two of the pilot “Camp Pinnacles” this spring (April and/or May 2009). Each Camp will be one – two days in length and may include an overnight stay in the campground. If you would like more information concerning this new pilot project, please call Julie Dupris at (831) 673-1100 or Paula Grace at (831) 634-1012 ext 12. If you prefer e-mail, please send your request to julie@dupris.com or paulagrace@graceandalbert.com.
