LAUSD Specialists

Thank you for leading the change for LAUSD and beyond as you help make your Nature Explore Outdoor Classrooms sustainable and nurturing spaces for children and adults alike!

Scroll down for meeting dates, information and recording…

Bookmark this private page! This is your home base, with resources and opportunities for you as LAUSD Sustainability Specialists.

Keep in Touch

To reach everyone on the LAUSD Sustainability Specialists team, simply email [email protected]. You can also reach your Nature Explore coordinator Kirsten Haugen at [email protected].

Mark Your Calendars

We will meet from 1-2 pm on the third Thursday of every month via Zoom. Each month, we’ll have a short video/photo presentation from one or two sites. See the schedule of events below.

Our dedicated Zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84060842833

Meeting ID: 840 6084 2833

Passcode: 343225

One tap mobile:

+16699006833,,84060842833#,,,,*343225# US (San Jose)

+12532158782,,84060842833#,,,,*343225# US (Tacoma)

Share Your Story

Email [email protected] to sign up for a date to present your site. These will be 5-8 minute informal videos and/or photos to tell your story about your outdoor classroom.

Suggest a Topic

Topics for each monthly meeting may include sustaining and maintaining your outdoor classrooms, plants and trees, finding loose parts, family engagement, curricular ideas and more. How and when we focus on each topic will be based on your ideas, questions, successes and challenges, so the more active you are in sharing, the more you’ll see your needs met in the topics we cover!

Upcoming Meetings

November 18

Site presentation: 66th Street. See 66th Street’s Certified Page
Topic: Ways to engage families, especially during covid, including how we might apply these Sustainability Indicators for Involving Families (from Keeping It Growing: Sustaining Your Outdoor Classroom):
- Involve families, including extended family, in your plans for your outdoor classroom
- Survey families for interests and skills to encourage volunteering in or for your outdoor classroom
- Regularly communicate with families about stories, successes and needs in your outdoor classroom
- And from last time: Maintain a posted list of maintenance and material needs (that families might contribute, for example)

Each site can choose one of these indicators as a team, and come up with a concrete way to focus on it.

“Our alliances with families hold the promise of open-hearted relationships in which we move beyond the formal roles of ‘educator’ and ‘parent’ and open our lives to each other.”
― Pelo and Carter, From Teaching to Thinking

December 16 – NO MEETING

Special Assignment: TAKE PHOTOS!

Take photos of each area of your Outdoor Classroom
Take photos illustrating each of the Ten Guiding Principles
Take photos of caretaking/maintenance challenges and/or your creative solutions to those challenges

We will use these photos in future meetings, trainings and in discussions with our design and maintenance teams.

Send your photos to [email protected] via wetransfer.com

January 20

Site presentation: sign up!
Topic: make a suggestion

February 17

Site presentation: sign up!
Topic: make a suggestion

March 17

Site presentation: sign up!
Topic: make a suggestion

April 21

Site presentation: sign up!
Topic: make a suggestion

May 19

Site presentation: sign up!
Topic: make a suggestion

June 16

Site presentation: sign up!
Topic: make a suggestion

Prior Specialists Meetings

August 19

Site presentations:
- 4th Street (begins at 00:25 in meeting recording). See 4th Street’s Certified Page
- Jaime Escalante (begins at 20:23 in meeting recording)
Topic: Review resources available on this page; make suggestions

September 16:

Site presentations:
Arminta starts at 03:55. See Arminta’s Certified Page
Trinity starts at 19:03. See Trinity’s Certified Page
Topic: Finding and storing loose parts

October 21—From Maintenance to Caretaking: Involving Children

Site presentation: Wanda Mikes. See Wanda Mike’s Certified Page
Topic: From Maintenance to Caretaking: Involving Children. Here’s a related piece from our blog: Heart-Centered Teaching: Enjoying Caretaking