Ways We Build Community: Earth Day Celebration

What do goats, pollinators, and Santa Clarita Valley International (SCVi) Charter School students all have in common? They all do their part to help make the Earth a better place. At our tuition-free TK-12th grade public school in Castaic, California, the Upper School Ambassadors program recently hosted an Earth Day Celebration event, inviting the younger students and community to honor our precious home. 

It Takes a Community to Make Events Happen

SCVi’s Earth Day celebration was an idea from the Scarlet Foundation, a parent volunteer organization that supports SCVi through fundraising efforts. Not only does the Scarlet Foundation raise money for our small school, but it’s a way parents and caregivers can partner with administrators, facilitators, and families to facilitate programs, events, and activities that bring our community together.

Parents and teachers like Jessica Harrison, SCVi math teacher and director of activities, worked together with the help of SCVi’s Ambassadors program. This group of learners in grades 6-12 wanted to involve the lower grades in a meaningful way. They organized interactive booths so younger learners could collaborate with the older students in an engaging way that would make the most impactful impression.

Giving back to the community in such a big event as this Earth Day Celebration couldn’t happen without the planning and enthusiasm of our ambassadors, and we are so grateful for the hard work they put in to make this day so special.

Every Day Is Earth Day…and Project-Based Learning at SCVi

Did we have projects and hands-on learning at our celebration? You bet we did! At SCVi, we thrive on project-based learning and integrate it into our inquiry-based, play-centered learning.

SCVi emphasizes inquiry-based, self-directed, and play-centered learning in a welcoming community. We nurture imaginations, encourage big questions, and promote risk-taking in a safe and supportive school.

At one booth you could add a vegetable seed (of your choice!) to a little pot of dirt and take it home to watch it grow. At another, you could make your own animal lunch bag.

The biggest projects were the booths themselves. Upper School students created informational posters about bees and pollinators to share. Another booth set up an animal-cleaning station where you could scrub (plastic) animals in a soapy solution to get rid of oil that they had encountered in a (vegetable) oil spill. 

One of the biggest projects was bringing in Dustry and Frankie, two baby goats belonging to junior Madi F. Goats can be used to clear brush, which is especially beneficial for fire prevention. At the event, students and the community fed Dustry and Frankie hay and got in some quick pets too.

Can’t Spell Earth without Art

At our small public school, we love incorporating the arts into our projects and learning. We view arts education as an integral part of developing the whole child. The Earth Day event was no exception.

• An “Earth Day Garden” banner was created for the students and staff of the school to later enjoy in the hallway. Students dipped their hands in paint and then pressed them on the banner to create hand flower bouquets.  
• The SCVi Middle School Student Council featured a recycled art booth where you could make a butterfly out of a toilet paper roll and scraps of colorful paper. 
• The booths were decorated and the students at the photo booth even made their own costumes and dressed up as a satyr (complete with horns, green hair, and furry legs) and a red-and-white mushroom!

Want to see more pictures and learn more about the event? Our local newspaper, the Signal, covered this event and you can read it here!

Building community is incredibly important to our mission at SCVi. We make it easy by finding ways to collaborate together in fun and thoughtful ways. Want to feel engaged and connected? Join our tuition-free TK-12 grade school and enroll today!

About SCVi:

Santa Clarita Valley International School (SCVi) is a free public charter school empowering TK-12th graders to become conscientious, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world. We use project-based and social-emotional learning concepts to inspire and motivate lifelong learners with the skills they need to lead in the 21st century. We incorporate technology into every component of our curriculum, and we value and encourage development of leadership skills by inspiring confidence and character in each of our unique learners. Join our innovative school today!