Anza Borrego Foundation
TEACHER SYMPOSIUM
Anza-Borrego Foundation would like to partner with 3rd-grade, middle school, and high school teachers interested in preserving Anza-Borrego Desert State Park by educating their students on its natural beauty and abundant resources.
To bring awareness about the desert to classrooms across Southern California, ABF is hosting three weekend teacher symposiums at the Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center and in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We are looking for teachers interested in learning more about the desert and willing to learn ways they can influence the next generation of visitors on climate awareness, conservation, and preservation.
We also invite our teacher symposium participants to become advisory council members who provide input into our educational program’s continued development and improvement.
The three-day spring symposium will consist of one full day, “Learning in the Park,” with a certified volunteer naturalist for California State Parks and an Environmental Scientist for the California State Parks, and a hike on Sunday. We will provide all meals and group lodging at the UCI Research Center located in the Park.
Teacher Symposium Details
When
March 1-3, 2024 (Middle School)
April 19 – 21, 2024 (Elementary – High School Teachers – Almost full)
May 3-5, 2024 (High School) (Full – Wait list started – Please contact eenglished@yahoo.com to be placed on the waitlist)
Where
Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center (UCR Research Center) near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. (Shared bunkhouse lodging).
Who
Twenty-four teachers in each symposium interested in STEM, Art, Drama, Math, and/or Language Arts. (No desert experience necessary.)
Why
We want to ensure the next generation appreciates this unique natural environment.
How
Hiking with desert experts, guest speakers, lodging, and meals
Cost
We request a $65 commitment/registration fee. After you complete the INTEREST FORM, we will inform you of your registration status and send you the registration and payment forms and a welcome letter.
Teachers, please complete this “INTEREST FORM” to start our process. Filling this form out does not commit you but gives us an idea of who wants to attend.
We will hear from acclaimed desert photographer Paulette Donnellon and spend time in the desert, “Learning in the Park,” with park interpreters. We will stargaze in the park on Saturday evening and listen to park experts. On Sunday, participants will review and offer input into NGGS lessons to share with teachers in local counties. We will close our symposium with a hike led by Diana Lindsay, author of the book Anza-Borrego Desert Region Guide. We will provide all meals and lodging at the UCI Research Center located in the park.
Teacher Testimonials
“I was amazed how much life there is in the desert. It has inspired me to teach more in the desert. I found the hikes most valuable because I was able to experience the desert in such a different way than expected.” ~DD
“Hearing from Will Madrigal was powerful. The symposium would not have been appropriate without Indigenous voices. Learning about the problems and effort towards solutions from Danny was very interesting. Tracking by prints and scat with Terry was really fun.” ~JR
“As a new person to the desert, I was hooked by Paulette’s photography slide show. It made me curious and want to learn more.” ~KR
“My favorite moment from the symposium was during the Font’s Point hike with Terry. We had walked so carefully and mindfully, taking in every small detail about the ground. Once we reached the top of the hill, I was so surprised by the vastness of the land below us. The wind also added a fun aspect. 🙂 It was so beautiful and a pleasant surprise.” ~AL
“This program opened my eyes to the unique biodiversity that the desert holds. I also learned so much about the conservation and preservation efforts by the foundation and partnering organizations.” ~Participant
“Everything was very well planned and organized. Possibly mention to future attendees that we will be driving on rugged terrain.” ~Participant
My weekend with the Anza- Borrego foundation was eye opening and enriching. I have learned to appreciate the desert environment with so many different lenses. Historian, biologist, photographer, tracker…I will never see the desert in the same way again and I am so excited to share with my students. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers from the Anza-Borrego foundation. I appreciate your generosity and willingness to share your love of the desert with the next generations!
M.S. – California virtual academies
____________________________ The Anza Borrego Teacher Symposium was an unparalleled gift. To spend a weekend led by field professionals, and in the company of thoughtful peers, has been edifying and uplifting. I have been provided with a wealth of resources, foundational knowledge, and the means to immediately translate my learning experience to my classroom. The accommodations and provisions were ample and exceptional. Every detail was considered and resulted in a highly valuable and memorable experience.
KM – Horizon Prep
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There is nothing better than fully immersing oneself in a natural resource. As a teacher, I was aware of Anza-Borrego, but I did not have the experience or confidence necessary to take any of these desert resources back to my classroom. This Symposium provided me with both of those things. – J. M.
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I want to thank everyone involved in offering this experience for the teachers involved. The weekend really felt focused on collaboration and exploration of the desert. This was a refreshing change from a lot of other conferences that are lecture based. The presenters were engaging and captivated our attention and wonder of the desert. I am intrigued as an educator, but also as a resident of San Diego. I have always seen the desert through the window of my car, but I feel that this opened the door to the details and vast biodiversity of the Anza-Borrego Desert.
Jolene M – San Pasqual Union
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Kimberly Hamill- California Virtual Academies
The Anza Borrego Foundation Teacher Symposium was an incredible experience! The quality of presentations was very, very high. I came back to my classroom with a huge store of amazing resources, knowledge and lesson plans that will serve me and my students for years to come!!
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The Symposium has been a great opportunity to meet other Middle School teachers and share ideas for the classroom. The hikes have been absolutely amazing. We spent FOUR hours with experts in their fields. We went from tracking animals and scat to botany chasing. We could have hung out longer with each expert. Their knowledge and interests were so engaging.
-Dorothy A. The Classical Academies
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I approached this weekend as a middle school ELA teacher. It was the perfect opportunity to slow down and experience the world as we want our students to appreciate it. As teachers, we get so caught up in the day-to-day life of behavior management and student necessities, we sometimes forget to slow down and observe the world too. This experience reminded me to step back and approach teaching from a standpoint of students’ impact on the world and how they can begin the process of learning to appreciate the environment we live in. With the support of the amazing speakers and hand-on experiences, I gained more tools and understanding of the desert environment and how we could integrate these ideas into the classroom setting. Additionally, this experience didn’t keep us sitting inside a classroom or workspace all weekend. Instead, we listened to relevant speakers then followed them out into different zones of the desert to apply the knowledge we collected indoors. I genuinely enjoyed observing and learning from professionals of the desert environment, which lead to an unforgettable and priceless experience. Thank you!
-Kersten M, The Classical Academies
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The Anza Borrego Foundation Teacher Symposium opened my eyes to the vast amount of life and activities in the desert. The speakers offered an abundance of knowledge in history, biology, and ecology on this area that made me appreciate the desert so much more. I’m excited to bring everything I experienced this weekend back to the classroom to have my students be just as enthusiastic about exploring and understanding the importance of maintaining everything Anza Borrego has to offer to the future generations. Thank you for the opportunity for this great experience.
G.C.- Foothills M.S., Arcadia USD
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What a fantastic experience to be among educators and experts. The knowledge I have gained in this short time will definitely impact the way I teach my students. Thank you for the wealth of resources that I can share with fellow teachers in my district.
M.H. – Glendale USD
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What an adventure! I am so thankful for the amazing learning experience provided by the foundation. The guest speakers were knowledgeable and fantastic resources to us as teachers and therefore passed on to our students. This was such a valuable hands-on learning experience.
Thank you to The Anza Borrego Foundation for this opportunity, Erin for leadership and hosting, and the fantastic professionals that took us on hikes, shared their experiences and knowledge.
Patti R- Oceanside USD
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The Anza Borrego Foundation Teacher Symposium was an experience that far surpassed my expectations. The knowledge, experience and passion that each presenter demonstrated in their area of expertise had a profound impact on my familiarity with this unique desert ecosystem. Paulette’s passion for capturing the beauty of life that fills Anza Borrego left me in awe. Danny’s ability to make the current biological concerns of the wetlands ecosystem more accessible provided an entry-level understanding that allows us to bring these real-world relevant concerns to our classrooms. His understanding of the history of the land and changes over time provided the background knowledge to create multi-disciplinary lessons that teachers who participate in this program can use immediately in their classrooms. Erin’s welcoming nature truly made this experience one of a collaboration of colleagues. This was genuinely an opportunity of a lifetime!
Jen P. – Encinitas Union
As a science dual immersion teacher, attending the teacher symposium at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was an unforgettable experience. The symposium not only provided valuable insights and resources for enhancing my teaching methods but also offered educational hikes that brought science to life in a breathtaking natural setting. I left feeling inspired and equipped with new tools to ignite my students’ curiosity and passion for science.
– Wendy, Nestor Language Academy, SBUSD
Anza Borrego and the foundation hosts a wealth of resources and knowledge for educators! Our weekend in the desert covered specific different topics that are unique to this region, and allowed educators from across SoCal to convene and make valuable connections. The specialists that presented during the symposium were passionate and very knowledgeable about the desert ecosystem and offered resources and ideas to bring back to the classroom. There are so many amazing opportunities in Anza Borrego for students to understand the living world around them! I would highly recommend this experience to bring real-world learning into the classroom.
– Tom Olson, Elite Academic Academy
I’m in my second year teaching science. I was seeking more community, resources, and knowledge. I came to the ABF symposium on the referral of another middle school science teacher. I was not sure what to expect but hoped I would walk away learning something more about the desert.
Wow, my expectations have been exceeded beyond measure. The ABF symposium was well organized and accomodations were comfortable. One true highlight was the presenters. The presenters, each an expert, were each so knowledgeable and engaging.
What made this experience truly unique was being able to take what we learned in the “classroom “ through presentations and directly apply that knowledge in a hands-on way during our hike. Each hike was intentional to take us out, in small groups, to experience different parts of the vast Anza Borrego Desert. We were encouraged to “slow down and look”.
I am walking away with a vast knowledge of the Anza Borrego Desert, additional resources that I can directly and immediately apply to my instruction and am a proud Dessert Education Ambassador.
Thank you to the ABF for putting this amazing weekend together.
R.B.A Middle School science teacher -Horizon Prep