Center for Environmental Learning

The Working Towards Racial Equity workshop series, a three-year workshop series co-designed and co-facilitated by The Lawrence Hall of Science, Justice Outside, and Laura Rodriguez, is designed to build capacity to institutionalize equity in outdoor and environmental science education (including organizations dedicated to outdoor learning, environmental justice, environmental science, environmental literacy, youth development, and community development).

Understanding the Impact of Outdoor Science and Environmental Learning Experiences Through Community-Driven Outcomes seeks to design new research and evaluation tools for outdoor science and environmental learning organizations to understand impact related to environmental and scientific literacy.

BEETLES infuses outdoor science organizations with research-based approaches and tools to improve science teaching and learning. Professional learning resources, designed for use with educators, provide experiences and rationale about outdoor science instruction designed to inspire instructors to improve their teaching. Student activities inspire students’ wonder and curiosity about the natural world, support their innate tendencies for exploration, and guide them to make explanations based on evidence.

Supporting Rightful Presence in Museum Spaces: Youth as Participatory Designers of Indigenous Mixed Reality Science Exhibits is a collaboration between The Lawrence, UC Berkeley’s School of Information, and ‘ottoy initative to research and develop new museum experiences centered around Ohlone ways of knowing and being. The project will engage Ohlone youth and families in participatory design with the goal of instilling a sense of ownership and belonging for Indigenous visitors to the museum. The project’s deliverables will include multiple exhibits for the Lawrence Hall of Science’s science center.

The Center for Environmental Learning is a partner of the The Lawrence Hall of Science’s ‘ottoy initiative. The ‘ottoy initiative aims to foster understanding of and respect for Ohlone people and culture and to repair and improve our relationship with the Ohlone community. Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, co-founders of mak-‘amham/Cafe Ohlone, lead the initiative.

Justice Outside, The Lawrence Hall of Science, Pisces Foundation, and Informing Change are proud to partner in creating Network for Network Leaders: Justice, Community, & Outdoor Learning to advance a more equitable, just, and influential network model that centers the experiences and knowledge of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, specifically leaders of networks that impact the outdoors, environmental education, and environmental justice.

The Robert and Elizabeth Karplus Outdoor Nature Lab is the first new addition to The Lawrence in 20 years! Nestled next to the building and overlooking a stunning view of San Francisco Bay, this nature center is a native landscape attracting birds, pollinators, decomposers, and insects. Signage features Chochenyo, the first language of the East Bay and knowledge from the Ohlone community. Experiences, instructional materials, and outdoor exhibits encourage wonder, curiosity, and connection with the outdoors.