Seven hundred kids flooded Rancho
Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) last week, traveling to Claremont from across the
county, many to take their first field trip to a garden area outside of their
own backyard.
The Claremont garden teamed up
with the Azusa Unified School District and summer program THINK Together to
make the field trip a reality for the Title I school children, many struggling
both financially and academically.
Providing these kids with
hands-on experience—usually unavailable to them because of budget cuts or
financial hardships—has proved to be an invaluable learning tool.
“It has given these kids a sense
of belonging,” said Irene Bobadilla, quality assurance coach with THINK
Together, adding. “It helps them to think outside the box when it comes to
academics.”
For 18 years, THINK Together has
worked to improve the test scores of under-privileged youth by providing
after-school or out-of-school academic programming. In 2011-2012 alone the
nonprofit came to the aid of over 100,000 students in more than 30 cities from
Sacramento to San Diego. The program’s success is aided by partnering with
school administrators and teachers to close achievement gaps.
The collaboration between RSAG
and THINK Together began last year, and the relationship has continued to grow
in popularity and number since that time. This summer the garden has welcomed
more than 2,000 THINK Together students as a part of the summer outreach
program.
“It’s a great opportunity for
them, and not typical to what they usually get to experience,” said THINK
Together Site Coordinator Veronica Gutierrez, who has worked for the program
for the past 3 years. Ms. Gutierrez got involved with the nonprofit while
working toward her credential. She felt strongly about reaching out to
disadvantaged children because of her own background growing up in a poor
neighborhood.
“They need someone to help guide
them. That’s something I can really relate to,” Ms. Gutierrez said, thankful
for the partnership because she is able to provide new experiences like the
botanic garden to these children.
This year that alliance goes from
pedagogy to practice for the school kids as they look to put the past several
weeks of summer study into practice. This summer’s session, themed “National
Treasures”, focused on teaching about California’s National parks and natural
habitats, culminating with a visit to RSABG to see one such environment first
hand.
The already colorful gardenscape
received a further burst of color as the K-6 children, donning multi-colored
shirts to identify their separate groups, traipsed the trails of the native
gardens with a background of commentary provided by volunteers of RSABG and
THINK Together coordinators.
The towering bugs were a
particular draw for the curious kids and provided an excellent launching point
for discussion on the great outdoors. While the plants and landscape didn’t go
unnoticed, the bugs seemed to be the center of excitement.
“I love the ladybug,” said
10-year old Maria Cabanillas, who is preparing to enter sixth grade at
Valleydale Elementary School in Azusa this fall. “I like that it’s made of
natural materials like wood.”
Several of Maria’s friends
agreed, launching into discussion about how they have been able to use their
newfound knowledge of critters and creatures at home.
“Do you want to know where black
widows get their name?” asked 12-year-old Giselle Vega, a soon-to-be seventh
grader at Foothill Middle School, eager to share her insight.
Giselle admitted that she didn’t
used to be as eager about the study of insects or school in general and her
grades took a serious dive as a result. Things began to change for Giselle when
her mother enrolled her in after-school programs through THINK Together.
“I used to be horrible in Math...I
used to think school was boring,” Giselle said. That was until Math Blaster and other games introducing
academia to her in a new way. “Now it’s a lot of fun, and I’ve met a bunch of
new friends.”
Opportunities like visiting the
garden are a part of a wealth of welcome new experiences for the now eager
learners.
“It’s been really great working
with the garden to be able to provide learning about natural habitats not only
through books, but by actually walking the routes themselves,” Ms. Bobadilla
said. “We are so appreciative.”
Blood drive participants will
receive 2 VIP tickets to the Laugh Factory and 2 complimentary tickets to a
Chivas soccer game. Taylor Hall is located at 1775 N. Indian Hill Blvd. For
more information, visit www.givelife.com.
