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Caroline County schools unveil environmental literacy plan to expand outdoor learning and watershed experiences
Summary
Caroline County Public Schools presented a new Environmental Literacy Plan on June 10 that aligns K–12 science standards with outdoor watershed experiences, partner-based fieldwork and a multi-year rollout; the board was asked to help publicize and support pilot activities.
Caroline County Public Schools on June 10 presented an Environmental Literacy Plan the district developed with local partners to expand outdoor, watershed-based learning across K–12 grades.
Becca Schaeber, the district’s science instructional specialist, told the Board of Supervisors the plan is a two‑year effort distilled into an activity guide aligned with Virginia’s Standards of Learning. The plan lists grade‑by‑grade activities connected to local partners, and highlights “Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences” (MEWEs) as a recurring, multi‑grade field activity.
Schaeber introduced partner organizations that helped develop the plan, including the Hanover‑Caroline Soil and Water Conservation District and Chesapeake Bay partners. The steering committee, she said, aligned the literacy plan with the district’s Achieve 2027 strategic goals and then developed objectives covering career connections, watershed experiences, community partnerships and sustainable school initiatives.
Presenters described classroom‑adjacent activities, school gardens, hatchery projects and MEWEs already piloted during recent Earth Day events and field outings. The plan includes an activity guide that links each relevant SOL to suggested classroom and community activities and identifies local partners who can help lead outside experiences.
Board members asked about litter cleanup and community‑partnered roadside cleanups; staff said several pilot projects already included student trash pickups and school adoption of nearby roadway segments. The presenters said they would publicize the plan starting in September and return to the board with partner rollout plans. The plan’s authors asked the board to support dissemination and community engagement to scale field experiences across the district.
