Sierra Nevada Journeys

Reviewed by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation
Fundraise

$64,668 raised by 38 donors

65% complete

$100,000 Goal

Sierra Nevada Journeys is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency with the mission to deliver innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship. Sierra Nevada Journeys believes that science and nature are for everyone and our vision is to build a community of youth who are leaders, scientists, and stewards of the natural world.

To achieve this vision, we focus on building sustainable partnerships with schools and communities that serve the youth who have historically been and still are denied access to high-quality science education and outdoor learning experiences. We invite and listen to continuous voice from these partners, and the youth and families they serve, to inform how we design and deliver culturally relevant and inclusive programs. It is with this vision in mind that we pursue our mission, striving to become the equitable and inclusive organization that the youth of our communities deserve.

At the heart of all our programs is the desire to create top-tiered opportunities for all children to learn science and fall in love with the natural world regardless of their socioeconomic background or where they live. Since 2006, Sierra Nevada Journeys' educators and outdoor program instructors have provided over 200,000 students with hands-on STEM lessons, formative experiences in the outdoors, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities. Our programs place a strong emphasis on equity and also aim to enhance family and community engagement in the lives of students. Our purpose is to address the various educational and environmental needs of our region by helping students to:

  1.  Understand, practice, and be inspired by STEM; 
  2.  Apply critical thinking skills to relevant, real-world issues and problems; and 
  3.  Build connections to the natural world, thereby inspiring them to become stewards of our natural resources.

Mission

Our mission is to deliver innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship.

Needs

Classrooms Unleashed: Combines in-class, grade-specific science lessons with an outdoor field-study experience led by our experienced educators during which students examine and gather evidence. Students head to local nature sites like the American River and Deer Creek Hills where they can become ecologists, geologists, and watershed scientists. The program includes six different units, one for each grade, and uses hands-on, experiential and outdoor education as a framework for young people to study, think, and learn. Funding helps us offset the cost of programming for schools and teachers.

Overnight Outdoor Learning: A multi-day adventure for fifth or sixth-grade students to immerse themselves in outdoor science at our 515-acre Grizzly Creek Ranch camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains (40 miles north of Lake Tahoe). While the educational goals are drawn from state and national standards, SNJ digs deeper to provide Social Emotional Learning opportunities in our challenge course and team problem solving experiences. Funding helps us serve schools on a sliding scale of fees so that all schools can participate regardless of their ability to pay.

Family STEM Nights: This unique and innovative after-school program invites kindergarten through sixth grade students, their parents/guardians, and their siblings to participate in an interactive two-hour Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) event based at school sites that foster parent engagement. Funding supports educator time and the purchase of supplies for these events.

Specialty Camps: We host unique, specially designed camp experiences at Grizzly Creek Ranch during weekends and summers. We fundraise to offer scholarships for our Summer and Family Camps. For example, we collaborate with Women in Tesla (WIT) to put on a Girls in STEM camp for middle-school aged girls from Title-One schools each year. The camp uses Sierra Nevada Journeys’ STEM programming and WIT volunteers for a unique weekend of team building and outdoor exploration.

Volunteers to help guide local field trips are always needed and shows the young students we serve that their community cares about their exposure to science and the outdoors.

Equity Statement

Sierra Nevada Journeys believes that science and nature are for everyone.

To achieve this vision, we focus on building sustainable partnerships with schools and communities that serve the youth who have historically and currently been denied access to high-quality science education and outdoor learning experiences.

We invite and listen to continuous voice from these partners, and the youth and families they serve, to inform how we design and deliver culturally relevant and inclusive programs.

We recruit a workforce that reflects our audience. We value our employees by fostering a culture where all backgrounds and perspectives of our staff are seen and heard, and by providing sustainable compensation, mentorship and professional development opportunities.

It is with this vision in mind that we pursue our mission, striving to become the equitable and inclusive organization that the youth of our communities deserve.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Sierra Nevada Journeys

other names

SNJ

Tax id (EIN)

01-0881587

Mission Category

Education

Operating Budget

$5,000,001-$10 million

Organization Need

Funding: Program, Volunteers

Demographics Served

Youth & Children, Low-income individuals/families, General population

Counties Served

Placer, Sacramento, Yolo

Equity Statement

Equity Statement

Address

2515 Venture Oaks Way Suite 135
Sacramento, CA 95833

Service areas

Sacramento, CA, US

Placer, CA, US

Yolo, CA, US

Phone

916.827.0765

fax

775-329-1689

Email

brittneygk@sierranevadajourneys.org

Website

http://sierranevadajourneys.org/

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