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Looking Ahead:
The events of 2020 and advent of distance learning have forever affected education—science education especially. In elementary schools, science was often not taught, or only done through asynchronous learning; in both middle school and high school, students returned to reading about science rather than figuring it out as required by Next Generation Science Standards.
As teachers and students return to school for the 2021-2022 school year, it remains to be seen as to how science will be prioritized by districts. However, we believe that biomimicry education is the interdisciplinary vehicle for increasing learning engagement, building science literacy, mathematical skills, and more, all while addressing access and equity. Students will also be able to make sense about their place in the world, and have the tools and mindset to improve it.
Funding Current Opportunities
With the generous support of our donors, sponsors, and partners, we plan to:
Increase Youth Design Challenge program reach as well as student and coach participation
Improve K-12 curriculum and provide K-5 content that focuses on Social Emotional Learning through the lens of biomimicry
Make continuous improvement on the process of decolonization of educational offerings by seeking multicultural viewpoints.
Introduce biomimicry in middle school programs that engage students who might not see themselves as oriented toward STEM activities.
Increase the number of speaking opportunities to bring awareness to biomimicry as the interdisciplinary practice for all students to engage in.
New Funding Opportunities
Virtual Biomimicry Summer Camps
To meet the needs of parents and students who are requesting year-long learning experiences, we plan to implement a one week, virtual student summer camp for elementary (grades 3-5); middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12), starting with a pilot in 2022.
These virtual camps will enable students to see themselves as part of nature regardless of location, and understand the need for deep observation of organisms in order to create sustainable design. Students who engage in the camp will be positioned to continue learning biomimicry during their school years.
We plan to turn the pilot into a robust summer camp program over the course of three years, with expertly trained facilitators, student camp counselors, and a new theme each year (air, land, water).
Shaping Science Education Policy in California
The California Partnership for Math & Science Education (CAPMSE) is seeking our collaboration for policy shaping in A Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future.
Together, we can answer the National Academies' Call to Action for Science Education in determining the top priorities for equitable K-12 science in California. Our goal is to develop a blueprint for enacting these priorities that includes biomimicry education, and implement them at state and local levels starting in 2022.
Educator Leadership: Lessons and Professional Learning
Research continues to underscore the importance of building leadership capacity within a system in order to develop, implement, and sustain continuous improvement reforms. We are committed to support educators in their development, and empowering them to find their sphere of influence in which they can effect change.
To this end, we plan to increase Educator Leadership Opportunities in five of our key Youth Education areas: the Youth Design Challenge, Summer School, Instructional Material Development, Partnerships, and utilization of case studies derived from the Biomimicry Institute's Ray of Hope Prize for nature-inspired startups.
If you are interested in furthering biomimicry education opportunities for students and educators, we'd love to hear from you.
Contact us for more information.
“I was able to use my creative abilities to effectively create a design that can benefit the world.
I felt that I could actually make a difference in the world, despite my age and experience.”
~ Youth Design Challenge Student Participant
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