McCall Outdoor Science School

The McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) is a year-round learning center that serves over 3500 Idaho K-12 students annually in residential and outreach settings. Field instructors for outdoor science programs are University of Idaho graduate students and AmeriCorps members completing a certificate in environmental education. The McCall Outdoor Science School also offers programs open to the public including Field Seminars and a Community Energy Partnership.

The program is located at the 11-acre (45,000 m²) University of Idaho McCall Field Campus on Payette Lake and is operated through a partnership between the University of Idaho, the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, and Ponderosa State Park.

Mission

The mission of the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) is to use the outdoors as an integrating context for learning about science, place, and community.

Program Goals

The goal of MOSS is the continued development of a year-round education and resource facility that:

• Links its programs to Idaho Academic Achievement Standards.
• Offers a unique place in which students participate in hands-on projects and outdoor field activities that appeal to different learning styles.
• Helps students understand key scientific and ecological principles.
• Develops an understanding of the natural and cultural history of Idaho ecosystems.
• Provides teachers with a model for integrating interdisciplinary teaching tools in the classroom.
• Provides the next generation of educators with practical, field teaching experience.
• Links UI research and academic programs with Idaho K-12 schools and partnering agencies.

History

The McCall Outdoor Science School was founded in 2001 by Dr. Steve Hollenhorst of the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources and Greg Fizzell of the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute.

A short history of the McCall Field Campus and MOSS is presented below:

1938 - UI secures access to property
1939 - Dining Hall built by CCCs
1942 - Forestry “Summer Camp” begins
1970s - Cabins and bunkhouses built
1990s - Summer Camp ends, facilities, decline, maintenance backlog grows
2001 - K12 programs started with 35 students in one week of programming
2003 - Grad program started with 8 students
2005 - AmeriCorps program started
2006 - $150K winterization improvements, year-round operation begins
2007 - Community Outreach programs implemented
2007 - Winter residential programs
2008 - NSF EPSCoR grant received for K-12 Science Education
2008 - Land Board grants 3-years to work out land exchange
2009 - Kresge Grant to support Field Campus Master Plan
2009 - FEMA fire mitigation and FireWise grant

K-12 Program

MOSS classes are conducted in a coniferous forest, at the edge of a mountain stream, on the shore of a lake, and in a meadow. The most useful tools for learning are readily available; the students' five senses. The subject of ecosystem science serves as the context for standards-based study of science, technology, mathematics, and language arts.

Team-building and mutual respect are important components of MOSS field programs. New life skills in communication and group decision-making are the result when students participate in a series of low-ropes elements. Clear communication, respect, and teamwork are stressed through active metaphor.

Graduate Program - Idaho's Environmental Education Corps

The McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) Mobile Environmental Education Corps (MEEC) is a one-year AmeriCorps service opportunity. Sixteen graduate students serve as AmeriCorps members while earning 19 University of Idaho graduate credits, as well as a certificate in environmental education. One-third of the work takes place at Idaho’s only residential outdoor science school, one-third in various schools around the state, and one-third at public agencies and nonprofit organizations across Idaho.

The 12-months of service with the Mobile Environmental Education Corps (MEEC) consist of two distinct phases.

Phase 1: MOSS Residential and Outreach Program As field instructors in the MOSS K-12 program, graduate students lead teams of 6-10 K-12 students through the forests and along the streams of the Salmon River Mountains as they harness the power of science to unlock the mysteries of the world around them. They also participate in graduate level training programs in community ecology, teaching methods, and outdoor leadership. Outreach programs take MOSS on the road by visiting schools across the state of Idaho. Graduate students implement a catalog of environmental education programs both in classroom and field settings. Your training will continue with additional short courses, conferences, and workshops.

Phase 2: Summer Placement ProgramEach graduate student spends the summer at various placement sites including public natural resource agencies and nonprofit organizations who are looking for skilled educators, interpreters, and natural resource technicians. During this segment, graduate students apply the skills and knowledge gained during the intense training and hands-on application of the prior segment to help environmental organizations statewide fulfill their missions.

Teacher Education

MOSS offers summer and winter Teacher Institute focusing on teaching about climate, water and science. K-12 teachers spend a long weekend on MOSS working alongside university scientists to discover the latest in climate and water research and how it can be integrated into your classroom.

Goals of the Teacher Institute are:

• To give teachers a chance to experience field science research and learn about current projects being conducted in Idaho.
• To work with teachers and scientists to create projects that can be conducted in classrooms throughout the state.
• To provide an opportunity for our MOSS teachers to gather for a time of reflection and renewal after a long school year.

Institute Logistics:

• Open to middle and high school science teachers
• Cost of the institute is covered by the National Science Foundation
• A $100 travel stipend is provided to participants
• University of Idaho credit available at additional cost
• Space is limited to 30 participants per institute.

References

• Ray Doering. "Streams of consciousness," Idaho Magazine, Winter 2004.
• McDonnell, Tony, Austin, Laurie and Jones, Carol. "McCall outdoor science camp: a great learning experience for all 6th graders," School Connections, Fall 2006.

External links

• McCall Outdoor Science School
• University of Idaho
• Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute
• Ponderosa State Park
• City of McCall, Idaho