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ADVENTURES IN LEARNING
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For Schools
 Ask people who grew up in California to name the most memorable event of their school years and you’re likely to hear “Seeing the elephant seals at Año Nuevo” or “Touring the State Capitol and the Railroad Museum” or “Living 1860s-style at Fort Tejon for a weekend.” So much of what students learn in school fades with the passing years that what usually stand the test of time are the exceptions--the grand events.
 From day trips to environmental living overnights to in-school programs, California's state parks offer opportunities for students to learn about our natural and cultural history through hands-on experiences and interaction with trained staff and volunteers. Encompassing a mind-boggling array of natural and cultural resources, California State Parks are the places where lasting school memories are made.
School Group Reservations For your convenience, most California State Parks allow school groups to make advance reservations. Unless directed to do otherwise by the information below, contact the individual park unit in which you're interested to learn about making reservations. Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park and Sonoma State Historic ParkReserveAmerica will be accepting reservations for the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park and the three locations within Sonoma State Historic Park: General Vallejo's Home, the Mission, and the Sonoma Barracks. Reservations can be made by calling ReserveAmerica at the toll free number (866) 240-4655. Capital District For parks in the Sacramento area, which are visited by hundreds of school groups each year, reservation information is available on our Capital District webpages. Año Nuevo and Hearst Castle-San Simeon For reservations at either Año Nuevo State Reserve or Hearst Castle-San Simeon Historic Monument, call (800) 444-4445 or (916) 414-8400, ext. 4100.
Guide to Environmental Education Programs in California State Parks This convenient and useful guide provides basic information about educational programs in our parks. The parks are sorted by county and each has a contact phone number listed. The guide details which parks provide the following types of programs: Natural History field trips, Cultural Heritage field trips, Environmental Studies (day events), Environmental Living (overnight events), Junior Rangers, Litter-Getters, and Junior Lifeguards. We do our best to keep this guide as up-to-date as possible, but please be sure to contact the park in which you're interested to verify program availability and any other logistical arrangements that may need to be made prior to your visit.
Service Learning Opportunities in California State ParksFor more information about opportunities for conducting service learning projects in California State Parks, visit our Service Learning page.
Other Environmental Education ProgramsYou might be surprised at the numerous and varied environmental education programs available--and at how many have information available on-line. Please visit our Links for Schools page for more information on programs outside of State Parks.
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Eureka! Series
Have you heard about the Eureka! Series? This exciting new project offers teachers all the tools needed to explore the world-class resources of California State Parks, capturing students' interest and encouraging achievement in science, math and language arts. Designed for grades 5-10, this innovative program is being developed by the California Institute for Biodiversity (in partnership with California State Parks and the California State Parks Foundation). Core content standards are embedded in compelling regional storylines that will engage your students! Participants receive digital classroom resources, solid subject matter content, innovative field experiences, and a 200-page guide. Upon completion, apply for transportation mini-grants to bring students out to the parks. Teacher Institutes are being offered in several locations this year. To learn more about this project or to register, visit Eureka! Series (www.eurekaseries.org).
The Get to Know Contest
Connect. Create. Celebrate.Hey teachers and parents! Get your kids outside and get to know your wild neighbors. Then have them share their experience with the world by creating an original work of art, photograph or piece of writing and enter it in the Get to Know Contest. Submissions are due by November 30, 2009.
California Environmental Education Interagency Network
The California Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN) is a state government consortium of environmental educators representing departments, boards and commissions of various state agencies. CEEIN partnership provides a forum for its members to share resources, programs and materials with California's public schools and students in grades kindergarten through university.
Take the Train to State Parks
Did you know it's easy and cheap for school groups to take the train to many of California's State Parks? How about being dropped off just a block from Carpinteria State Beach with its marvelous natural resource programs for schools? Or having a special stop planned for a visit to the inspirational Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park? Taking the train makes the trip itself part of the experience, and your students will love it. For more information, visit Amtrak's Kids 'n Trains program website.
School Group Program Evaluation
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Many California State Parks have Teacher's Guides available for educators interested in helping their students get more out of their park experience. Unfortunately, most guides are not available on-line, but be sure to inquire with park staff if you will be visiting a park and would like to know if there is a teacher's guide available. As guides become available in electronic format, we will be providing them as links from this portion of the State Parks website as well as from the individual park webpages. For now, you may want to peruse the following: