Hands-on research and the practical application of scientific concepts is critical for students as they learn and grow throughout their education. Allowing students to see the real world relevance of the subject matter they are learning goes a long way towards...
Headwaters Science Institute’s programs help students and teachers better answer the question, “What is science.” Here, we outline how the definition of science is at the core of our hands-on science education process.
Headwaters Science Institute’s spring 2022 programing has featured field days with hundreds of students learning hands-on science research in the field in locations such as the American River, Truckee forests and the Marin Headlands.
Spots are still available for Headwaters Science Institute’s summer camps and programs.
Headwaters Science Institute is fundraising to keep programs free for underserved Sacramento-area schools during Big Day of Giving on May 5. Here’s how it has impacted Barrett Middle School.
Headwaters Science Institute celebrated the completion of the Spring Research Experience on Monday as four students presented their original research projects in a live broadcast.
Program Manager
Bryn manages school programs and summer camps for Headwaters. She recently received a Master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Her Master’s research focused on ocean acidification impacts on sea urchin larvae. Bryn grew up in the Tahoe area and is passionate about providing outdoor education to students and allowing them to take advantage of the outdoor space they have access to. In her free time, she enjoys anything outdoors, especially when she gets to spend time in the water.
Program Manager
Beth Fitzpatrick has a background in scientific research, is a Ph.D candidate in ecology, and has experience in planning and providing engaging STEM outreach programing to K-12 students. Beth oversees school programming and summer camps for Headwaters. She has experience teaching in postsecondary education, study design and execution, and grant writing.
Program Manager and Outreach
Jennifer Cotton manages our Research Experience and Lunch with a Scientist Program. She previously worked as a secondary science content specialist and public high school science educator. She has over a decade of experience in writing standards based curriculum. She has worked with OCEARCH to create a STEM based curriculum and has represented that organization at many outreach events.
Programs
Mary Ellen holds a BA in Biology/Environmental Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz. She has worked as an environmental education guide for more than 10 years, balancing that with substitute teaching K-12 in the local school district. For fun she coaches a high school Nordic ski team and tries to get in as much play time outside, skiing, running and biking. She hopes to inspire students to be curious about natural processes in order to foster a deeper appreciation of our environment.
Science Mentor
In the fall of 2016, Dan completed his B.S. in plant physiology at Pennsylvania State University. He is currently completing his M.S. Biology degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania working under Dr. Josiah Townsend, researching the evolutionary relationships between the herpetofauna, mainly amphibians, of Mesoamerica and assessing levels of biodiversity in this region. Dan intends on continuing his academic interests in the future by pursing a PhD in systematics, ecology, and evolution. He is also focused on developing effective teaching methods of scientific information to all age groups.
Grants and Programs
Anne holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno where she researched the impacts of human-induced changes on sexually selected signals of a butterfly. She has also been a part of several scientific outreach programs, including a community science project (Pieris Project) and the University of Nevada’s Museum of Natural History. Anne is excited to continue sharing the scientific process and research with a diversity of students through the Headwaters Science Institute!