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Measurement, evaluation, and improvement

Environmental Education

As we grow, it is imperative that we keep pace with the changing world and the changing lives of our students. With that in mind, we continually measure and evaluate the effectiveness of our programs, the impact we have on the lives of our students, and the role we play in our communities.

From science to stewardship

We have been evaluating and learning from our own practices for more than a decade. This timeline highlights some of our most significant evaluation milestones:

  1997 Diversity Initiative launches to increase access to environmental education for underserved communities.
  1998 Stanford University School of Education is commissioned for yearlong program evaluation.
  2000  “Raising Standards in Environmental Education,” an executive summary of the 1998-99 Stanford evaluation findings is published.
  2001 Internal Diversity Initiative is launched; Stanford School of Education is commissioned for a more extensive year-long evaluation.
  2002  “Striving for Excellence,” a summary of the 2001-02 Stanford evaluation findings is published.
  2003 Olympic Park Institute completes a second year follow-up evaluation; NatureBridge releases an updated Core Educational Framework addressing 2002 evaluation findings.
  2004 NatureBridge partners with the National Geographic Education Fund to evaluate field science outcomes across campuses.
  2006 Headlands Institute conducts internal evaluation of field science focused on multicultural environmental education.
  2007 Yosemite Institute pilots internal education review using empowerment evaluation to study scientific inquiry.
  2008 Olympic Park Institute conducts an internal education review using empowerment evaluation with a focus on stewardship; Yosemite Institute conducts a second year of empowerment evaluation, also focused on stewardship.
“We will go back to our classroom armed with tons of ideas for further exploration, discussion, and experimentation. This has inspired us to study our own area, in Sacramento, in greater depth.”
          -- Jack Donachy, Fifth-Grade Teacher
          Sutterville Elementary, Sacramento
          October 2008

Evaluating a decade of field science

With the help of Stanford University, and support from our partners including the National Park Service, we have evaluated all components of our programs including:

  • the impact of inquiry-based science education.
  • relevancy for an increasingly diverse student population.
  • long-term impact on teachers and classrooms.
“Without a doubt, [NatureBridge’s] teaching staff is central to the success of field science programs. They are a principle motivation behind participating teachers’ decisions to attend. Their content knowledge, passion, and creativity in working with children are outstanding.”
          -- 2000 Stanford Evaluation, Final Report