The project is an outgrowth of the school s need to comply with new standards for educational reform mandated by the Missoula County Public Schools and the Montana Department of Education. The standards specifically identify the need for inquiry-based learning in educating children about the importance of biodiversity as part of an environmental education curriculum. The program offers training for local naturalists and provides direct service to teachers in the classroom and in the field. With support from EPA in 1997 and 1998, the program was established successfully in the Helena, Montana area, in partnership with the Last Chance Audubon Society. This grant makes it possible to expand the CNP to five additional Montana communities, Hamilton, Kalispell, Great Falls, Miles City, and Billings, as well as nearby areas.
Students have daily interactions with professionals and consultants in environmental sciences.
They develop an appreciation for the work those individuals do and the preparation necessary to become involved in similar jobs as they actually conduct some of the same types of field monitoring that resource scientists perform while they work alongside those professionals. A secondary goal is to develop the program in a way that makes it easy to adapt and implement in other states throughout the nation. This project establishes and integrates an interdisciplinary schoolwide environmental education component into the mandated curriculum at Emily Dickenson Elementary School. The project is a collaborative effort of the school and the Bridger Outdoor Science School. The age-appropriate Gallatin Journey lessons provide a real world application of each of the required classroom science kits and other curriculum requirements.