A cohort of students is test marketing Science 4 Kern’s hands on lessons in preparation for the program’s roll out
Jan Karnowski claims to have the best job in the world.
For the past two months, the teacher on special assignment form the Fruitvale School District, has been playing mad scientist in her cubical on the 5th floor of City Centre.
“It’s been so much fun writing new science curriculum and testing out all the science manipulatives that we’ve been able to order,” she said.
It’s all part of the preparation for a new mobile science program that KCSOS is overseeing in partnership with Chevron called Science 4 Kern.
The program is a first-of-its-kind lending library that will give Kern County students access to engaging science kits and educational support by brining a learn-by-doing approach directly to schools at no cost thanks to a $500,000 investment from Chevron.
“Learning science from a book alone has its limitations,” said Kathy Hill, director of Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability for KCSOS. “Actually getting to do science experiments is when the real learning happens. We are confident that this program will produce many ah-ha moments that can only be achieved when students use all of their senses to explore.”
Science 4 Kern will initially target grades 4 & 5 and works by delivering science units consisting of equipment, lab materials, standards-based curriculum, printed activity sheets, consumables, and educational support directly to classrooms via the “Science 4 Kern Mobile.” Karnowski will provide on-site lesson support, then come back to the school to retrieve the kits after the site is done using them.
Local 4th and 5th graders are currently serving as test marketers for a brand new program called Science 4 Kern.
The program will kick off with a pilot program in January, with full countywide rollout expected next fall.
For more information, visit www.science4kern.org.