5) Camps

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An Incredible Lineup of Guest Speakers is Planned for Girls in STEM Camp 2022

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We’re gearing up for an incredible weekend with Girls in STEM Camp happening May 13-15, 2022. We have a powerhouse lineup of guest speakers from industries across the region. Take a look at this list of experts from across the regions who will be inspiring the next generation of female scientists:

  • Dr. Alison Murray is Biological Oceanographer and NASA Ocean Worlds & Europa Lander Co-Chair with Desert Research Institute.

  • Anne Heggli, is a Hydrologist and Snow Science & High Risk Weather expert at Desert Research Institute.

  • Jesse Mazar is an expert in ecologically grown produce and co-founder and co-director at the Lost Sierra Food Project.

  • Seena Drapala, Engineer and Storyteller will be sharing her robotics knowledge, President at Society of Women Engineers.

  • Dr. Vera Samburova is Director of Atmosphere Sciences, Graduate Program & Biomass Conversion at Desert Research Institute.

  • Dr. Kathleen Rodrigues, skilled Geoscientist and in Luminescence with Desert Research Institute.

  • Dr. Mary Cablk, expert and sharing information on Remote Sensing, K9 Detection, and Landscape Design and is from Desert Research Institute.

  • Kaitlin Constantine is an Engineer with Wood Rodgers and sharing her experience in Land Surveying and Engineering.

  • Cynthia Scholl is the Education Coordinator at UNR’s Museum of Natural History and cofounder of the nonprofit Nevada Bugs and Butterflies.

  • Avari Tawater-Tiedemann is Program Director Camp Fire Central Puget Sound. She is an expert on honey bees and teaching young adults survival skills..

  • Karen Weiss is the Outreach Coordinator at Friends of Nevada Wilderness and expert in resource conservation.

  • Shawnee Dunagan is an Engineer at Wood Rodgers and specializes in infrastructure design (think storm drains, streets, and sewers).

  • Patricia E Maloney, is a Researcher University of California and is a Plant Pathology expert.

  • Arielle Koshkin, Hydrologist at the University of Nevada, Hydrologic Science, knows a thing or two (actually a lot of things to be precise) about snow, water resources and mountain environments.

 

Thank you Tesla for making this happen for young women in Nevada through the Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund.

About Sierra Nevada Journeys

Sierra Nevada Journeys is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that delivers innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship. Through multiple points of contact, our classroom and virtual-based programs, overnight science camps, professional development for teachers, and parent engagement opportunities surround students with resources they need to succeed. All programs are designed to foster higher cognition and build long-term student achievement. Of the 24,000 children that annually participate in our programs, 74 percent come from communities that face financial barriers and 70 percent are BIPOC, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Also, 13 percent of the individuals who attend our programs, are living with a disability.

Family-Friendly Music for your Backyard Camping

Two playlists have been created on Spotify to get your groove on no matter where your adventure takes you.

With so many unpredictable changes happening throughout the West — air quality, fires, park closures, camping and travel plans canceled — perhaps you could use our SNJ summer camp music playlist for your backyard camping staycation.

Patrick, an Instructor at Sierra Nevada Journeys has created a Spotify playlist of his favorite camp dance songs to get you moving.

Here is a link to the playlist on Spotify for you to enjoy with the people you love: Sierra Nevada Journeys Camp Dance Playlist. You’ll five more than 50 songs and 3.5 hours of music.

He has also created a playlist of favorite songs to listen to while you hang out and chill. Whether you are sitting by the pool, going on a walk, or just having a relaxing Sunday at home, this playlist is perfect to just sit back and enjoy. Here is the link to the playlist on Spotify: Sierra Nevada Journeys Hangout Playlist.

More than 30 songs and 2 hours of music have been hand-picked by Patrick for your listening.

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Sierra Nevada Journeys Establishes Scholarship Fund To Support Underrepresented Youth in Honor of Long-time Board Member

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Carol Whiteside

Carol Whiteside

Sacramento, Calif., May 11, 2021 – On February 12, 2021, Sierra Nevada Journeys lost a valued member of its family with the passing of Carol Whiteside — an iconic role model and former Mayor of Modesto, California. In her honor, Sierra Nevada Journeys’ Board established the Carol Whiteside Scholarship Fund to send youth to camp. The fund will remove a critical access barrier, namely the entire cost for attending camp programs at Grizzly Creek Ranch located in Portola, California, for youth and families in Northern California.

“Carol was passionate about the role our organization plays in helping to provide access to the outdoors and quality educational programs to underrepresented and historically marginalized communities,” says Eaton Dunkelberger, CEO, Sierra Nevada Journeys. “Together, we can make tremendous impacts on families in our community through a safe and fun camp experience. Carol helped make this possible for so many kids and families.”

In 2010, Carol was appointed to Sierra Nevada Journeys’ board by Sierra Health Foundation— a private philanthropy that forges new paths to promote health, racial equity and racial justice across Northern California.

Grizzly Creek Ranch was originally built in 2003 by Sierra Health Foundation as a camp for youth with disabilities. In 2010, Sierra Health Foundation partnered with Sierra Nevada Journeys to launch experiential education at Grizzly Creek Ranch. For the past 10 years, Sierra Nevada Journeys has been operating Grizzly Creek Ranch, bringing fifth and sixth graders to camp for outdoor school, and hosting a variety of community partners for leadership and youth development programs. With Carol’s help, in 2020 Sierra Nevada Journeys purchased the camp from the Sierra Health Foundation after a 3-year capital campaign, and continues to operate programming for the community.

Sierra Nevada Journeys’ Board of Trustees established this scholarship in Carol’s name with a $7,500 investment and with additional matching donations, 10 families attended Family Camp for some much-needed respite.

Carol served as a trustee for a remarkable 11 years with Sierra Nevada Journeys, an environmental education nonprofit that inspires youth to think critically and become stewards of our own natural resources. Sierra Nevada Journeys strives to provide educational equity and inclusion by focusing on underserved youth from Northern California and Northern Nevada. Its programs are delivered in communities that span the I-80 corridor, from Sacramento to Reno, including an outdoor school and other camp programs at its Grizzly Creek Ranch location.

“We all will miss her warmth, compassion, sharp wit and intellect as a leader in our community and in our organization. Carol had a clear vision for what Sierra Nevada Journeys could be and what it could mean to the youth and families of our community, and she worked tirelessly to bring that vision to life. Carol’s life accomplishments were many, including serving as mayor, founder, board member, visionary, and advocate for lifting up those in need,” says Dunkelberger.

Two Sacramento area nonprofits, PRO Youth and Families and Sol Collective, had the opportunity to send families to Family Camp through the Carol Whiteside Scholarship.

“With the pandemic, youth and their families are facing unprecedented levels of isolation. At PRO Youth and Families, we inspire, educate, and mobilize young people — especially those who have experienced trauma — to build a healthier future for themselves, their families, and their communities. When we learned about Sierra Nevada Journeys and their Family Camps, I knew it is was the right partnership for us. Our participants that attended Family Camp experienced social emotional learning, relationship building and communication techniques, all while having fun outdoors as a family,” says Staci Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer at PRO Youth.

Executive Director Estella Sanchez of Sol Collective, says that it started as community-based partnership to bring together a wide variety of community-led programming and activist projects. “With the pandemic, we’ve had to temporarily close our center. Sierra Nevada Journeys’ Family Camps provided an opportunity for some of our families to safely be at camp and enjoy time together surrounded by nature. We truly appreciate the funders that brought this scholarship opportunity to our families,” says Sanchez.

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Learn more about Family Camp respite weekends. You can help support Sierra Nevada Journeys by booking a cabin for your family. Or, if you’re unable to attend Family Camp, you can help send other families this much-need respite by donating to Sierra Nevada Journeys. In fact, $25 supports a day of activities; $75 provides three days of meals for a camper; and $125 sends a child to camp.

Family Camp’s Positive Impact for Multi-Generational Families

“We had a total of five families from our Sol Collective community be able to participate in Family Camp. We had multi- generations including babies, toddlers, youth, teenagers, adults and grandparents. Personally, I just wanted to share that my mom came and she has mobility issues walking. The camp staff was very supportive in modifying activities in order to support her being able to participate and move around camp slowly, and comfortably. We were very thankful. It was a blessing to be able to participate and know my mom felt secure walking and getting around. We can’t thank you enough. We hope we can support more opportunities like this in the future. ”
— Nicole M., Sol Collective Member
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About Sol Collective
Established in 2005, Sol Collective is a community-based partnership whose mission is to provide artistic, cultural, and educational programming, promote social justice, and empower youth through art, activism, music, and media experience. Based in Sacramento, California, Sol Collective collaborates with global and local artists activists to host art exhibitions, community workshops, youth programming, and platforms for public organizing from coast to coast.

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About PRO Youth and Families
PRO Youth and Families confronts the trauma youth, families, and communities face by inspiring, educating, and mobilizing young people. They make a difference by keeping young people off the streets, out of prison, and away from alcohol, drugs and gangs by giving them meaningful and life-changing opportunities. We are committed to strengthening youth – and their families and communities — by developing neighborhood networks, identifying and addressing needs, and by providing training and other resources that will make that happen.

Summer Camp Music Playlists on Spotify

Patrick, an Instructor at Sierra Nevada Journeys has created a Spotify playlist of his favorite camp dance songs to get you moving this summer.

Summer Camp is one of his favorite times of the year; you’ll find Patrick playing Capture the Flag or hanging out at the pool during his free time. One thing he misses about Summer Camp is the legendary dance jams. This playlist is guaranteed to get you on your feet and moving and grooving with your family and friends.

Here is a link to the playlist on Spotify for you to enjoy with the people you love: Sierra Nevada Journeys Camp Dance Playlist. You’ll five more than 50 songs and 3.5 hours of music.

He has also created a playlist of favorite songs to listen to while you hang out and chill. Whether you are sitting by the pool, going on a walk, or just having a relaxing Sunday at home, this playlist is perfect to just sit back and enjoy. Here is the link to the playlist on Spotify: Sierra Nevada Journeys Hangout Playlist.

More than 30 songs and 2 hours of music have been hand-picked by Patrick for your listening.

"This or That" Summer Camp Game

“This or That” game asks you to choose between two related options. It’s that simple! The downloadable graphic can get you started and uses items unique to Grizzly Creek Ranch and Sierra Nevada Journeys Summer Camp.

The game is a fun icebreaker or at family gatherings; it works with any group size and doesn’t require any special equipment or preparation other than your creative thinking skills. “This or That” can be played at camp, in the car on a road trip or any time you feel like taking a mental break and having a few laughs.

Share which ones you choose from the graphic below by adding your comments at the bottom of this story. Or, list which questions we should add to the game.

If you’re looking for other question ideas, visit IceBreakerIdeas.com to find an online version. It compares your response with thousands of other people who have already answered the question.

Greetings From Our Summer Camp Counselors (Video)

Hello, summer campers! This video (7:53 minutes) is specifically for you with a message from our past and future summer camp staff Grizzly Creek Ranch. We miss you and can’t wait to see you again soon.

How many references of things do you see or hear in the video, that are unique to Sierra Nevada Journeys? A couple of hints to get you started: gaga ball; and a glass of water before juice. What else?

Also, scroll down on this story to learn how to send a message to one of our counselors.

Look for messages in the video from team members including:

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  • Angie, summer and specialty camps manager

  • Sonic Boom, 2019 counselor

  • David, 2019 counselor

  • Michael, 2019/20 counselor

  • Lucas, 2019 counselor

  • Finn, 2019/20 counselor

  • Maddy, 2019 counselor

  • Babushka Mike, 2019/20 counselor

  • Leah, 2019/20 counselor

  • Jon, 2019 counselor

  • Krissy, education and curriculum specialist

  • Ali, outdoor science instructor

  • Amber, outdoor science instructor

  • Haley, outdoor science instructor

  • Alex, 2020 counselor

  • Nicole, 2020 counselor

  • Justin, 2020 counselor

  • Lauryn, 2019/20 counselor

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Write a Letter or Send Us an Email

With permission from your parent, we’d love to hear from our summer campers. Here’s how to write us a letter or send an email to us or one of your favorite camp counselors.

BY MAIL:
Counselor’s Name
c/o Sierra Nevada Journeys
5900 Grizzly Road
Portola, CA  96122

BY EMAIL:
snjcamps@sierranevadajourneys.org

Go Bananas! Song Will be Stuck in Your Brain All Summer

Lauren wants to remind you to practice your “Go Bananas!” dance moves so you’re ready for Summer Camp 2021. Here’s a video featuring dancing bananas for some ideas to get your groove on.

Source:

Go Bananas! video by Scratch Garden.

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Help support a one-of-a-kind camp for environmental science and workforce development

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RENO, Nev. — Oct. 1, 2019 — We are delivering an innovative environmental science and workforce development camp for Grant Union High School’s GEO Academy’s students to explore career opportunities. This one-of-a-kind camp will directly connect eleventh graders with water and forestry industry representatives at a three-day camp in November. It will expose students to future careers where they’ll learn about internships and career pathways. Our partners are eager to hire for a variety of roles that support earning certificates to four-year degrees.

Please help us raise $10,000 to reach our goal to send 50 students to the science and workforce development camp at Sierra Nevada Journeys’ Grizzly Creek Ranch.

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For many of these students, the chance to aspire to a science-based or successful career can be difficult because 100 percent of the students taking part in the GEO Academy are considered low-income students — based on their eligibility for the Free or Reduced school lunch program. They need help and support if they are to be productive citizens of their community and go beyond the limitations of their environment.

To learn more or donate to the GEO Academy workforce development camp visit sierranevadajourneys.org/geo-academy.

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2nd Annual Girls In STEM Camp was a success

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A powerful lineup of women from the STEM industry spoke at this year’s camp to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers.

RENO, Nev. — Aug. 25, 2019 — With support from Tesla, Sierra Nevada Journeys, hosted more than 100 young women for an action-packed weekend of hands-on, experiential STEM programming. The second annual Girls in STEM camp was held on August 23-25, 2019 at Grizzly Creek Ranch in Portola, California. Additionally, Sierra Nevada Journeys partnered with Envirolution on this educational experience, and their experts will be led Friday evening’s engineering challenge for the campers.

Each year, this weekend camp event is designed for girls ages 10 to 14 from low-income* communities in northern Nevada. In 2019, it focused on energy, sustainability, science and technology, engineering and math, as well as leadership development, communication, collaboration and problem-solving.

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“This camp wouldn’t be possible without the 25 volunteers and amazing speakers from STEM fields, and of course, Tesla’s education investment with Sierra Nevada Journeys. We aim to provide opportunities for our local kids, and develop and inspire Nevada’s future STEM workforce with this exciting program,” said Sean Hill, Education Director with Sierra Nevada Journeys. On Saturday evening, local guest speakers included women from: Blockchains, LLC; Wood Rodgers, Inc. a western regional engineering firm; Tesla; and Society of Women Engineers, University of Nevada.

Meg VanDeventer, Partner Engagement Lead at Blockchains shared why she is volunteered her time as a guest speaker at the Girls in STEM camp. “Fewer than 10 percent of people in the blockchain industry are women; I hope to change that statistic by sharing my experiences with young women and inspire them on how women are going to rule the future of cryptocurrency.”

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VanDeventer, a former Peace Corps volunteer, has consulted on a presidential campaign on cyber security and taught students to code through AmeriCorps. “I wanted to find a way to make a difference by using technology to empower others,” said VanDeventer. “Girls in STEM camp is a perfect forum to make a positive impact on northern Nevada female students.”

The weekend was packed with lots of hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, and experience on Sierra Nevada Journeys’ famous high ropes challenge course.

Funding for this camp comes from Tesla as part of their $37.5 million investment in Nevada’s K-12 STEM and Sustainability Education initiative through the Nevada Department of Education Gift Fund.

To view photos and video from 2019 Girls in STEM, please visit Sierra Nevada Journeys’ photo site.

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100 Young Women to Attend Girls in STEM Camp at Grizzly Creek Ranch

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RENO, Nev. — November 6, 2018 — Over the weekend of Nov. 9, we’ll be hosting 100 girls, ages 10-to-14-years-old, to take their love of STEM to the next level. This innovative partnership brings industry and nonprofits together creating a jam-packed weekend at Grizzly Creek Ranch.

Using Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada and Sierra Nevada Journeys’ STEM programming, and Women in Tesla volunteers, this weekend camp is sure to inspire and ignite. More than 30 volunteers will support Sierra Nevada Journeys’ educators in STEM activities ranging from building geodomes to testing their skills on our challenge course.  

Additionally, thanks to the donation of a 100 robot kits by REC Foundation, Friday evening’s activities will kick off with each camper building a working robot. As part of REC’s VEX IQ Curriculum, the young women will follow assembly instructions, build, document their process, and then test the finished robots.

Moreover, the Girls in STEM Camp is paid for by a grant awarded by Tesla to Sierra Nevada Journeys, as part of their initial Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund and there was no cost for the 100 students to attend camp other than a $25 registration processing fee. The investment by Tesla focuses on Nevada K-12 STEM and sustainability education as part of the Nevada DoE Education Gift Fund.

“We were thrilled that Tesla selected Sierra Nevada Journeys to help deliver outdoor science education to children — especially for low-income and under-served students,” said Eaton Dunkelberger, Sierra Nevada Journeys CEO. “With this investment, we hope that experiences such as the Girls in STEM Camp, could change the life trajectories of these young women and inspire future careers in the STEM field.”

Links to photos from 2018 Girls in STEM camp:

Photos shared by Girl Scouts of Northern Nevada

Sierra Nevada Journeys photo site

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