FROM: James D. Herberg, General Manager
SUBJECT:
title
INSIDE THE OUTDOORS YEAR END RECAP
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Information Only.
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BACKGROUND
The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) entered into a contract with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) in March 2015 to enhance our environmental education outreach to students in elementary and high school.
The program included:
“Drip Drop Traveling Scientist”, a water education session for fifth grade students that includes OC San’s “What 2 Flush” program.
“Scientists of the Sewer”, a week-long wastewater treatment laboratory program for high school students. It is a hands-on application of science, teaching wastewater treatment principles. The program meets the California Science Content Standards and promotes career development.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
• Maintain influential legislative advocacy and a public outreach program
• Make it easy for people to understand OC San’s roles and value to the community
PROBLEM
Without this type of program, children may not have the opportunity to explore wastewater treatment and expand their knowledge, understanding, and stewardship of the environment.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
By providing this educational program, students learn about the watershed and develop ways to conserve water in their neighborhoods. Additionally, students learn about the roles scientists play in wastewater treatment through virtual interactive lab activities and virtual tours of Plant No.1.
TIMING CONCERNS
N/A
RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION
If we do not educate the community, local agencies, and area businesses about OC San, we may not have the support necessary to deliver our mission.
PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS
February 2015 - Approved a Cooperative Agreement with Orange County Department of Education for Educational Services with Inside the Outdoors for a one-year term, with four one-year renewal options.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Throughout the pandemic, Inside the Outdoors has continued to reach out to middle and high school students throughout Orange County. With the Governor’s Stay at Home Order and social distancing mandates, Inside the Outdoors switched their methodology from in-person to virtual. During the 2020-2021 school year, a total of 1,171 students were reached: 850 elementary students for the “Drip Drop Traveling Scientist” program and 321 middle/high school students for the “Scientists of the Sewer” program. Most of the participating schools are in Anaheim, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Newport-Mesa, Orange, Santa Ana, and Westminster.
In July 2021, Inside the Outdoors was requested to completely revamp the educational program to focus solely on Wastewater Treatment and OC San for the 2021-2022 school year. The program will continue to target Orange County students in elementary, middle, and high school. The program is being developed to meet state standards and will serve as a mechanism for OC San to provide greater insight into the program and eventually manage with in-house staff and volunteers (retirees). The current agreement is for one-year and will be reviewed at the end of the year.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The contract complied with authority levels of OC San’s Purchasing Ordinance and was funded under the Professional and Contractual Services line items for the General Manager’s Office (Budget Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22, Section 6, Pages 12). The available funding was sufficient for this program.
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Date of Approval |
Contract Amount |
Contingency |
|
06/24/2021 |
$27,508 |
N/A |
ATTACHMENT
The following attachment(s) may be viewed on-line at the OC San website (www.ocsan.gov) with the complete agenda package:
• Inside the Outdoors Annual Recap Report