Goochland Educational Foundation Incorporated

STEM in Nature - Outdoor Educational Experience:Students visit three times a year to an "outdoor classroom" located at Westview on the James, an 800-acre piece of property that is bordered by the James River with streams, a lake, a forest, and land for gardening. They study life in the waterways and plant a garden, studying seasonal observations of the same location to see how the ecosystem changes in each season. These studies are incorporated into the academic lessons in the classroom. Through all these activities, the students investigate and understand that living things have basic life needs and functional parts and can be classified according to certain characteristics. The students observe and measure change over time. Students investigate the role of plants in affecting air and water quality. Activities include planting a variety of grasses along the riverbank to prevent erosion and water pollution, and planting trees to improve air quality. They investigate and understand that adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life's needs and respond to the environment as well as those organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. The lessons meet Virginia's Standards of Learning requirements by demonstrating the ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts.

Makerspace:Each of the three elementary schools has a "Makerspace": a dedicated learning environment where young students engage in hands-on, creative activities to design, experiment, and invent using a range of materials and technology. These spaces provide hands-on opportunities for students to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) concepts, foster problem-solving skills, and develop 21st-century skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking through self-directed, play-based learning.