Association for Environmental & Outdoor education

Kern Environmental Education Program (KEEP)

The Kern Environmental Education Program ("KEEP")  is a week-long, residential outdoor science school run by Kern County Superintendent of Schools.  KEEP's two campuses are located on california's beautiful Central Coast, just south of Big Sur.   KEEP Ocean (located within spectacular Montana de Oro State Park) and KEEP By The Sea (nestled in a charming oak woodland in Arroyo Grande) can host a combined total of 230 4th-8th grade students a week.KEEP uses experiential, field-based activities to bring science to life for the students.  KEEP uses the natural environment as a living laboratory to teach ecological science.  During their week students may visit tidepools, spend a day at the beach, hike through oak woodlands, discover creeks, climb mountains, run down sand dunes, and explore the Morro Bay Estuary. In the evenings, students participate in group science games, night hikes, astronomy, and science journaling activities to build on the day's lessons.  Every evening ends around a campfire while singing songs and listening to stories.In addition to science studies, students develop personal responsibility and gain respect for others as a result of a shared living experience with fellow students.  They return home with an increased awareness of themselves, and a stronger understanding of the natural world and their place in it.