Solano Outdoor Explorer Quest

Join the Quest!

Solano Outdoor Explorer Quest

In partnership with the City of Vacaville, Solano Land Trust and Solano Resource Conservation District, Solano County Office of Education has created the Solano Outdoor Explorer Quest to help students get outside and experience science and natural phenomena in the world around them. Our hope is to spark interests in environmental learning and inspire wellness through physical activity and self-motivated exploration.

The Solano Outdoor Explorer Quest is an outdoor treasure hunt, similar to Geocaching®, offering explorers and families the adventure of finding hidden QR codes, referred to as Questcaches. Each Questcache leads to discovery of native plants and animals living in the area through videos and a secret Questcache log to record their discoveries. The Quest is a great opportunity for students to get outside with their families, do some exploring, learn new things and connect with nature and the outdoors.

SCOE’s first Solano Outdoor Explorer Quest course launched this summer at Lagoon Valley Park in Vacaville. The second Quest course is slated to launch this fall at Rush Ranch near Grizzly Island.

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Girls In Robotics Leadership Camp

This summer, Solano County Office of Education in partnership with UC Davis Computing-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (C-STEM) hosted three free virtual Girls in Robotics Leadership (GIRL) camps to middle school girls. Virtual GIRL Camp students are introduced to robotics, principles in engineering, computer science and Ch/C/C++ programing code. As the camp’s name suggests, leadership is a key element of camp with emphasis placed on teamwork, kindness, communication, and strategic thinking.

Students met women who have careers in engineering and other science and technology-related fields. GIRL Camp participants had the opportunity to interact in a career panel discussion with women engineers, students, and other STEM practitioners from ENGIE, Northrop Grumman, and Collins Aerospace.

GIRL Camp also teaches film production, and students create short videos using Linkbots that they program to perform like actors in their videos. Students then showcase their creative video projects and coding skills on the final day of camp to their families, education administrators, and community members. Lois Cross, Senior District Representative of Congressman John Garamendi; Paul Adler, Valero Benicia Refinery Director of Community Relations and Government Affairs; and Jim Kennon, Director of Benicia Makerspace participated in the culminating activities.

For more information about GIRL Camps, visit www.solanocoe.net/girlcamp or contact SCOE Director of Innovative Programs and Student Success, Lilibeth Pinpin at lpinpin@solanocoe.net or 707-399-4439.

Summer Pre-K Academy

In partnership with First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission, Solano County Library and SCOE’s Early Learning Team provided four sessions of a Pre-Kindergarten Academy in Vallejo. This four-week schoolreadiness program is designed to serve children who will be entering kindergarten this year and who have had little or no preschool experience.

First 5 Solano also offered other Pre-K academies throughout Solano County primarily through school districts. The goal of the 2021 Pre-K Academies are to promote school readiness with family engagement, learning, socialization, health and wellness, and resilience-building strategies.