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Santa Paula Wild!

"Santa Paula Wild!” is a Program to expand Outdoor Learning for all Santa Paula High School students. The 2nd semester of the 2025-2026, and all the 2026-2027 school year and is funded by a Youth Community Access Grant, part of California’s “Outdoor for All” initiative, led by Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), which aims to expand equitable access to parks and outdoor spaces for all Californians.

About "Santa Paula Wild!" Program

During the initial 21-month period, the Santa Paula Wild! Program will immerse approximately 1,867 individual students in multiple in-school and outdoor experiences with different science education and outdoor recreation experiences each year. The program blends science education, outdoor recreation, and health and career readiness by connecting students with local watersheds, forests, and coastlines.

Teachers will receive:

  • Professional development opportunities over the course of the program, including workshops and experiential learning with expert guest speakers

  • Access to MERITO Foundation lesson plans and online educational resources

  • Assistance with implementing classroom lessons, field activities, and sustainability audits aligned with the EECCOA Challenge

  • Coordination and instruction for outdoor learning experiences, including partnerships with expert outdoor recreation providers

  • Teacher stipends of up to $1,000

  • Coverage of substitute teacher costs and student transportation for outdoor learning experiences

By working with SPHS science teachers, students at each grade level focus on a specific science and outdoor recreation theme:

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9th & 10 grade (Year 1) and
9th grade (Year 2)

  • Learn and experience riparian ecology, environmental monitoring, and restoration at the Santa Clara River

  • Participate in hands-on field activities in partnership with CalTrout, The Nature Conservancy, and other local organizations

  • Build understanding through the Santa Clara River Academy, a series of in-class lessons

  • Engage with MERITO Foundation’s authored bilingual watershed science curriculum

  • Collect environmental data that will be made public to support research and inform policy

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10th Grade (Year 2)

  • Support and enhance the Farm to Fork Culinary Academy, SPHS’s regenerative agriculture and chemistry program

  • Sponsor and facilitate outdoor recreation experiences such as hiking and nature photography in Los Padres National Forest

  • Partner with the U.S. Forest Service and Blue Ocean Productions

  • Develop practical life skills, including:

    • Soil and water analysis

    • Growing and harvesting food

    • Composting practices

    • Monitoring for pesticides and microplastics

    • Cooking healthy, home-grown foods while learning chemistry

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11th Grade

  • Build climate, energy, and sustainability literacy through the EECCOA Curriculum and EECCOA Challenge

  • Explore ocean–atmosphere interactions and energy systems

  • Apply learning through real-world projects, including:

    • School-based energy, water, and waste audits

    • Student-led projects to reduce the school’s carbon footprint

    • Supporting Ventura County’s Heat Action Plan through community research

  • Participate in kayaking, sailing, and canoeing while exploring coastal ecosystems and career pathways

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12th Grade

  • Focus on ocean science and coastal monitoring for students enrolled in AP Environmental Science or AP Biology

  • Participate in a 3-day / 2-night coastal camping trip

  • Engage in hands-on beach field experiences, including:

  • Reinforce field experiences with ocean science instruction at school using the MERITO Academy curriculum

Additional Program Details:

  • ​Paid internships for ten (10) juniors who provide community service to the MERITO Foundation while being exposed to an array of skills and professions, through mentorship and job shadowing experiences.​

  • Expand health education, including Tobacco Use Prevention, to all grades by working with the Ventura County Public Health Office.

  • This program is completely free to SPHS students and faculty and was designed with input from 1,300 SPHS students, all school faculty, and multiple partner organizations in December of 2023.

For more information about this program, contact Rocio.Lozano@meritofoundation.org

Sponsor 

Partners

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