Field Trips for School Children
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Interpretive Outreach Education For School Classes Preschool to 6th Grade
The City of Ventura's Interpretive Outreach Program offers 29 programs focusing on nature studies and California history for school-age groups in an outdoor setting. Reaching more than 16,000 participants (preschool through 6th grade) each year, the field trips take place at Ventura parks, beaches and local historic sites as well as in classroom presentations including animal puppet nature programs.
More than 300,000 students from the tri-county area have participated in the Interpretive Outreach Program since its inception. Students are actively engaged as they learn through direct hands-on experience during nature study field trips (to wetland birding lagoons, coastal trails, tidepools or monarch butterfly sites), interactive classroom presentations (on geology, agriculture, nocturnal animals or the Gold Rush plus several free classroom presentations), or living history field trips (to the Olivas Adobe, the site of Ventura's historic Chinatown, an authentic archaeological dig site or to learn about Mission and Chumash life).
These programs nurture a lifelong appreciation of our natural and cultural history and encourage enjoyment and caring for the environment. Parents, we encourage you to inform your child's teacher about these fun learning experiences.
See below for registration form, guidelines and Interpretive Outreach Brochure
For more information and to register:
- View Interpretive Outreach Brochure
- The brochure contains:
- Living History Field Trips (preschool to sixth grade)
- Nature Study Field Trips (second to sixth grade)
- Nature Study Field Trips ((preschool to second grade)
- Animal Puppet Nature Programs (preschool to second grade)
- Classroom Presentations (first to sixth grade)
- Several Free Classroom Presentations
Contact Information
Teachers or school field trip coordinators may contact:
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To register for classes or enquire about class availability email borr@cityofventura.net or call (805) 677-3961
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For more information email Interpretive Program Supervisor at jstone@cityofventura.net or call (805) 658-4733
Registration Guidelines
All schools inside and outside of the City of Ventura are welcome to register for field trips with the Interpretive Outreach Program. Classroom visits may be scheduled for schools in the cities of Ventura and Oak View (and for an additional fee, Oxnard). Classroom programs may also be booked at the Arroyo Verde Center in Ventura for any schools.
Groups may not exceed a total of 40 students per program. Call to make special arrangements to combine smaller classes.
Save bus money by coordinating with other teachers to schedule field trips on the same day. For example, one class could go to the Birding and Wetland Ecology, the other to the Chinatown program, or multiple classes could attend the Marina Park program, one after the other.
The Interpretive Outreach Program is partially funded by the City of Ventura. A non-resident fee is charged when a school is not in the VUSD or within the City of Ventura.
How To Register
Registration for the 2010-2011 school year begins May 10 through May 21, 2010 (early registration for schools within the City of Ventura and VUSD begins April 26). Registration during the spring 2010 registration period will be done by either email or mail-in. Phone-in registration is not available during this time. Email and mail-in registration forms will be prioritized by date of receipt. Programs are booked on a first come, first served basis. Choice of programs, dates and times for the 2010-2011 school year may be limited after the spring 2010 registration period.
Print out the form, fill it out completely and mail to:
City of Ventura Community Services Department
Interpretive Outreach Programs
P.O. Box 99, Ventura, CA 93002-0099
Email option: Or if using the fill-able and save-able registration form, available at the above link, you may complete the information, save a copy for yourself and email the saved PDF form to borr@cityofventura.net. Otherwise follow the instructions to print and mail existing forms.
For registration information after May 21, 2010, and throughout the 2010-2011 school year, email Barbara Orr Wahl at borr@cityofventura.net with registration requests or inquiries. Or you may leave a message at (805) 677-3961.
Confirming Your Program Registration
After we have processed your email or mail-in registration, we will send you a Registration Notification form with your program date(s) and time(s). Program Acceptance forms must be returned within two weeks of the receiving your program Registration Notification. Program dates and Registration Notification and Program Acceptance forms will be sent out after the spring 2010 registration period ends on May 26, 2010. Your programs are not confirmed until we receive your Program Acceptance Form.
Payment Policy
Payments for all programs are due within 14 days after each program. Payment/Invoice forms are included in the program confirmation materials mailed 30 days prior to each program date. There is a $25 late fee for payments received after 45 days. Checks only; no cash will be accepted. Please mail in your payment; staff interpreters cannot accept checks at program. There will be a $10 charge for all refunds/cancellations and a $5 charge for all rescheduled programs. Cancellations made with less than five working days notification will be charged 50% of the original program fee (exception: the Olivas program requires fourteen days cancellation notification to avoid 50% charge). There will be no charge for cancellations made by the City of Ventura due to weather conditions or other circumstances.