Holistic, adaptive, standard-based natural resource, science, and green engineering K-12 education and curriculum at Texas Tech University's Outdoor School and Llano River Field Station

Background/Question/Methods The majority of tomorrow's decision-makers and voters are today's urban youths, with increasing minority composition and in need of effective science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and natural resource appreciation and understanding.  Texas Tech University Outdoor School (TTU OS) at the Llano River Field Station is a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based, STEM program with an innovative curriculum (12 content areas) that incorporates multiple best learning practices to improve instruction for at-risk students and teachers from urban environments. The units taught are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) individualized to each school district and classroom teacher. The OS provides students with a 4-day, 3-night hands-on residential experience or day visits.  All activities and skills learned are related to real world STEM jobs associated with natural resources, green engineering, etc. in a manner reinforcing the concept that a college going culture is important to accessing STEM careers.  The Texas High School Project and Texas Education Agency recognize the TTU OS as an Exemplar Program. The TTU-OS instructional model is flexible, adaptive, and transportable and can be effectively replicated.  Results/Conclusions The TTU OS is effective: all Title 1 schools (7, 3250 students) had a 15–30% increase in No Child Left Behind-Texas Assessment Knowledge and Skills testing scores. The TTU OS Program is especially strong in teacher professional development and is highly effective with transdisciplinary STEM instruction and success of traditionally underrepresented students.  TTU OS effectiveness is attributable to: 1) TEKS based STEM curriculum and lesson plans, 2) auditory, visual and kinesthetic instruction and learning, 3) inquiry based learning, 4) teacher workshops and along side observation of finstruction and activity that includes team building, manners and self confidence across the curriculum.  In 2007, the Texas Legislature and Governor unanimously passed House Bill 1700 into law.  The law was designed to expand the TTU OS impact to benefit more students through collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Access to the outdoors and natural areas is limited since Texas is more than 85% urban and 97% private property.  Implementation of HB 1700 is in a pilot phase, but with more than 130 state parks scattered throughout Texas and in proximity to most of the 1000 school districts, training, transfer and tailoring the TTU OS curriculum and instruction to TPW state park staff has great potential to provide urban youth with critical STEM and natural resource education.