Nationally recognized ‘green’ program connects students with nature

When the last bell at Yosemite High School rings at 2:05 p.m., a handful of students stay on campus and shed the school day’s stresses as they work in a garden, tend to a worm farm, or work on plans for an outdoor classroom and butterfly sanctuary.

The students head to Jeff Rivero’s class after school, where they meet in groups in the classroom’s corners that are decorated like a coffee shop or tropical island. Rivero takes the time to figure out which subjects students are interested in and then lets them choose and guide their own projects.

“There’s too much stress between 8:15 and 2:05,” he said. “I ask them to teach me, and then I dive into it.”

The activities are part of the continuation school’s Dragon Academy, and Rivero calls his group of students the Green Team. Currently, students tend to a raised garden, worm farm, composting and are drafting plans to build an outdoor classroom and butterfly sanctuary.

They’re also working on a walking and biking initiative for students and staffers and have taken an interest in social and environmental justice issues, such as the oil pipeline being constructed in the Dakotas that’s opposed by Native Americans, among others.

“We put the garden together to bring more green to the school and teach students how to grow things and keep things alive,” Myrandah McKinney Hernandez, 17, said.

The program and Rivero have been recognized at the state level and nationally.

In March, California’s superintendent of public instruction visited Merced to congratulate Rivero’s students for earning the Gold Level of the California Green Ribbon Schools Award for a program in which students installed solar panels under the supervision of GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit that works with volunteers and job trainees to provide solar power and energy efficiency to low-income families.

Last month, Rivero was recognized with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The national award is presented each year to innovative environmental educators who integrate environmental learning into their classrooms using hands-on, experiential approaches.

For Rivero, who’s worked at Yosemite High for 20 years, the work isn’t about the awards or recognition. He saw the opportunities as a way to showcase his school and students.

Destiny Carter, 16, for instance, said the program taught her how to be an environmental steward.

“We’ve learned about how the environment has changed and how to make it a better place for the future,” she said. “The Green Team has helped me a lot. It’s played a big part of my life, not only in school but outside of school by sharing with my family and friends.”

Rivero said Yosemite High is the only continuation school so far to be recognized for such awards. The school serves about 340 students who come from other district schools, mostly for credit recovery.

“We’re not the richest school. We don’t have people going to Stanford and Harvard,” he said. “But, that’s not what education is about. It’s about finding what you like and gaining the skills to make a career out of it.”

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Nationally recognized ‘green’ program connects students with nature."