Additional menu

Discover. Experience. Connect.

GIVE

Discover. Experience. Connect.

GIVE

ED UCATION

Meet Your Backyard (MYB)

To foster stewardship of the outdoors, Get Outdoors Nevada seeks to create environmental literacy. This is an individual's understanding, skills, and motivation to make responsible decisions that considers his or her relationships with natural systems, communities, and future generations.

We strive to provide student learners with:

  • An increased understanding of the unique aspects of Nevada's outdoor landscapes.
  • Engaging, exciting programs that enrich children’s lives by providing experiential learning opportunities.
  • Sound scientific information that inspires a lifelong respect for the outdoors.
  • Skills for critical thinking and strategic problem solving.

In creating our programs, we have been committed to ensuring they are sustainable. Therefore, we’ve grown our programs incrementally, allowing us to support community needs while ensuring long-term viability of out numerous initiatives.

Water in the Desert Field Trip

Mojave Yucca

Meet Your Mojave (MYM)

Meet Your Mojave (MYM) is an interpretive curriculum that increases knowledge about habitats and natural resources.

LEARN MORE
Beetle

MYM Outdoor Classrooms

MYM Outdoor Classroom programs and field trips help youth discover and experience nature.

LEARN MORE
Outdoor Classroom

MYM Micro Grants

MYM Micro Grants connect youth to the outdoors by providing field trip transportation grants to schools & community organizations.

LEARN MORE
Kids - outdoor learning

MYM Recipients

Get Outdoors Nevada receives requests to deliver these programs to many organizations in the community!

LEARN MORE
Kid curiousity

NGSS Program

Get Outdoors Nevada delivers Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) programs to help CCSD schools increase science proficiency through outdoor experiences.

LEARN MORE
Get Outdoors Nevada - Schoolyard Habitat

Schoolyard Habitat

Restore Your Backyard (RYB) creates and protects the native habitats for local wildlife in urban locations.

LEARN MORE
Mojave Max

Mojave Max

Get Outdoors Nevada partnered with the Desert Conservation Program to deliver the Mojave Max Education Program.

LEARN MORE
Interns appreciate the outdoors

Internship Program

Get Outdoors Nevada offers Internships to introduce participants to outdoor work and careers.

LEARN MORE

Meet Your Mojave! (MYM)

MYM is an interpretive curriculum that increases knowledge about natural resources. With a focus on habitats, land and water use, outdoor recreation, and other natural resources, this program addresses the value of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) education for youth through outdoor classroom education.  GON has developed a range of curriculum intended for both formal and informal education.  Examples of curriculum include Early Childhood Program - Camping 101, Leave No Trace Camp Oh-No! (developed for elementary and middle school ages, and the Trash Timeline (developed for Middle School).

MYM Outdoor Classrooms

MYM Outdoor Classroom Program

This program address Nevada’s need for an outdoor science education program by providing a S.T.E.A.M. curriculum, transportation, program supplies, and logistic support to schools and community organizations.

Destinations include:

  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area
  • Desert National Wildlife Refuge
  • Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
  • Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area
  • Clark County Wetlands Park
  • Other regional parks and trails

MYM Micro Grants

Micro Grants

Get Outdoors Nevada provides “micro grants” funds to support transportation to outdoor classroom learning experiences for at-risk youth and school groups to parks and public lands. Thank you NV Energy for sustained funding of this program!

 

GON Impact Since 2012

  • Directly connected 102,043 urban children to Nevada’s outdoor classrooms—parks and trails— through programming and field experiences.
  • Delivered 1449 education programs for youth.
  • Provided transportation funding for 411 youth group field trips.

MYM Qualifying Organizations

  • Clark County School District and Charter Schools
  • Community organizations
  • Fellow nonprofits

    • For more information contact: Cheresa Taing, GON Education Program Coordinator at ctaing@getoutdoorsnevada.org

    Field Trip Application

    MYM Micro Grant Recipients & Participants

    Addeliar Gulf / Eva Wolfe Elementary Schools
    After School All Stars - Lifetime Adventures
    Aldeane Ries Elementary School
    Allen Elementary School
    American Prepatory Academy
    Andre Agassi College Prep
    Arbor View High School
    Arturo Cambeiro Elementary School
    Bailey Middle School
    Big Brothers Big Sisters
    Blue Diamond Elementary School
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Desert Pines
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Downtown
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Engelstad
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Gaughan
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Gulbis
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Kish
    Boys and Girls Clubs - Lied
    Brown Middle School
    Camp Cartwheel
    Children's Discovery Museum
    Children's Heart Center
    Clark County
    Clark County Gang Prevention
    Club Christ
    Colorfully Candid Paradigm
    CP Squires Elementary School
    CT Sewell Elementary School
    Dean Allen Elementary School

    Derfelt Elementary School
    Desert Pines High School
    Desert Rose Adult High School
    Detwiler Elementary School
    Doris Reed Elementary School
    East Career Technical Academy
    Elanie Wynn Elementary School
    Eldorado High School
    Elise L. Wolff Elementary
    Estes McDoniel Elementary School
    Explore Knowledge Academy
    Families in Nature
    Fay Galloway Elementary School
    Frias Elementary School
    Gene Ward Elementary
    Gilbert Magnet School
    Gordon McCaw Elementary School
    Goynes Elementary School
    Grant M. Bowler Elementary School
    Green Our Planet (Gibson MS)
    Harmon Elementary School
    Harry Reid Elementary School
    Helen Herr Elementary School
    Helen Marie Smith Elementary School
    Helldorado Farm Days
    Hummel Elementary School
    I Have A Dream Foundation
    Jack Dailey Elementary School

    Jay Jeffers Elementary School
    Jim Bridger Middle School
    Jr. Master Gardeners Program - UNCE
    K.O. Knudson Middle School
    Kit Carson International Academy
    Las Vegas High School
    Las Vegas High School PAL Program
    Leaders in Training
    Liberty High School
    Mater Academy of Nevada
    Moapa Valley High School
    Mohave Accelerated Learning Center
    Monaco Middle School
    Mountain View Elementary School
    Myrtle Tate Elementary School (Communities in Schools)
    Nate Mack Elementary School
    National Park Service
    Nevada Learning Academy
    Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
    Northwest Career and Technical Academy
    NPS Centennial veterans group
    Paul Culley Empowerment School
    Pincrest Academy-Inspirada
    Rainbow Dreams Academy
    Robert Lake Elementary School
    Robert Lunt Elementary School
    Robert Taylor Elementary School

    Ruby Duncan Elementary School
    Sandy Searles Miller Academy
    Saville Middle School
    Schofield Middle School
    Shadow Ridge High School
    Silverado High School
    Sothern Nevada Water Authority
    Southern Nevada Trails Day
    Southern Paiute Cultural Exchange
    Spring Valley High School
    Tarkanian Middle School
    The Embracing Project
    Tom Williams Elementary School
    Triggs Elementary School
    Twin Lakes Elementary School
    Ulis Newton Elementary School
    US Fish & Wildlife Service
    US Forest Service
    Ute Perkins Elementary School
    Walter Bracken STEAM Academy
    West Career and Technical Academy
    Whitney Elementary School
    Winchester Cultural Center
    YMCA Centennial Hills
    YMCA Durango Hills
    YMCA Heinrich
    YMCA Skyview

    NGSS Program

    Explore Your Backyard (EYB)

    Next Generation Science Standard Program

    Get Outdoors Nevada (GON) is pleased to offer Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS)-aligned science modules for K-5 during the school year!

    Each module consists of three classroom programs and one associated field trip.  GON will send a trained science educator to your classroom to instruct all programs and lead the field trip.  GON will supply all staff, materials, as well as, coordinate bus transportation to your school. There is no cost for qualifying schools.

    Each NGSS module is related to Life or Earth Sciences.  Activities are 3-Dimensional -  using Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, as well as Crosscutting Concepts to achieve a specific grade level performance expectation and engage various learning styles.

    Modules are meant to be completed by an entire Elementary School grade level in approximately two weeks.

    “This is a terrific opportunity to give students educational experiences that support topics we teach in class.”—Dean Allen ES Teacher 

    According to the Education Week Quality Counts 2017 report card, Nevada schools are ranked worst in the nation – 50th out of 50. In Southern Nevada, only 58.6% of 5th graders are proficient in science.

    Because of this, in 2017 Get Outdoors Nevada (GON) implemented Next Generation Science Standards STEAM Modules in the Clark County School District.  Developed with CCSD Science Teachers to meet new science standards, and lead by an GON Certified Interpretive Guide, each module is a dynamic unit of three classroom programs and a related field trip.  All supplies, materials, transportation, logistics, and staff for these science units are provided by Get Outdoors Nevada.

    Discover our comprehensive Next Generation Science Standard module for K-5!

    Through our three-dimensional learning module, schools receive three classroom programs, one associated field trip, and program materials. All programs are facilitated by a trained GON educator and come at no cost for qualifying schools. Catch a glimpse of what our biomimicry classroom looked like for first graders at 100 Academy of Excellence - Imagine Schools in the video below.

    Grade Program Field Trip Product
    K Birds and Nests Wetlands Park Bird Nest Model
    1st Biomimicry Springs Preserve Animal Adaptation Model
    2nd Seed Movement Lake Mead NRA Desert Seed Model
    3rd Flood Control Plans Wetlands Park Flood Control Plan
    4th Landforms and Erosion Lake Mead NRA Erosion Map
    5th Food Webs Lake Mead NRA Habitat Specific Food Web

    GON is improving student interest and attitudes about science, helping CCSD schools increase science proficiency, and encouraging personal responsibility towards our outdoor places. Program success and outcomes are measured through teacher evaluations tied to a professional logic model.

    This is the only program in Southern Nevada that combines standards based classroom programs with real world experiences. Demand for the program greatly outstrips current resources. In 2018, 94 schools applied for programs, and GON is currently only able to provide programs to only 8 schools.  We thank Barrick for their recent grant in support of our 2018-2019 school year!

    100% of surveyed teachers participating in GON programs feel that "Outdoor places help my students learn more effectively."

    Schoolyard Habitat

    Get Outdoors Nevada - Schoolyard HabitatBuilding upon the Schoolyard Habitat project guide designed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), our Restore Your Backyard program engages school children and community organizations to work together to rehabilitate natural spaces to their original ecological conditions. With assistance and tools provided by Get Outdoors Nevada’s education department, school grounds are transformed into beautiful Mojave Desert spaces that serve as outdoor classrooms and laboratories.

    Connect with Nevada's special outdoor places through our Native Habitat program.

    Our program rehabilitates urban spaces into beautiful native habitat for threatened and endangered species. See how over 100 community volunteers joined us on November 17, 2018 to create City of North Las Vegas' largest Schoolyard Habitat at Craig Ranch Regional Park. This habitat provides food, water, cover and space for local migratory birds and pollinators!

    What is the Schoolyard Habitat Program?

    Schoolyard Habitat provides a knowledgebase on fostering naturalized habitat areas that are created hands-on by students, for students. It is ecologically sound and integrates with overarching school curricula including, but not limited to, English, science, mathematics, history, geography, social studies, and art. Further, the interdisciplinary program is designed to cultivate a commitment to long-term environmental stewardship in students.

    Typical projects created in Clark County include native Mojave Desert habitats that benefit migratory birds, pollinators such as the Monarch butterfly, and desert tortoises. In other areas of Nevada, the program sites can range from riparian to coniferous forest habitats.

    It is Get Outdoors Nevada’s goal to increase the number of school and community participants statewide. In order to develop a Schoolyard Habitat, apply to GON for assistance.  If selected, GON will then provide funding and technical guidance. Please contact Cheresa Taing, Program Coordinator at ctaing@getoutdoorsnevada.org or call (702) 997-3350 to learn more about bringing Restore Your Backyard and the Schoolyard Habitat program to your school.

    Mojave Max

    In partnership with the Clark County Desert Conservation Program, Springs Preserve, and the Clark County School District, Get Outdoors Nevada is proud to be a part of the Mojave Max team and deliver programming directly to schools so that everyone can learn how to keep the Mojave Desert safe!

    Students explore Mojave Desert weather, Desert Tortoise biology, and the importance of conservation in each educational assembly or classroom Tortoise Talk. Ultimately, each of these topics gives them useful information they can each use to win the Mojave Max Emergence contest by guessing the date and time Mojave Max will emerge from his burrow for the first time each Spring.

    For more information on which schools are participating and when, please contact Aaron Leifheit at aleifheit@getoutdoorsnevada.org or call (702) 997-3350.

    Internship Program

    Throughout the year, Get Outdoors Nevada high school and college students interested in their community and various science-related fields.  Several positions are often available and serve as an avenue for: improving communication and public speaking, professional networking, and resume building.

    Working closely with our partners, we are also able to provide work experience and in-the-field training.  The Get Outdoors Nevada Internship program allows our next generation of stewards to find their best career fit!

    For more information, please contact Shelly Kopinski, Education Program Manager at skopinski@getoutdoorsnevada.org or call (702) 997-3350.

    Community Organizations/Fellow Non-Profits

    Clark County School District and Charter Schools

    • West Tech Academy
    • Las Vegas HS
    • Elise Wolff ES
    • Myrtle Tate ES
    • Sandy Searles ES
    • Robert Lunt ES
    • Arbor View HS
    • Saville MS
    • Robert Lake ES
    • Derfelt ES
    • Doris Reed ES
    • Nevada Learning Academy
    • Schofield MS
    • Grant Bowler ES
    • Brown MS
    • Ruby Duncan ES
    • Dean Allen ES
    • Mater Academy of Nevada
    • Moapa Valley HS
    • East Career and Technical Academy
    • Frias ES
    • American Prep Academy
    • Kit Carson International Academy
    • Tarkanian MS
    • Tom Williams ES
    • Jack Dailey ES
    • Goynes ES
    • Jim Bridger MS
    • Harmon ES
    • Ute Perkins ES
    • Paul Culley Empowerment School
    • Bailey MS
    • Northwest Career and Technical Academy
    • Silverado HS
    • Jay Jeffers ES
    • Explore Knowledge Academy
    • Nate Mack ES
    • Desert Rose Adult HS
    • McMillan ES
    • Rainbow Dreams Academy
    • Twin Lakes ES
    • Shadow Ridge HS
    • Harry Reid ES
    • Elaine Wynn ES
    • Monaco MS
    • Mountain View ES
    • Sandy Miller Academy
    • Fay Galloway ES
    • Walter Bracken STEAM Academy

    Community Organizations/Fellow Non-Profits

    • Green Our Planet
    • Southern Paiute Cultural Exchange
    • Southern Nevada Water Authority
    • Big Brothers, Big Sisters
    • Clark County Gang Prevention
    • Children’s Discovery Museum
    • The Embracing Project
    • Afterschool Allstars - Lifetime Adventures
    • YMCA - Bill & Lillie Heinrich
    • YMCA - Durango Hills Community Center
    • YMCA - Centennial Hills Community Center
    • YMCA - SkyView Multi-generational Center
    • Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of Southern Nevada - Desert Pines Clubhouse
    • BGC - Gaughan Clubhouse
    • BGC - Englestad Clubhouse
    • BGC - Lied Clubhouse
    • BGC - Downtown Clubhouse
    • BGC - James Clubhouse
    • BGC - Kish Clubhouse
    • Nevada Partnership of Homeless Youth
    • Helldorado Farm Days
    • Childhood Cancer Foundation - Camp Cartwheel
    • I Have a Dream Foundation (Core Academy)
    • Children’s Heart Center of NV
    • Southern Nevada Agency Partnership
    • Child Focus
    • Communities in Schools
    • University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
    Who Explored?