BREATHE LA Celebrates National Environmental Education Week With O24U Online Envrionmental Education Program at Wonderland Avenue School

BREATHE LA O24u Environmental Education Program and O24u Online took part in National Environmental Education Week April 12- 19 2009 with the official launch of our innovative O24u Online Environmental Education program. Register to receive updates on activities and opportunities to take part, learn, and protect our planet!

Los Angeles-BREATHE LA launched O24u Online Environmental Education Program on April 16th at a high-achieving elementary school in Los Angeles, Wonderland Avenue Elementary School, as a part of National Environmental Education Week.

Wonderland Avenue students and faculty took part in a school-wide test of BREATHE LA online environmental education program based on the popular afterschool program of the same name.

"There is a real need for environmental education and BREATHE LA O24u Online program provides more than a learning opportunity, it offers a great resource to prepare tomorrow's leaders," Dan Witzling, BREATHE LA Environmental Program Manager.

The online beta version, developed by a BREATHE LA college intern, is accessed via BREATHE LA website www.breathela.org where educators will also be able to access workbook and facilitators' guide materials for O24u Environmental Education.

BREATHE LA O24u Online is a fun and informative environmental education tool for classrooms, libraries, homes and cafes - anywhere individuals or small groups access the Internet.  We launched O24u Online as a National Environmental Education Week activity on April 16 and at Wonderland Avennue Elementary School.
BREATHE LA enjoyed getting to know the students and teachers at  Wonderland Elementary School, where Principal Don Wilson provided an opportunity to highlight the value of the program in our community.

Children shared what they learned with us.

"If we don't recycle, the world will explode!" Wonderland Avenue Elementary School student

Wonderland Elementary School is a high-achieving school, ranked #2 in Los Angeles Unified School District, and #10 in state of California, with a Great Schools 10 out of 10 rating and 5 star parent rating. Wonderland's neighborhood school offers a kindergarten through fifth grade education as well as a Gifted / High Ability Magnet open to all Los Angeles area students who apply, and are selected to participate. Students at Wonderland School have been active participants in final stage testing of the BREATHE LA O24u Online Environmental Education program and teachers logged on with their entire classrooms to monitor student progress.

A commendation from City of Los Angeles, presented by Council Member Jack Weiss and a demonstration of O24u Online in teacher Lauren Baker's classroom on "Smart Screens," large computer screens that allow the entire classroom to take part in computer led learning, was followed by a classic O24u schoolyard hands-on activitiy, making terrariums to illustrate an eco-system. The children experienced how fun it is to go GREEN!

BREATHE LA first established the O24u Environmental Educational Program in 2003 as a hands-on after school learning activity that now reaches more than 4,000 children through program partners including Long Beach Unified School District, LAUSD Beyond the Bell, Boys and Girls Clubs and the YMCA. 2009 O24u partners include Long Beach Unified School District and City of Santa Monica.