King Gillette Ranch is new venue for education program
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

King Gillette Ranch, located in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains, has been chosen as the new venue for the Las Virgenes Unified School District's outdoor education program.

Rose Dunn, director of elementary education for the district, said the outdoor education program used to be conducted at Camp Cottontail near Malibu Canyon Road, but when it was sold last year, a new camp was needed.

"Previously we rented the facility and did the program planning ourselves," Dunn said. "Now the planning will be handled by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority."

King Gillette Ranch is a 588acre property that was the former home to Soka University. A consortium of state and local agencies- including the National Parks Service, California State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority- bought the property from the Japanese-owned university in April 2005 for $35 million.

The outdoor education program is designed for fifth- grade students.

"The students will have standardsbased lessons on many aspects of nature and the environment," Dunn said.

Naturalist educators employed by the MRCA will teach children about the environment through lessons developed jointly by the two agencies.

Dunn fielded questions about the new location and contract at a recent school board meeting. Board President Cindy Iser wanted additional provisions in the contract, including a requirement for background checks on all employees who will be working with the children during the five-day excursion. She also asked about sleeping accommodations. Dunn said boys and girls would be sleeping on different floors at King Gillette Ranch.

"Some of the changes will be the students will be in dorms instead of cabins, and almost all of the lessons will take place outdoors," she said.

Camp corridors and sleeping quarters will be monitored by adults at all times, Dunn said.

According to the contract security during the week will include a park manager and two resident park rangers who are California law enforcement officers. Although they will be on call 24-hours a day, they will not be at the ranch all day and night, according to the contract. If school officials want additional security, the district will have to foot the bill, the contract states.

Board member Dave Moorman asked about whether a nurse would be on site. Dunn said a health clerk and an after hours health clerk would be employed for the week at the ranch.

Several activities are planned for the students, including handson activities, a beach trip, hikes and other "action based" learning, Dunn said.

Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas will be the first of eight elementary schools to try out the new outdoor education program at King Gillette Ranch from Feb. 48. The cost of the program is $280 per student.

Other local elementary schools are scheduled for outdoor education at these times:

Feb. 1115: Yerba Buena Elementary and the Las Virgenes Community Learning Center

Feb. 25-29: Round Meadow Elementary School

March 3-7: Sumac Elementary School

March 1014: White Oak Elementary School

March 31April 4: Willow Elementary School

April 711: Bay Laurel Elementary School

April 1418: Lupin Hill Elementary School